Flock & ALPR Cameras in Washington
At least 2,279 automated license plate readers have been reported across Washington — the 19th most-surveilled state in the country by camera count.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · Live data
2,279 automated license plate readers have been reported in Washington as of October 7, 2026, ranking it #19 of 52 states and territories. They are documented in 234 cities and towns across 33 counties. 86 percent are Flock Safety cameras.
267 cameras were added to the Washington map in the last 30 days and 114 were removed. The most recent camera was reported on September 11, 2026. Yakima (100) has the most, followed by Seattle (65) and Renton (55).
68 operators are named in the records, including City of Yakima, Lowe's, The Home Depot. Source: community-mapped camera data (OpenStreetMap, ODbL) with DeFlock The USA’s permanent history.
Need this state’s camera data for your work?
We provide free custom extracts of everything we track: camera locations, brands, operators, dates, agencies, council agendas, and news coverage, for researchers, journalists, students, and advocates. Tell us the geography, time window, and format you need, and we’ll pull it for you. No charge, no strings.
Every one of those 2,279 cameras photographs the plate of each car that passes it — logging where Washington drivers go, when, and how often, whether or not anyone is suspected of a crime. Here’s what that means, and what you can do about it.
On the agenda: Longview City Council Regular Meeting - Thursday — Public Safety Camera (Oct 8)
Thursday, October 8 — today · The full record → · Read the agenda ↗
- Oct 7, 2026 On the agenda: Lakewood October 7, 2026 (Wednesday) 6:00 P.M. — license plate reader (Oct 7)
- Oct 6, 2026 On the agenda: East Wenatchee meeting — Flock Camera (Oct 6)
- Sep 28, 2026 On the agenda: Enumclaw meeting — Flock Camera (Sep 28)
- Sep 28, 2026 On the agenda: Medina packet — Surveillance Camera (Sep 28)
Every record for this area on the Docket → · nothing is ever deleted.
- Oct 8 Flock Safety camera newly reported
- Oct 8 Flock Safety camera newly reported
- Oct 8 Flock Safety camera newly reported
- Oct 8 NoTraffic camera newly reported
Newly reported by volunteers — cameras may have been up long before someone mapped them.
📷 8 new license plate readers just reported around Renton, WA. Newly mapped by volunteers — see what's watching. #ALPR #Surveillance #Renton
📷 5 new license plate readers just reported around Port Townsend, WA. Newly mapped by volunteers — see what's watching. #ALPR #Surveillance #PortTownsend
📷 7 new license plate readers just reported around Orting, WA. Newly mapped by volunteers — see what's watching. #ALPR #Surveillance #Orting
What these cameras actually do
Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) like those sold by Flock Safety aren’t normal traffic cameras. Each one reads every passing plate, stamps it with a time and location, and stores it in a searchable database — often shared across agencies. Across Washington, that’s 2,279 points quietly building a record of residents’ movements. See how the tech works and where your data goes.
How Washington compares
Washington ranks #19 of 52 states and territories by reported ALPR cameras — part of a fast-growing national footprint. Nationwide, volunteers have mapped over 143,000 cameras and counting. Nearby by camera count: Arizona (2,697), Louisiana (2,163), New Jersey (2,343), South Carolina (2,148).
The latest from Washington
- Washington cities face financial questions after pausing Flock camera contracts
- Case study: what one Washington city's public records say, and don't say, about Flock cameras and the new 21-day limit
- Armed Home Invaders, a Hit-and-Run and a 120 MPH Chase: How Flock Cameras Delivered in Washington County
- City of Alexandria to release map of all Flock camera locations – NBC4 Washington
- The story is the part you see. This is the journalism behind it. We take you inside our reporting to reveal the evidence, effort and determination that drive The Washington Post’s journalism — starting with our investigation into the misuse of Flock Safety’s nation
On camera in Washington — each opens right here on DeFlock:
The conversation about Washington:
DeFlock The USA@deflocktheusa.bsky.socialBluesky📷 8 new license plate readers just reported around Renton, WA. Newly mapped by volunteers — see what's watching. #ALPR #Surveillance #Renton3 hours ago
NoDrama100@nodrama100.bsky.socialBlueskyRead "South Carolina attorney general demands answers from Flock on ‘broader network’ of data" on SmartNews: l.smartnews.com/p-8D08bCmc/B...3 days ago
KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts,@[email protected]MastodonExperts Urge Federal Lawmakers to Regulate AI. Will Anyone Heed Their Alarm? https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2026/10/01/experts-urge-federal-lawmakers-to-regulate-ai-will-anyone-heed-their-alarm/7 days ago
Randall Gross@randallgross.bsky.socialBlueskyWashington DC to become testbed for Postal Truck "scanners" (mobile flock-like ubiquitous cameras) www.404media.co/usps-to-put-...1 week ago
Frank Gluck@frankgluck.bsky.socialBlueskyWASHINGTON – Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple accused surveillance technology company Flock Safety of “disinformation … and dishonesty” about its cameras in Senate testimony on Wednesday.1 week ago
Lori Jaye 🪶🐈⬛🇬🇱🥄@kittypurr1.bsky.socialBlueskythehill.com/policy/techn...2 weeks agoAll surveillance news → · All video & feeds →
What you can do in Washington
You don’t have to accept it — and you don’t have to be anti-safety to demand accountability. File a public records request to learn your town’s retention and data-sharing policy, speak up at a city-council meeting, and see the full playbook on our Take Action page.
Not sure what one looks like? See photographs of installed cameras before you go looking.
DeFlock Lynnwood — Lynnwood, Washington
Independently run local group listed on the DeFlock project directory (deflock.org).
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Olympia — Olympia, Washington
Independently run local group listed on the DeFlock project directory (deflock.org).
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Redmond — Redmond, Washington
Independently run local group listed on the DeFlock project directory (deflock.org).
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Renton — Renton, Washington
Renton residents keeping the city’s Flock cameras off after the council tried to turn them back on.
Join the fight ↗Flock & ALPR cameras by city in Washington
We track 236 Washington cities and towns with reported cameras — each with its own local report:
Flock & ALPR cameras by county in Washington
33 Washington counties have at least one reported camera. Tap any county for its full local report.
Counts come from the open-source DeFlock project’s volunteer reports and update as new cameras are mapped. A county not listed has no reported cameras yet — not necessarily none. Spot one? Report it.