Automatic License Plate Readers

Supporting serious criminal investigations. Protecting privacy. Strengthening public safety.

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) uses Automated License Plate Reader, or ALPR, technology to help locate and identify vehicles associated with serious and violent crimes, including homicides, assaults, and burglaries. By connecting vehicle information to verified criminal investigations, ALPR helps officers and investigators develop leads, locate vehicles associated with wanted persons, and respond to urgent public safety concerns. It also supports investigations involving missing or endangered persons and the recovery of stolen vehicles and license plates.

Access to ALPR information is restricted to trained and authorized SMPD personnel. Every search must have a documented law enforcement purpose, and all user activity is logged and subject to review and audit. Searches for personal reasons or out of curiosity are prohibited.

SMPD does not share ALPR information with other California agencies without a formal request. The Department does not share this information with federal agencies or agencies conducting immigration enforcement.

These requirements are mandatory. SMPD treats unauthorized access, searches, or disclosure of ALPR information as serious violations of Department policy and public trust. Employees who violate these requirements are subject to disciplinary action.

ALPR is part of SMPD’s broader public safety resources, including the Department’s SMART Center. It provides investigative information that personnel must evaluate and verify. It does not identify who is driving a vehicle, establish that someone committed a crime, or automatically authorize a stop or arrest.

SMPD’s use of ALPR is governed by applicable law and Department policy, with required training, access restrictions, documented search requirements, audits, and limits on retention and information sharing.

This page explains how SMPD uses ALPR and the requirements that govern who may access its information, why they may search it, and how that use is reviewed.

What is ALPR?

Automated License Plate Reader technology uses cameras and software to recognize license plates visible from public areas. Depending on the system, a record may include a vehicle photograph, license plate information, and the date, time, and location where the vehicle was observed.

This information can help investigators connect a vehicle to a serious and violent criminal investigation, develop leads, and establish where a vehicle may have traveled in relation to an incident.

ALPR captures vehicle information. It does not establish who was driving, who owns the vehicle, or whether any person associated with it committed a crime.

SMPD has used ALPR technology since 2018. Department policy restricts access and limits use to authorized law enforcement purposes tied to a report number or call for service.

ALPR in Other City Operations

ALPR technology is also used in other City environments, including City parking structures and Big Blue Bus operations. The requirements described on this page govern SMPD’s access to and use of its ALPR information.

What ALPR Does — and What It Does Not Do

ALPR can help SMPD…	ALPR does not…
Locate and identify vehicles used in serious and violent felonies	Determine that a driver committed a crime
Identify vehicles associated with wanted persons or active criminal investigations	Identify a person's face or use facial recognition
Develop investigative leads and establish possible vehicle movements related to a crime	Replace officer verification
Provide timely vehicle information during serious and urgent incidents	Automatically authorize a traffic stop or arrest
Assist with missing or endangered-person investigations	Give personnel unrestricted authority to search vehicle history
Establish possible vehicle direction of travel during an investigation	Permit searches for curiosity or personal reasons
Locate stolen vehicles and identify stolen license plates	Automatically share information with outside agencies

Restricted Access. Documented Searches. Accountable Use.

Public safety and privacy protections must coexist.

Protecting privacy is a requirement of SMPD’s ALPR program. The Department restricts who may access the system, requires personnel to document why they are searching it, and audits access and use for compliance.

Only authorized, trained personnel may access the system

ALPR information is not an open database, including within SMPD. Access is limited to authorized personnel, and Department-approved training is required before an employee may operate ALPR equipment or access its data.

Being a Department employee does not, by itself, authorize someone to search ALPR records.

Every search requires a verifiable law enforcement reason

An SMPD employee conducting an ALPR search must have a verifiable law enforcement reason and associate the search with a case number or Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) call number.

Policy violations carry disciplinary consequences

SMPD treats unauthorized access, searches, or disclosure of ALPR information as serious violations of Department policy and public trust. Employees who violate these requirements are subject to disciplinary action. Every employee authorized to use the system is responsible for protecting the information it contains and complying with the restrictions governing its use. Searching for personal reasons or out of curiosity is prohibited. Access to the system does not give an employee permission to look up any vehicle they choose.

User activity is recorded and reviewable

The system logs user activity, allowing authorized administrators to review who accessed the system, the searches conducted, and the dates and times of that activity. These records support oversight and allow searches to be examined for compliance with Department requirements.

SMPD audits access and use

SMPD conducts audits of ALPR access and use. Department policy also requires regular system audits. These reviews ensure compliance with Department policies.

The requirement to document each search, combined with activity logs and audits, creates a record against which system use can be reviewed.

ALPR information has a standard 30-day retention period

ALPR information is retained for 30 days unless it becomes evidence or must otherwise be preserved for a lawful purpose. In those circumstances, relevant information may be separately retained under applicable legal and evidence requirements.

Preserving information for a case does not remove the restrictions on authorized access and use.

Santa Monica owns its ALPR data

Under the City’s vendor agreement, Santa Monica owns its ALPR data. Access, searches, retention, and information sharing remain subject to applicable law and Department requirements.

No facial recognition

SMPD’s ALPR system does not use facial recognition technology. It recognizes license plate and vehicle information, not a person’s face.

Verification Is Required Before Relying on an Alert

An ALPR alert provides a potential investigative lead. It does not establish that a crime occurred or that anyone inside a vehicle committed a crime.

SMPD personnel are trained to review the original plate image and verify relevant information through appropriate law enforcement sources before taking enforcement action based solely on an ALPR alert, when practicable.

SMPD training describes ALPR as a “pointer system.” Personnel must verify plate reads and the current status of alerts rather than treat the technology as the original source of a vehicle’s wanted or stolen status.

An alert does not automatically authorize a stop, search, or arrest. SMPD personnel remain responsible for evaluating the information and ensuring any enforcement action has a lawful basis.

Immigration Enforcement & ALPR Information

SMPD's position is straightforward:

SMPD does not use ALPR technology for immigration enforcement and does not share its ALPR information with ICE.

California's Values Act also requires law enforcement databases to be governed in a manner that limits information availability for immigration enforcement to the fullest extent practicable and consistent with state and federal law.

This is consistent with SMPD's longstanding position that the Department does not participate in immigration enforcement operations and that community members should be able to seek police assistance regardless of immigration status.

Santa Monica's Position on Immigration

SMPD Community Message on Immigration Enforcement

ALPR and the SMART Center

SMPD’s SMART Center brings together authorized public safety resources to support officers responding to incidents and investigators working to solve crimes. ALPR contributes vehicle information that can be especially valuable in serious and violent felony investigations and time-sensitive responses.

Depending on the incident, personnel may evaluate ALPR information alongside Computer-Aided Dispatch, Live911, Drone as First Responder, and existing City traffic and public safety cameras. Together, these resources can help personnel verify vehicle descriptions, develop investigative leads, understand an unfolding incident, and coordinate a response.

No technology makes an enforcement decision. SMPD personnel remain responsible for evaluating information, verifying it where appropriate, and acting within the law.

ALPR helps SMPD investigate serious crimes and respond to public safety needs. Its use is restricted to authorized purposes, each search requires documented justification, and system activity is subject to review and audit.

FAQ

What is ALPR?

Automated License Plate Reader, or ALPR, technology uses cameras and software to recognize license plates visible from public areas. A record may include a photograph of a vehicle, the plate information identified by the system, and the date, time, and location of the observation.

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) uses this information to help locate and identify vehicles associated with serious and violent crimes, develop investigative leads, and respond to specific public safety concerns.

ALPR provides information for personnel to evaluate and verify. A plate read or alert does not establish that someone committed a crime or automatically authorize a stop or arrest.

ALPR is not a facial recognition system.

Why does SMPD use ALPR?

ALPR helps SMPD locate and identify vehicles associated with serious and violent crimes, including homicides, robberies, assaults, and burglaries. Vehicle information can provide an important lead when investigators are working to identify a suspect, locate a vehicle connected to a crime, or establish its movements in relation to an incident.

The technology also helps locate vehicles associated with wanted persons, supports missing or endangered-person investigations, and assists with the recovery of stolen vehicles.

Through the SMART Center, authorized personnel can evaluate ALPR information alongside other resources to help verify information and coordinate a response.

ALPR supports investigative work and officer decision-making. It does not replace verification, establish guilt, or independently authorize enforcement action.

Can an SMPD employee search any license plate they want?

No.

ALPR information is not an open database, including within SMPD. Personnel may search historical ALPR information only for an authorized law enforcement purpose. Each search must have a verifiable reason and be associated with a case or CAD call number. User activity is logged and subject to review and audit.

Who can access ALPR information?

Within SMPD, access is limited to authorized personnel who have completed Department-approved training. Employment with the Department alone does not provide access or permission to search the system.

Authorized personnel must also have a verifiable law enforcement reason for each search and associate it with a case or CAD call number. Access privileges do not permit personal searches or browsing out of curiosity.

Other agencies do not have direct or unrestricted access to SMPD’s ALPR database. A request from another California law enforcement agency must go through SMPD and comply with applicable law and Department requirements.

SMPD does not share ALPR information with ICE, other federal agencies, or agencies outside California.

User activity is logged and subject to review and audit. Violations of access, use, or disclosure requirements are subject to disciplinary action.

Are ALPR searches recorded?

Yes. The system maintains activity logs that allow authorized administrators to review who accessed the system, what searches were conducted, and when the activity occurred.

Personnel must document a verifiable law enforcement reason for each search and associate it with a case or call for service. Together, the search justification and activity logs provide a record for reviewing whether access was consistent with Department requirements.

These records support accountability. Authorized access does not permit an employee to conduct searches for personal reasons or outside an approved law enforcement purpose.

Does SMPD audit the system?

Yes. SMPD audits ALPR access and use to assess compliance with Department policy and authorized law enforcement purposes. Department policy requires regular system audits.

Documented search reasons and system activity logs allow reviewers to examine whether searches were connected to legitimate law enforcement work. Logging records the activity; auditing provides a means to review that activity for compliance.

Does SMPD share ALPR information with ICE or agencies outside California?

No. SMPD does not share its ALPR information with ICE, other federal agencies, or agencies outside California. SMPD also does not use ALPR for immigration enforcement.

California Department of Justice guidance states that California law enforcement agencies may not share ALPR information with out-of-state or federal agencies. This restriction also applies to information accessed through vendor-maintained ALPR databases. California DOJ ALPR Data Guidance

These restrictions are consistent with SMPD’s longstanding position that the Department does not participate in immigration enforcement operations. Community members should be able to seek police assistance regardless of immigration status.

Can SMPD ever share ALPR information with another California law enforcement agency?

Other agencies do not have direct or unrestricted access to SMPD's ALPR system. Another California law enforcement agency must submit a formal request to SMPD. A request does not automatically authorize disclosure.

Any information provided must be for an authorized law enforcement purpose and remain within applicable restrictions on use and disclosure.

Does SMPD use ALPR to continuously track people?

ALPR records vehicle observations at particular locations and times. It does not provide an uninterrupted GPS location or establish who is inside a vehicle.

Multiple observations may help investigators reconstruct a vehicle’s movements in connection with an authorized investigation.

SMPD personnel are prohibited from searching these records for personal reasons or out of curiosity. Every search requires a documented law enforcement purpose tied to a case or call number, and activity is logged and subject to review and audit. Routine ALPR information is retained for 30 days.

Does ALPR identify the driver or passengers?

No. ALPR recognizes license plate and vehicle information. It does not establish who is driving or riding in a vehicle, and SMPD’s ALPR system does not use facial recognition.

An ALPR record also does not, by itself, establish who owns a vehicle. Investigators may use separate, authorized law enforcement resources to obtain registration information, but a registered owner is not necessarily the person who was driving.

Personnel must evaluate and verify relevant information. The presence of a vehicle in an ALPR record does not establish that its owner, driver, or passengers committed a crime.

How long is ALPR information retained?

ALPR information is retained for 30 days.

Information that becomes evidence or must otherwise be preserved for a lawful purpose may be separately retained under applicable legal and evidence requirements. For example, a vehicle observation relevant to a criminal investigation may need to be preserved as part of that case.

Preserving information does not make it available for unrestricted use. Access and use remain subject to Department policy and applicable law.

Who owns SMPD's ALPR data?

Under the City’s agreement, Santa Monica owns its ALPR data.

Flock, SMPD’s current vendor, receives a limited license to process the information to provide the contracted service. It does not own or sell Santa Monica’s ALPR data.

City ownership does not make the database open to employees, other agencies, or the public. Access, searches, retention, and disclosure remain subject to applicable law, Department policy, and the City’s contractual requirements.

SMPD does not share ALPR information with ICE, other federal agencies, or agencies outside California.

Where does SMPD use ALPR technology?

SMPD uses ALPR technology in public areas throughout Santa Monica to support authorized criminal investigations and public safety responses. ALPR information can also support work coordinated through the Department’s SMART Center.

ALPR technology is used in other City operations, including City parking structures and Big Blue Bus operations. These are distinct uses of the technology and should not be understood to mean that every City camera is an ALPR camera or that all City systems form one shared database.

The safeguards described on this page govern SMPD’s access to and use of its ALPR information. Regardless of where a vehicle is observed, an SMPD employee must have a documented, authorized law enforcement reason to search the Department’s ALPR records.

Are City traffic cameras the same thing as ALPR cameras?

No. Traffic cameras and ALPR systems serve different functions, although both may provide information relevant to a public safety response.

Traffic cameras provide views of roadways and surrounding activity. ALPR systems use specialized software to recognize license plates and create searchable records of vehicle observations, including the date, time, and location.

The ability to see a vehicle or license plate in camera footage does not, by itself, make that camera part of an ALPR system.

SMART Center personnel may evaluate information from both resources during an authorized response or investigation. Using these resources together does not remove the access restrictions, documented search requirements, or oversight governing ALPR information.

The use of SMPD's CCTV systems is separately governed by Department Policy 338, which includes access, privacy, use, storage, and auditing requirements.

Can I obtain ALPR records through a public records request?

Members of the public may submit records requests to the City under the California Public Records Act. Whether a particular record can be released depends on applicable law, privacy protections, investigative exemptions, and other legal requirements.

Submit or learn about a City of Santa Monica public records request