California’s Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) law — Civil Code §§ 1798.90.5–1798.90.55 — requires any business or public agency that operates or uses license-plate-reading camera systems to maintain a written usage and privacy policy and make it publicly available. A California appellate court has confirmed that operating an ALPR system without a compliant, publicly posted policy is on its own enough to be sued over — no data breach or misuse required.
This guide is intended to help parking operators and property owners understand what the law requires, in plain language. It is not legal advice, and you should have your own attorney review any policy before you publish it.
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The rule, in one line
Any ALPR operator or data user must adopt a written usage and privacy policy, make it public, and — if it has a website — post that policy conspicuously online. On-site posting alone does not satisfy the website requirement.
Watch: ALPR compliance explained
The per-vehicle exposure example shown in this video (e.g., “$22.5M per month”) reflects one interpretation currently being argued in ongoing litigation — it is not settled law, a decided outcome, or a guaranteed penalty. No court has adopted a per-vehicle damages multiplier. See the litigation landscape for what’s actually been decided.
Explore the guide
What California’s ALPR law actually requires → Who’s covered, the 7 required policy elements, where a policy needs to be posted, and the most common ways operators fall short.
The litigation landscape: a missing policy now costs $2,500 per violation → The court ruling that made a missing ALPR policy independently actionable, and the wave of lawsuits it triggered against ALPR vendors and businesses across industries.
Sample ALPR usage & privacy policy language → Illustrative policy language organized around the statute’s 7 required elements — a starting point for your own counsel to review and adapt.
Download the compliance reference
A one-page, printable compliance reference covering the statute, the risk, and the required elements is available here: Download the ALPR Policy Compliance Guide (PDF)
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. California’s ALPR law is the subject of ongoing litigation, and its requirements as applied to any specific business should be confirmed with your own qualified legal counsel.