Automated license plate reader cameras have quietly spread across Florida in recent years. Commonly called Flock cameras, these systems photograph passing vehicles and allow law enforcement to search information including license plates, vehicle descriptions, locations and times of travel.
Police say the technology can help locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects and find missing people. But the rapid expansion of Flock cameras has also raised serious questions about privacy, data sharing and government surveillance — particularly after several cases involving alleged misuse by law enforcement officers.
Now Florida is pulling back.
In August 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis said the use of license plate readers had gotten “out of control” and warned against turning Florida into a “surveillance state.” On August 31, the Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for automated license plate readers located within State Highway System rights-of-way and ordered affected cameras removed within 30 days.
Several Florida counties and law enforcement agencies are going even further by shutting down their local Flock programs.
So what exactly are Flock cameras, how many are operating in Florida, can they give you a ticket, and why is Florida suddenly removing them? Here’s what Florida drivers need to know.
Frequently Asked Questions About Flock Cameras
What Is A Flock Camera?
A Flock camera is an automated license plate reader, commonly abbreviated as ALPR or LPR.
Flock Safety manufactures cameras that are installed along roads, intersections, parking areas, entrances to communities and other locations.
As vehicles pass, the cameras photograph them and use software to identify information that can be searched later.
The system can potentially identify or record information including:
- License plate numbers
- Vehicle make
- Vehicle model
- Vehicle color
- Date and time
- Camera location
- Other distinguishing vehicle characteristics
This information can then be searched by authorized users, primarily law enforcement.
Instead of an officer having to physically see a vehicle and run its plate, investigators can search a database to determine whether cameras have previously recorded the vehicle.
That can make the technology extremely powerful during an investigation.
It also raises an obvious privacy question: How much information should the government be able to collect about the movements of people who aren’t suspected of committing a crime?
Are Flock Cameras The Same As Red-Light Or Speed Cameras?
No.
This is probably the biggest misconception surrounding Flock cameras.
Florida uses several different types of roadside camera technology.
Red-light cameras are designed to document vehicles allegedly running red lights. School-zone speed cameras detect vehicles allegedly exceeding the applicable speed threshold during designated enforcement periods.
Flock cameras generally aren’t designed to issue those types of automated traffic citations.
They are primarily surveillance and investigative tools.
Florida law specifically provides that automated license plate recognition systems authorized within State Highway System rights-of-way may not be used to issue a notice of violation for a traffic infraction or a Uniform Traffic Citation.
In simple terms:
A typical Flock camera isn’t there to determine whether you were going 10 mph over the speed limit. It’s there to record that your vehicle passed that location.
Can A Flock Camera Give You A Speeding Ticket In Florida?
Generally, no.
Flock cameras should not be confused with Florida’s legally authorized school-zone speed detection systems or other automated traffic enforcement programs.
Florida law specifically prohibits an automated license plate recognition system installed under the state’s ALPR statute from being used to issue traffic violations or Uniform Traffic Citations.
That doesn’t mean information obtained from an ALPR could never become relevant to a police investigation.
It means the Flock camera itself isn’t functioning like a traditional automated speed camera that detects a violation and generates a ticket.
Why Do Police Use Flock Cameras?
There are legitimate reasons law enforcement agencies have embraced the technology.
Police can use ALPR systems to help locate:
- Stolen vehicles
- Vehicles associated with wanted suspects
- Missing or endangered people
- Vehicles connected with Amber Alerts
- Vehicles potentially connected with crimes
- Suspects fleeing from crime scenes
Investigators can also search historical camera detections while investigating a crime.
Supporters argue that this can dramatically reduce the amount of time required to locate a suspect vehicle.
That law-enforcement value is one reason Flock cameras expanded so rapidly before the privacy implications received the same level of public attention.
How Many Flock Cameras Are In Florida?
There isn’t a single comprehensive official public database showing every Flock camera in Florida.
That makes an exact number difficult to establish.
Open-source and crowdsourced projects that track automated license plate readers have nevertheless documented thousands of cameras throughout Florida, making the state one of the country’s largest ALPR markets.
One recent Finding Flock count documented approximately 9,500 automated license plate readers in Florida overall. That figure includes multiple manufacturers rather than exclusively Flock Safety cameras.
Separate open-source mapping has identified thousands of Flock cameras specifically.
These figures should be treated as estimates rather than an official state count because camera networks can change rapidly and many privately operated systems may not be publicly documented.
The important point isn’t whether Florida has exactly 8,000, 9,000 or 10,000 cameras.
It’s the scale.
What was once a relatively specialized police technology has developed into a network of thousands of roadside cameras capable of recording vehicle movements throughout Florida.
Which Florida Counties Have The Most Flock And License Plate Reader Cameras?
The largest concentrations tend to be found in Florida’s most populated metropolitan areas.
Recent crowdsourced ALPR mapping has identified particularly large networks in counties including:
Broward County — approximately 938 documented ALPRs
Palm Beach County — approximately 422
Orange County — approximately 404
Miami-Dade County — approximately 381
Hillsborough County — approximately 359
Polk County — approximately 326
Volusia County — approximately 316
Lee County — approximately 273
Pinellas County — approximately 226
Brevard County — approximately 217
Duval County — approximately 206
Again, these numbers are estimates from open-source mapping rather than an official Florida inventory, and not every documented ALPR is necessarily manufactured by Flock Safety.
The numbers nevertheless illustrate how extensive license plate surveillance has become in parts of Florida.
Why Are Flock Cameras Controversial?
The controversy isn’t simply that a camera photographs a license plate.
License plates are already visible to anyone on a public road.
The concern is what happens when thousands of cameras photograph vehicles continuously and the resulting information becomes searchable.
A sufficiently large ALPR network can potentially answer questions such as:
Where was this vehicle yesterday?
Which cameras have seen it?
When did it arrive in a particular city?
How frequently does it travel through a certain area?
Where else has this plate been recorded?
That makes ALPR information extremely useful for legitimate criminal investigations.
It also creates significant potential for abuse.
Critics argue that widespread ALPR networks can effectively create location histories for millions of people who have never been suspected of committing a crime.
The issue becomes even more complicated when agencies share access to their systems with other law enforcement organizations.
A camera owned by one Florida jurisdiction may therefore potentially contribute information to investigations conducted far outside that community.
Have Police Officers Misused Flock Cameras In Florida?
There have been significant allegations of improper ALPR use by Florida law enforcement officers.
One of the most striking cases occurred in Haines City.
Officer Christopher Goodson was accused of using the Flock system to repeatedly search for his estranged wife’s vehicle.
Investigators alleged that the vehicle was searched 717 times between September 2024 and June 2026 using Goodson’s agency-issued devices.
According to authorities, the searches weren’t connected with a legitimate criminal investigation.
Search justifications allegedly entered into the system included categories such as wanted person, narcotics, assault/battery, theft and traffic-related offenses.
Goodson was subsequently arrested and accused of official misconduct and unauthorized computer use.
The case drew particular attention because it demonstrated how a system created to track criminal suspects could potentially be used to monitor someone for entirely personal reasons.
Was There Another Flock Misuse Case In Brevard County?
Yes.
Another controversy involved Michael Fultz, who had previously been named the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office 2025 Deputy of the Year.
An internal investigation found that Fultz improperly searched his former girlfriend’s license plate using the agency’s Flock system.
Investigators said the search was labeled as being connected to an “investigation,” but Fultz couldn’t provide a legitimate investigative reason for looking up the plate.
Fultz resigned in August 2026 while facing termination following an investigation involving multiple allegations of misconduct.
The Haines City and Brevard County cases helped move the Florida debate beyond hypothetical concerns about surveillance.
They demonstrated that access controls and auditing matter because the information can potentially be used for purposes that have nothing to do with legitimate police work.
How Widespread Is Police Misuse Of License Plate Readers?
The issue extends well beyond Florida.
An August 2026 Washington Post investigation identified at least 69 police officials nationwide who had reportedly been accused, charged or convicted of improperly using Flock or other license plate reader databases.
Some cases allegedly involved officers searching for spouses, romantic partners, former partners or acquaintances.
The investigation also raised questions about whether departments were adequately auditing searches.
In some cases, alleged misuse was discovered by journalists, citizens or other people outside the department rather than through an agency’s own internal monitoring.
That raises a critical issue:
Having rules against misuse only works if someone is checking whether those rules are being followed.
What Has Gov. Ron DeSantis Said About Flock Cameras?
Governor Ron DeSantis significantly escalated the Florida debate in late August 2026.
DeSantis said automated license plate reader use had gotten “out of control” and said Floridians were right to be concerned about the technology.
He emphasized that he supports giving law enforcement tools to pursue criminals but doesn’t want Florida to develop into a surveillance state.
DeSantis also raised concerns about the possibility of databases being used to create extensive records of people’s movements.
He directed his administration to review how Florida agencies were using the technology and publicly discussed stronger legal restrictions on ALPR use.
Then Florida took action.
Did Gov. DeSantis Ban Flock Cameras In Florida?
Governor Ron DeSantis significantly escalated the Florida debate in late August 2026.
DeSantis said automated license plate reader use had gotten “out of control” and said Floridians were right to be concerned about the technology.
He emphasized that he supports giving law enforcement tools to pursue criminals but doesn’t want Florida to develop into a surveillance state.
DeSantis also raised concerns about the possibility of databases being used to create extensive records of people’s movements.
He directed his administration to review how Florida agencies were using the technology and publicly discussed stronger legal restrictions on ALPR use.
Then Florida took action.
What Has Gov. Ron DeSantis Said About Flock Cameras?
No.
This distinction is extremely important.
Florida has not enacted a statewide ban on Flock cameras.
Instead, on August 31, 2026, the Florida Department of Transportation revoked general use permits previously allowing automated license plate readers to operate within State Highway System rights-of-way.
FDOT also stopped issuing new permits for LPR installations within its jurisdiction.
Affected law enforcement agencies were given 30 days to remove the cameras.
That is a major change, but it doesn’t automatically eliminate Flock cameras located on county roads, municipal streets or private property.
Why Did Florida Order License Plate Readers Removed From State Roads?
FDOT specifically pointed to the rapid growth of the technology and concerns surrounding its use.
The August 31 memorandum cited the “exponential increase in deployments” along with reports involving misuse, data privacy and surveillance.
FDOT determined those concerns warranted withdrawing authorization for the cameras within state-controlled rights-of-way.
The state therefore did two things:
It revoked existing general-use permits for affected ALPR installations.
And it stopped approving future requests for LPR systems within FDOT’s jurisdiction.
This represents a significant reversal from Florida’s previous approach to the technology.
Does Florida's Order Remove Every Flock Camera?
No.
FDOT controls the State Highway System.
The August 31 action therefore doesn’t automatically prohibit a camera located on a:
- County road
- City street
- Privately owned property
- Gated community
- HOA property
- Shopping center
- Other location outside FDOT’s jurisdiction
That means Florida could still have thousands of ALPR cameras operating even after the state-road cameras are removed.
However, something else is happening simultaneously.
Individual counties and law enforcement agencies are beginning to shut down their own systems.
Which Florida Counties Have Banned Or Stopped Using Flock Cameras?
This is another area where terminology matters.
Most of these counties haven’t passed laws making Flock cameras illegal.
Instead, county governments, sheriffs or police agencies have terminated agreements, stopped using the system, disconnected cameras or ordered cameras removed from locally controlled rights-of-way.
As of September 1, 2026, confirmed Florida pullbacks include several counties.
Pasco County
Pasco County’s move actually preceded FDOT’s statewide action.
Sheriff Chris Nocco announced that he was terminating the county agreement governing its license plate detection system after a majority of county commissioners indicated they no longer supported it.
The agreement is scheduled to terminate September 30, 2026.
Walton County
Walton County commissioners voted 5-0 to remove Flock cameras from county-owned and maintained rights-of-way.
That decision doesn’t prohibit every camera in Walton County. Cameras on private property and in separately controlled jurisdictions could remain.
Putnam County
Putnam County Sheriff H.D. DeLoach ordered the county’s automated license plate readers immediately disconnected and directed that they be removed within 30 days.
The sheriff cited the growing debate involving privacy, data sharing and appropriate limits on government surveillance.
Liberty County
Liberty County Sheriff Dusty Arnold announced that his office was beginning the process of ending its contract with Flock Safety.
Although Arnold acknowledged that the technology had assisted law enforcement, he cited unresolved constitutional and privacy questions surrounding collection and use of ALPR data.
Calhoun County
Calhoun County law enforcement announced that it would stop using Flock cameras.
The situation there is somewhat different because six cameras were reportedly owned and operated by the state rather than the sheriff’s office. Deputies previously had access to the system but said they would discontinue using it.
Holmes County
The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office has also announced that it is stepping away from Flock cameras, citing privacy and constitutional concerns.
Okaloosa County
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would begin removing and suspending its automated license plate recognition camera program following FDOT’s August 31 memorandum.
Other Florida agencies are reviewing their programs as the state’s position continues to develop.
Because this is happening rapidly, drivers should be careful with claims that a particular county has completely “banned Flock.” In some locations the sheriff has stopped using the system; in others cameras are being removed only from certain public rights-of-way; and privately owned cameras may remain.
Are Flock Cameras Still Operating In Miami-Dade, Broward And Other Large Florida Counties?
Yes, potentially.
Florida’s action doesn’t automatically eliminate all ALPR systems in major counties such as Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange and Pinellas.
Affected cameras located within FDOT-controlled rights-of-way must be removed under the state’s new directive, but locally or privately controlled installations aren’t necessarily covered.
That creates a patchwork system where a Flock camera might no longer be permitted on one roadway while another camera remains operational several blocks away on a locally controlled road.
This is why describing Florida’s action as a simple statewide “Flock ban” is inaccurate.
Can Private Communities And HOAs Still Have Flock Cameras In Florida?
Potentially, yes.
Flock Safety systems aren’t exclusively purchased by police departments.
Homeowners associations, community development districts, businesses and other private organizations can also operate license plate readers.
For example, the Pasco County pullback affects roughly 60 cameras associated with the county-road agreement, while reporting indicates that approximately 110 privately operated readers associated with HOAs, CDDs, retailers and gas stations aren’t covered by that decision.
Likewise, Walton County’s removal applies to county-owned and maintained rights-of-way rather than automatically eliminating cameras in private communities or municipalities.
That means the broader debate over ALPR privacy isn’t limited to government-owned cameras.
What Is Flock Safety Doing In Response To Privacy Concerns?
Flock Safety has argued that its technology provides valuable investigative capabilities and helps law enforcement solve crimes and locate missing or endangered people.
At the same time, the company has announced additional safeguards as criticism has intensified.
Those measures have included shorter default data-retention periods, stronger auditing requirements and additional controls intended to identify potentially inappropriate searches.
But the debate in Florida has increasingly shifted beyond Flock’s own policies.
The question state officials are now confronting is whether government should establish statutory restrictions rather than relying primarily on individual agencies or technology companies to police access to such sensitive information.
Are Flock Cameras Legal In Florida?
Yes, automated license plate readers remain legal in Florida.
What has changed is where certain government-operated systems can be installed and how Florida may regulate them going forward.
FDOT has withdrawn authorization for ALPR installations within State Highway System rights-of-way.
Local governments and law enforcement agencies may have separate authority over cameras on locally controlled property, while private systems raise another set of legal questions.
The Florida Legislature could ultimately establish broader statewide restrictions.
Governor DeSantis has already indicated that he believes stronger laws may be necessary and has pointed to restrictions adopted in New Hampshire as a possible model Florida could examine.
Is Florida Getting Rid Of Flock Cameras?
Florida is clearly pulling back, but it would be inaccurate to say the state has eliminated them.
Three things are happening at the same time:
First, FDOT has revoked authorization for ALPR cameras within State Highway System rights-of-way and ordered affected installations removed.
Second, individual Florida sheriffs, police departments and county governments are independently terminating or restricting their own programs.
Third, many locally controlled and privately owned cameras may continue operating.
The result is likely to be a much smaller and more regulated network — but not necessarily the disappearance of Flock cameras from Florida.
What Happens Next With Flock Cameras In Florida?
The next major battle will likely occur in the Florida Legislature.
Removing cameras from state roads addresses where some ALPR systems can be physically located.
It doesn’t resolve many of the larger questions surrounding the technology.
Florida lawmakers could eventually consider restrictions governing:
- How long ALPR information can be stored
- What constitutes a legitimate search
- Whether searches require a case number
- How searches are audited
- Which agencies can access Florida ALPR data
- Whether information can be shared outside Florida
- Whether private entities can share information with law enforcement
- Penalties for officers who misuse ALPR databases
- Whether innocent motorists’ location information should be retained at all
Those questions may ultimately prove more important than where the physical cameras are mounted.
The fundamental issue isn’t one camera photographing one license plate.
It’s whether thousands of interconnected cameras should be able to create a searchable record of where millions of vehicles have traveled — and who should be allowed to access that information.
For Florida drivers, this debate is only beginning.
Last updated: September 1, 2026. The Ticket Clinic will continue monitoring changes to Florida’s automated license plate reader laws and enforcement policies as additional agencies and counties announce changes.
