You don’t need a lawyer to find out what your town’s cameras actually do. A short public records request can surface the policy — or prove there isn’t one.
Every state has a public-records law (often called FOIA or a “sunshine law”). It lets you ask your government for documents, usually for free or a small fee. Here’s how to use it for ALPRs.
What to ask for
- The contract with the camera vendor (Flock Safety, Motorola, etc.)
- The data-retention policy — how long reads are stored
- Any data-sharing agreements with other agencies
- Audit logs or usage reports showing how often the system is searched
- The policy governing who may search it and why
Who to send it to
Usually the city or county clerk, or the police department’s records officer. A quick call asking “who handles public records requests?” gets you the right inbox.
A template you can copy
What the answers tell you
A clear policy with short retention and real audits is a good sign. Vague answers — or “we have no responsive records” — often mean the cameras are running with no written rules at all. That absence is itself the story, and a reason to show up at a meeting. See How to Talk to Your City Council About Surveillance Cameras.
Find the cameras first
Map your town before you write the request — it makes the ask specific and hard to brush off.
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