AI Frontier Institute

License plate readers; privacy; violations

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Arizona Senate Bill 1111 (57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, 2026) adds Article 23 to Title 28, Chapter 3 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to regulate automated license plate readers (ALPRs) used by law enforcement. Section 28-1241 defines 'automated license plate reader' as a stationary or mobile technology that captures license plate data for official law enforcement purposes, and defines 'official law enforcement purposes' to include identifying stolen or wanted vehicles, stolen plates, human trafficking, missing persons, active warrants, suspect interdiction, and stolen property recovery. Section 28-1242 restricts ALPR use to legitimate law enforcement purposes, patrol operations, criminal investigations, crime scene canvassing, and partial plate checks during major crimes. It requires officers to verify ALPR alerts through an authorized central database before taking enforcement action when practicable, mandates agency-approved training before any employee may operate an ALPR, limits database access to authorized operators, and requires a trackable criminal case or incident number for any data access. Section 28-1243 designates all ALPR data and images as official use only, exempts them from public records requests (except via duly authorized subpoena or other law), and prohibits access to ALPR images or data more than 48 hours after an incident notification unless a judge issues a search warrant or an attorney (city, county, or Attorney General) issues a subpoena—with exceptions for owner consent, lost/stolen vehicle reports, exigent circumstances, Amber Alerts, alerts under sections 41-1726, 41-1728, or 41-1728.01, and human trafficking offenses under sections 13-1307, 13-1308, or 13-3212. Agencies must maintain password-protected systems logging user name, date, and time of access; restrict access to official purposes; document inter-agency data sharing; and conduct annual system audits. Section 28-1244 makes willful unauthorized querying, accessing, using, selling, sharing, or disseminating ALPR data or images a class 6 felony, with an exception for third-party vendors disclosing data pursuant to a duly authorized subpoena, warrant, or court order.

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