AI Frontier Institute

Prohibits private use and regulates government use of automated license plate readers.

View primary source →

New Jersey S4645 (introduced Oct. 1, 2026; referred to the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee; not enacted) would ban private use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and tightly regulate government use. If enacted, private individuals and entities (other than ALPR vendors working under government contract) would have to immediately remove installed ALPRs and permanently delete stored ALPR data (section 2), subject to an exception for data tied to ongoing judicial processes or discovery. The Attorney General could sue for injunctive relief against private violators (section 2c). State government entities could use ALPRs only to regulate parking facilities, control access to secured areas, or collect electronic tolls (section 3a). The State Police and local law enforcement could also check plates against "be on the lookout" (BOLO) lists limited to specified purposes: unregistered/uninsured or inspection-violating vehicles, missing-person alerts, stolen vehicles, and serious crimes (section 3b). BOLO lists must be updated at least daily for stationary readers and at the start of each shift for police-vehicle readers. Targeting populations based on protected characteristics is barred, with an exception for missing-person alerts. ALPR data could be shared with out-of-State or federal entities only by the Attorney General and only under a judicial warrant supported by probable cause or other valid court order (section 3c). ALPR vendors could not share or sell data. ALPR data would be exempt from the open public records act, with limited exceptions for redacted logs and a person's own vehicle (section 3d). Data generated by a vendor-installed reader would belong solely to the State entity (section 3e). Section 4 requires the Attorney General to run a Statewide ALPR data management system. All such systems must restrict access to authorized users, never store live feeds, keep immutable access, retention, and shared-data logs, and automatically delete data within two days, unless retention is allowed by a specified request, warrant, court order, or court-approved preservation request. Each State entity must adopt and post a policy on ALPR use (section 4d). Section 5 requires annual audits, posted publicly and reported to the Attorney General, who reports to the Legislature. Section 6 makes unlawfully obtained ALPR data, and evidence derived from it, inadmissible by State or out-of-State government entities in proceedings in New Jersey. Section 7 lets the Attorney General issue implementing guidelines. Under section 8, the act would take effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment.

← Back to the tracker