TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida transportation officials have ordered local law enforcement agencies to remove automated license plate readers from state highway rights-of-way, citing a sharp rise in deployments and concerns about misuse and privacy.
In an Engineering and Operations Memorandum No. 26-01 dated Aug. 31, 2026, the Florida Department of Transportation notified local agency permitholders that it is revoking all LPR-related approvals previously issued to local law enforcement agencies for placement of automated license plate recognition systems within the right-of-way of roads on the State Highway System.
The memo, sent by Will Watts, P.E., FDOT’s chief operating officer and assistant secretary, says the department has “broad authority to approve or deny a local law enforcement agency’s request to place a LPR within the right-of-way of a road on the State Highway System—and the authority to remove such at the Department’s discretion,” citing section 316.0777, Florida Statutes.
FDOT said “the recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life.”
Under the directive, all LPR-related approvals “are hereby revoked and must be removed by the permittee within 30 days of the date of this memorandum.” The memo says that if removal has not occurred within that 30-day period, FDOT “will remove any remaining devices subject to this memorandum.”
The department also said it is not limiting its ability to act sooner in certain cases, noting that “nothing in this memorandum prevents or restricts the Department from immediately removing any individual LPR device that is an immediate safety concern or that is causing an unsafe condition.”
FDOT also announced it will stop approving new installations. “As of the date of this memorandum, the Department will use its discretionary authority to cease the issuance of all future requests for LPR systems within its jurisdictional authority,” the memo states.
The memorandum lists Rudy Powell, P.E., chief engineer of operations, among those copied, along with state agency officials.