What is a public records request?
The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applies only to federal agencies. For records held by state and local law enforcement — which is where most ALPR data lives — you need to use your state's equivalent law, usually called a Public Records Act, Open Records Act, or Sunshine Law.
Every state has some version of a public records law that gives residents the right to request documents held by government agencies. The scope of what is releasable, the fees agencies can charge, and the time they have to respond vary significantly by state.
ALPR records held by a police department are generally considered public records subject to disclosure, unless the records are part of an active criminal investigation or are specifically exempted by state law.
How to file a request for your plate data
Step 1: Identify which agency holds the data. If you want records from a specific camera location, use the Flock Locations map to find the camera and note the city or county. The agency that operates the camera — or that has a data-sharing agreement with the private owner — is the one to contact.
Step 2: Find the agency's public records request process. Most police departments have a records division with a form on their website. Some states have a centralized portal. Search for "[agency name] public records request" or "[agency name] FOIA request."
Step 3: Write your request. Be specific: ask for all ALPR records associated with your license plate number (include the plate number and state), for a specific date range, captured by cameras operated by or accessible to the agency. Request both the raw data (plate reads) and any photographs.
Step 4: Submit and follow up. Agencies are required to respond within a set number of days (typically 5–10 business days for an acknowledgment, 30 days for the records themselves, though this varies by state). If the agency denies your request, ask for the specific legal exemption they are relying on.
State-by-state notes
California: The California Public Records Act (CPRA) gives residents broad access to government records. ALPR data held by law enforcement is generally releasable for your own plate. Some agencies have argued that releasing ALPR data could reveal surveillance patterns, but courts have generally sided with requesters seeking their own records.
Texas: The Texas Public Information Act requires agencies to respond within 10 business days. ALPR records are generally releasable. If the agency believes the records are confidential, it must seek a ruling from the Texas Attorney General before withholding them.
Florida: Florida has one of the strongest public records laws in the country. ALPR records are generally public. However, Florida Statute 316.0778 contains some exemptions for active investigations.
New Hampshire and Maine: These states have strict ALPR retention laws (3 minutes and 21 days respectively for non-hit data). If you request records after the retention period has passed, the data may no longer exist — which is the point of the law.
New York: New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) applies. NYPD has historically resisted releasing ALPR data, but courts have ordered disclosure in several cases. Expect a fight and be prepared to appeal.
What you might receive
If your request is granted, you may receive a spreadsheet or database export with columns for plate number, timestamp, camera ID or location, and sometimes vehicle description. You may also receive photographs — both the full-frame vehicle image and the cropped plate image.
The volume of records can be surprising. If you drive past Flock cameras regularly — which is likely if you live in a city with significant deployment — you may have hundreds or thousands of records spanning months or years.
Some agencies will redact the camera location data, arguing that revealing camera positions would compromise law enforcement operations. This is legally contested in many states. If your records are redacted, you can appeal the redaction.
If your request is denied
Ask the agency to cite the specific statutory exemption they are relying on. Vague denials ("law enforcement sensitive," "ongoing investigation") without a specific citation are often improper.
File an appeal. Most states have an administrative appeal process within the agency, followed by an appeal to a state oversight body (attorney general, ombudsman, or court). The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press maintains a state-by-state guide to public records appeals at rcfp.org.
Contact your state's ACLU chapter. ALPR public records requests are a known area of advocacy, and many ACLU chapters have staff attorneys who can advise on appeals or take on cases that raise significant privacy issues.