FBI seeks US-wide access to license plate cameras, wants 'data in near real time'
Source: Ars Technica
FBI Wish List
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced plans to buy nationwide access to a network of license‑plate readers (LPRs), saying it will award contracts to one or more vendors that can offer “near‑real‑time” information from cameras across the United States.
“To evaluate and manage threats to personal safety, property, and law enforcement, the FBI requires professional service firms that can provide License Plate Readers (LPRs) for tracking subjects on roads and highways over the US and its territories,” the FBI wrote in a Request for Proposals (RFP) published on May 14.
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Credit: Getty Images | Smith Collection/Gado
Key contract details
- Scope: Provide LPR data through the contractor’s existing platform, covering at least 75 % of locations nationwide.
- Search capabilities:
- License‑plate numbers (partial or full)
- Plate state
- Date/time criteria
- Geo‑location criteria
- Vehicle description (make, model, etc.)
- Notifications: Real‑time search‑result alerts.
- Camera access: Ability to query any camera across the United States and its territories in near real time.
- Mapping: Generate heat‑maps or other visualizations showing camera coverage.
- Source attribution: Identify the origin of each read (e.g., red‑light camera, repossession vendor, speed camera, etc.).
The FBI emphasized that the system must allow law‑enforcement and/or commercial LPR data to be shared securely, enabling rapid threat assessment and response.
Flock and Motorola Solutions – Potential Bidders
The FBI’s RFP divides the proposal into six regions covering:
- Continental U.S.
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
- U.S. Virgin Islands
The agency may award contracts to one or two vendors in each region. Contracts can be up to five years in length, with a total potential value of $36 million. All contractor systems must be accessible to FBI users via a website.
Why Flock and Motorola Solutions Are Well‑Positioned
- Flock – Supplies Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) to local police departments. The company claims over 12,000 public‑safety customers (cities, towns, counties, and business partners).
- Motorola Solutions – Offers license‑plate‑reader cameras that can be installed on busy roadways or mounted on police vehicles.
Both firms could win portions of the contract, as the FBI indicated it may award multiple vendors to achieve the desired level of coverage.
Relevant Concerns
| Issue | Sources |
|---|---|
| Privacy | Ars Technica – “Flock haters cross political divides to remove error‑prone cameras” |
| Data security | Ars Technica – “Misconfigured license‑plate readers are leaking data and video in real‑time” |
| Recognition errors | EFF – “Human toll: ALPR errors” |
| Side‑door access for ICE | 404 Media – “ICE taps into nationwide AI‑enabled camera network data shows” |
Existing FBI License‑Plate‑Reader Program
- The FBI already runs an LPR program to facilitate information sharing among law‑enforcement partners (Congressional Research Service report).
- The agency maintains a hot list of vehicle data that law‑enforcement agencies can compare against their own LPR captures.
“The FBI intelligence division’s plan to obtain direct access to an extensive network of cameras could help expand that information sharing.” – FBI – How We Investigate: Intelligence
Sources
- 404 Media – The FBI wants to buy nationwide access to license‑plate readers
- Motorola Solutions – License‑plate‑recognition camera systems
- Congressional Research Service – License‑Plate Reader Program (CRS Report R48160)
- Additional articles linked in the table above.
Flock: Sharing Is “Opt‑In” for Local Police
Flock temporarily gave Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Secret Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service access to its cameras as part of a pilot last year. The pilot was confirmed to the office of Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR) in a letter here.
Flock states that it has federal customers “including National Parks, Veterans Affairs hospitals, and military bases,” but that it does not work with ICE source.
Company policy on federal data requests
- Communities that use Flock cameras may grant data access to federal agencies, but sharing is disabled by default.
- In March, Flock announced it was “defining a new relationship with federal law enforcement,” adding conditions to keep local control over any data sharing link.
“Flock data belongs to the agency that owns the cameras. There is no backdoor into Flock. Any access is explicitly permission‑based and opt‑in by the local agency,” the company said.
We have reached out to Flock and Motorola Solutions for comment and will update this article if we receive a response.
State laws limiting ALPR data sharing
- California: State and local agencies are prohibited from sharing ALPR camera data with out‑of‑state or federal law‑enforcement agencies law. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) reported in January 2024 that dozens of California agencies violated this law by sharing ALPR information with out‑of‑state agencies EFF letter.
- Virginia: A law enacted last year imposes similar limits on ALPR data sharing statute.
The FBI’s request for proposals requires contractors to identify the physical location of servers storing ALPR data to verify compliance with state and local laws.
About the author
Jon Brodkin – Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, FCC rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech sector.
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