Florida is rapidly pulling back from Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers, but calling what is happening a “ban” can create confusion.
Florida has not banned Flock cameras statewide, and in many of the counties described as having “banned” the technology, the cameras themselves have not actually been made illegal.
Instead, several different things are happening at the same time.
On August 31, 2026, the Florida Department of Transportation revoked approvals for automated license plate readers located within State Highway System rights-of-way and ordered affected cameras removed within 30 days. That action applies to cameras installed in state-controlled rights-of-way, not every Flock camera in Florida.
Separately, some county governments have ordered cameras removed from county-controlled rights-of-way, while a growing number of sheriffs and police departments have terminated contracts, suspended their programs or stopped using Flock altogether.
But even when a sheriff’s office “bans” or discontinues Flock, that generally doesn’t mean Flock cameras are prohibited throughout that county.
Privately owned cameras may still operate at homeowners associations, gated communities, apartment complexes, shopping centers, businesses and other private properties. Municipal police departments within the same county may also have their own policies and programs.
That’s why throughout this guide, we distinguish between a program being discontinued, a program being suspended, cameras being removed from government rights-of-way, and an actual prohibition on the technology.
So where headlines may say a Florida county has “banned Flock cameras,” the reality is usually more complicated.
Below is the current county-by-county status of Flock cameras in Florida as of September 1, 2026.
Florida Counties That Have Discontinued Or Shut Down Flock Camera Programs
These are the Florida counties where the county’s primary law enforcement agency or county government has announced a broad shutdown, discontinuation or termination of its Flock/ALPR program.
Baker County
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office has discontinued its use of license plate reader technology.
Sheriff Scotty Rhoden acknowledged that the cameras had helped deputies locate wanted people, recover stolen property and identify vehicles connected with criminal activity, but announced the agency would discontinue the technology following Florida’s statewide action.
Status: Sheriff’s Office discontinuing LPR use.
Brevard County
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced the full termination of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Flock camera program.
The Sheriff’s Office is removing its cameras and has also terminated access to the broader Flock database.
Significantly, BCSO has suspended its access to data generated by privately operated Flock cameras, including cameras operated by HOAs and businesses.
That does not prohibit those private entities from operating cameras. It means the Sheriff’s Office is no longer accessing their information through the Flock network.
Some municipalities within Brevard can still establish their own policies.
Status: Brevard Sheriff’s Office Flock program terminated.
Calhoun County
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has announced that it will no longer use the Flock system.
The situation is slightly different in Calhoun because cameras used by deputies were reportedly owned and operated by the state rather than the Sheriff’s Office itself.
Status: Sheriff’s Office stopped using Flock.
Clay County
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced that it is discontinuing its license plate reader program following Florida’s action.
The agency is removing affected cameras.
Status: Sheriff’s Office discontinuing LPR use.
Duval County / Jacksonville
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office would discontinue use of license plate reader technology throughout Duval County.
This goes significantly beyond simply removing cameras affected by FDOT’s state-highway order.
Waters acknowledged that ALPR technology had been a valuable investigative tool but said the state’s decision and concerns expressed by the community made discontinuing the technology appropriate.
Status: JSO discontinued its LPR program.
Franklin County
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has announced that it is discontinuing its Flock camera program.
Most of the county’s cameras were reportedly located on state roads and therefore affected by FDOT’s directive. The Sheriff’s Office elected to turn off its remaining cameras as well.
Status: Sheriff’s Office Flock program discontinued.
Holmes County
The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office has announced that it is ending its use of Flock cameras, citing privacy and constitutional concerns.
Status: Sheriff’s Office discontinuing Flock.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County has moved away from Flock technology and its system has been shut down.
Status: Flock system shut down.
Liberty County
Liberty County Sheriff Dusty Arnold announced that his office is ending its contract with Flock Safety.
Arnold acknowledged that the cameras had helped law enforcement locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects and recover an abducted child, but cited unresolved constitutional and privacy questions surrounding the technology.
Status: Sheriff’s Office ending Flock contract.
Pasco County
Pasco County began pulling back from Flock before FDOT issued its statewide directive.
Sheriff Chris Nocco announced that he is terminating the county agreement governing its license plate detection system after a majority of county commissioners indicated that they no longer supported the agreement.
The agreement is scheduled to terminate September 30, 2026.
Privately operated Flock cameras within Pasco County aren’t necessarily affected.
Status: County LPR agreement ending September 30.
Putnam County
Putnam County has taken one of Florida’s clearest positions against the technology.
Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach ordered all 18 automated license plate readers operated by the Sheriff’s Office immediately disconnected and directed that they be removed within 30 days.
The Sheriff’s Office is discontinuing the program and canceling its contract.
DeLoach cited concerns involving privacy, data sharing, government oversight and individual liberty.
Status: Sheriff’s Office Flock program discontinued; all 18 cameras being removed.
Volusia County
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced that his agency’s license plate reader system was being shut down immediately.
The FDOT decision had an especially significant effect on Volusia because the Sheriff’s Office’s cameras were located along state roads.
Chitwood acknowledged that the technology had helped investigators solve violent crimes, find missing people and recover stolen property.
Status: Volusia Sheriff’s Office Flock system shut down.
Wakulla County
Wakulla County has moved away from the technology and ended participation in the Flock system.
Status: Flock participation ended.
Florida Counties That Have Suspended Flock Camera Programs
Some counties haven’t permanently terminated their programs but have stopped using the technology while the issue is reviewed.
Charlotte County
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has temporarily suspended its use of Flock cameras as Florida law enforcement agencies reassess automated license plate reader programs following the state’s recent action.
Unlike agencies that have announced permanent termination of their programs, Charlotte County’s action is currently a temporary suspension.
Status: Sheriff’s Office Flock camera use temporarily suspended.
Leon County
Leon County has suspended its use of automated license plate readers.
This doesn’t necessarily mean every Flock camera within the geographical boundaries of Leon County has been shut down. The City of Tallahassee and private entities can have separate policies.
Status: County ALPR use suspended.
Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has announced that it is suspending its entire license plate reader program following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ directive and FDOT’s new restrictions.
According to a September 1 statement from the Sheriff’s Office, all cameras located on FDOT infrastructure will be taken offline by the end of the day.
More significantly, MDSO announced that its license plate reader program will be “suspended in its entirety.”
That goes considerably further than simply complying with FDOT’s order affecting cameras located within State Highway System rights-of-way. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is temporarily suspending its broader LPR program.
However, this does not necessarily mean every Flock camera geographically located in Miami-Dade County has been turned off.
Municipal police departments within Miami-Dade can have their own policies and programs. Privately operated cameras at HOAs, gated communities, apartment complexes, businesses and other private properties may also be treated separately.
Status: Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office LPR program suspended in its entirety.
Okaloosa County
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would begin removing cameras and suspending its automated license plate recognition program following FDOT’s decision.
Status: Sheriff’s Office ALPR program suspended.
Seminole County
Seminole County has suspended use of Flock cameras following Florida’s statewide action.
Several municipalities within the county are also taking action, including Oviedo and Sanford.
Status: Flock use suspended.
Florida Counties Restricting Flock Cameras From County Rights-Of-Way
These counties have taken action beyond FDOT’s state-highway restriction but haven’t necessarily eliminated all law enforcement or private use of Flock cameras.
Lake County
On September 1, Lake County commissioners voted to rescind authorization for Flock Safety license plate readers within county rights-of-way.
The vote directs the county to turn off and remove affected cameras.
This is broader than FDOT’s order because it applies to Lake County-controlled rights-of-way.
It is not a prohibition on privately operated Flock cameras throughout Lake County.
Status: Flock cameras being removed from county rights-of-way.
Walton County
Walton County commissioners voted 5-0 to remove Flock cameras from county-owned and maintained rights-of-way.
Again, the restriction doesn’t automatically prohibit cameras located on private property or within separately governed municipalities.
Status: Flock cameras removed from county rights-of-way.
Florida Cities That Have Suspended Or Removed Flock Cameras
Municipal governments can make their own decisions even when the surrounding county takes a different approach.
This distinction is especially important in counties such as Miami-Dade, where the Sheriff’s Office can suspend its program without automatically determining what every municipal police department does.
Some notable Florida cities taking action include:
Oviedo
The Oviedo City Council directed the city to remove all eight of its Flock cameras and not include funding for the system in the upcoming budget.
Status: All city Flock cameras being removed.
Sanford
Sanford has suspended use of Flock cameras following the state’s action.
Status: Flock program suspended.
Titusville
The Titusville Police Department announced a temporary operational pause of its Flock ALPR program while officials review privacy safeguards and department policies.
This is a suspension rather than a permanent termination.
Status: Flock program temporarily paused.
Edgewater
Edgewater is among the Central Florida municipalities that have suspended Flock camera use following the state’s action.
Status: Flock use suspended.
What About Palm Bay?
Palm Bay is worth separating from the other cities because its situation has changed.
The city temporarily suspended its Flock system in August after questions arose about whether its cameras had been properly permitted and installed.
The city subsequently verified the locations and paperwork and restored the system.
Palm Bay’s cameras are located on city streets and aren’t necessarily affected by FDOT’s state-road directive.
Status: Flock system operating after earlier temporary suspension.
Florida Counties Without A Broader Flock Camera Restriction Confirmed
As of September 1, 2026, we have not confirmed a broader countywide Flock/ALPR shutdown, suspension or county-right-of-way restriction in the following Florida counties:
- Alachua County
- Bay County
- Bradford County
- Broward County
- Citrus County
- Collier County
- Columbia County
- DeSoto County
- Dixie County
- Escambia County
- Flagler County
- Gadsden County
- Gilchrist County
- Glades County
- Gulf County
- Hamilton County
- Hardee County
- Hendry County
- Hernando County
- Highlands County
- Hillsborough County
- Indian River County
- Jackson County
- Lafayette County
- Lee County
- Levy County
- Madison County
- Manatee County
- Marion County
- Martin County
- Monroe County
- Nassau County
- Okeechobee County
- Orange County
- Osceola County
- Palm Beach County
- Pinellas County
- Polk County
- Santa Rosa County
- Sarasota County
- St. Johns County
- St. Lucie County
- Sumter County
- Suwannee County
- Taylor County
- Union County
- Washington County
That does not mean nothing is happening in these counties.
Every Florida county is affected by FDOT’s August 31 directive requiring affected ALPR cameras to be removed from State Highway System rights-of-way.
Some agencies are therefore removing individual cameras to comply with the state order without abandoning license plate reader technology altogether.
Local municipalities within these counties can also establish their own policies.
What About Nassau County?
Nassau County is a good example of why we’re being careful about describing these actions as countywide “bans.”
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office has announced that it will comply with FDOT’s directive, which affects dozens of its cameras.
That means affected cameras are coming down.
However, available information doesn’t establish that Flock cameras are now prohibited throughout Nassau County, particularly on private property or outside the areas covered by the state directive.
Status: FDOT-affected cameras being removed; no complete countywide prohibition confirmed.
What About Alachua County?
Alachua County is another example.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office identified 27 ALPR cameras affected by FDOT’s order and directed that those devices be removed.
However, the Sheriff’s Office is evaluating ways to maintain ALPR investigative capabilities while complying with Florida’s new restrictions.
That is significantly different from Putnam or Brevard counties, where the Sheriff’s Offices have announced broader termination of their programs.
Status: State-road cameras being removed; broader ALPR use under review.
What About Manatee County?
Manatee County commissioners have voted to bar Flock cameras from county parks and buildings and require additional installations to receive greater scrutiny.
However, this isn’t a countywide prohibition.
Existing cameras and systems operated outside those county properties may remain.
Status: Restricted on certain county property; no countywide prohibition.
Are Private Flock Cameras Prohibited In These Counties?
Generally, no.
This remains one of the most important distinctions in Florida’s Flock controversy.
A sheriff terminating or suspending a Flock contract doesn’t necessarily prohibit an HOA from operating a Flock camera at the entrance to a gated community.
Likewise, removing cameras from county rights-of-way doesn’t necessarily affect cameras located inside shopping centers, apartment complexes or other private property.
Private cameras can potentially remain operational unless another law, ordinance, property restriction or government action specifically affects them.
Another question is whether police can access the data generated by privately operated cameras.
Brevard County provides an important example.
The Sheriff’s Office has suspended its access to the broader Flock network, including privately operated camera feeds.
The private cameras haven’t necessarily been turned off.
The Sheriff’s Office has stopped accessing their data.
Miami-Dade provides another important example of the distinction. MDSO has announced the suspension of its entire LPR program, but that announcement does not by itself establish that every privately owned Flock camera or every independently operated municipal system within Miami-Dade County has been shut down.
Did Florida Ban Flock Cameras Statewide?
No.
Florida has not enacted a statewide prohibition on Flock cameras.
Instead, FDOT has revoked permission for automated license plate readers within State Highway System rights-of-way.
Individual counties, sheriffs and law enforcement agencies are then deciding whether to go further.
That distinction has become even more important as agencies respond to the state’s action.
In Miami-Dade, for example, the Sheriff’s Office isn’t simply taking cameras off FDOT infrastructure. It has announced that its entire LPR program is being suspended.
Elsewhere, the responses vary.
The result is a rapidly changing patchwork:
Some sheriff’s offices have abandoned Flock entirely.
Some agencies, including the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, have suspended their LPR programs.
Some counties have prohibited or removed cameras from county-controlled rights-of-way.
Some agencies are simply removing cameras affected by FDOT’s order.
And privately operated cameras can potentially remain.
That’s why describing every one of these developments as a “Flock camera ban” isn’t technically accurate.
The next major development could come from the Florida Legislature, where lawmakers could establish broader statewide rules governing how ALPR data is collected, retained, searched, audited and shared.
Until then, whether a Flock camera can operate — and whether law enforcement can access its data — may depend heavily on where the camera is located, who owns it and which government agency is accessing the information.
Last updated: September 1, 2026. The Ticket Clinic will continue updating this page as additional Florida counties, cities and law enforcement agencies discontinue, suspend or restrict automated license plate reader programs.
The Ticket Clinic Team
We are the largest law firm in the United States to focus solely on traffic-related offenses and traffic tickets. Over +35 years in business, we have developed deep knowledge about traffic court procedure and traffic laws. Our goal is to help keep drivers stay informed about legal issues that could affect them on the road. In our blog content, we like to explore insights in traffic ticket trends and other related issues.
