United States, North Carolina
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
Licence plate reader programme on state road rights-of-way
OperationalJournalismPAI-FB868403
- Body
- North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
- Country
- United States
- Area
- North Carolina
- Technology
- Licence plate reader programme on state road rights-of-way
- Supplier
- Not stated in the source
- Programme
- North Carolina SBI licence plate reader programme
- Status
- Operational
In routine use by the named body, on the evidence of a public source. - Stage
- In use now
- Since
- 2024
- Legal basis
- Provision in North Carolina's 2026 state budget making the pilot permanent; a 2024 state law allowing the Department of Transportation and the SBI to agree placement of plate reader cameras on state-owned roads
- Oversight
- Annual SBI report to the General Assembly by 1 March each year; each participating agency must adopt a written policy on use of the cameras
- Evidence
- Journalism
Named reporting by a reputable outlet - Source
- WSOC-TV, 24 July 2026
- Last checked
- Record code
PAI-FB868403
Notes
WSOC reported on 24 July 2026 that a provision in North Carolina's new budget made permanent the pilot allowing the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to enter agreements to place licence plate reader cameras on state roads, now open to all law enforcement agencies in the state; the cameras have operated since 2024, and the provision requires each participating agency to write a policy on their use. WECT reported on 13 October 2026 that the SBI sent its final report on the pilot to lawmakers on 24 September and will send an annual report by 1 March each year; New Hanover County Sheriff's Office recorded the most scans (more than 66 million from August 2025 to 1 July 2026), though its cameras have since been turned off after a county commission vote. Axios reported in May 2026 that a 2024 state law enabled the pilot and that 32 agencies took part, including Raleigh Police and the State Highway Patrol, with 140 cameras installed in state rights-of-way as of March and 75 applications pending, and the SBI saying no data was kept longer than 90 days. The sources do not name a vendor for the SBI programme; WECT refers to Flock systems for some participating agencies.
Other bodies in North Carolina SBI licence plate reader programme
All records in this programme| Deployment | Country | Supplier | Since | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County Sheriff's OfficeFlock Safety licence plate readers on state roads | United StatesBrunswick County, North Carolina | Flock Safety | — | Operational | |
| New Hanover County Sheriff's OfficeFlock Safety licence plate readers on state roads | United StatesNew Hanover County, North Carolina | Flock Safety | — | Discontinued | |
| Burlington Police Department (North Carolina)Flock Safety licence plate readers | United StatesBurlington, North Carolina | Flock Safety | 2025 | Operational |
Licence plate reader programme on state road rights-of-way elsewhere in United States
See them in the tracker| Deployment | Country | Supplier | Since | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Police DepartmentANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) | United StatesCalifornia | Axon | 2026 | Trial | |
| US Customs and Border ProtectionPredictive Intelligence Program: licence plate reader networks with a travel-pattern algorithm | United StatesBorder Patrol: southwest and northern borders and interior highways | — | — | Operational | |
| US Immigration and Customs EnforcementLicence plate reader data: commercial database queries and AI plate capture and analysis | United StatesNationwide (Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations) | Motorola Solutions (per the DHS inventory); West Publishing (Thomson Reuters) for commercial plate data, per Biometric Update | — | Operational | |
| US Customs and Border ProtectionLand Border Integration: licence plate and occupant face recognition at land ports (Rekor) | United StatesLand ports of entry | Rekor | 2021 | Operational | |
| US Customs and Border ProtectionAirship Outpost identification of conveyances | United StatesNationwide | Airship | 2023 | Operational | |
| Federal Bureau of InvestigationLicence plate readers (three inventory entries) | United StatesNationwide | — | — | Operational | |
| Drug Enforcement AdministrationLicence plate readers (DEASIL programme and state, federal and commercial partner data) | United StatesNationwide | — | — | Operational | |
| Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesAccess to ELSAG licence plate readers run by HIDTA partners | United StatesNationwide | Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions LLC | — | Operational | |
| Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesThomson Reuters Vigilant Vehicle Manager | United StatesNationwide | Motorola | — | Operational | |
| Criminal Division, US Department of JusticeThomson Reuters CLEAR licence plate recognition | United StatesNationwide | Thomson Reuters | — | Operational | |
| US Department of Justice Office of the Inspector GeneralAccess to the Nlets Nationwide Licence Plate Reader Pointer Index | United StatesNationwide | Thomson Reuters | — | Operational | |
| Baltimore Police DepartmentAxon licence plate readers | United StatesBaltimore, Maryland | Axon | — | Proposed |