If you saw headlines this week saying Florida banned Flock cameras, there’s an important detail missing.
Florida did not ban Flock cameras statewide.
What Florida did was revoke permission for automated license plate readers, including cameras made by Flock Safety, to operate within State Highway System rights-of-way.
On August 31, 2026, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) revoked existing approvals for automated license plate recognition systems installed along state highways. Law enforcement agencies have been given 30 days to remove affected cameras, and FDOT says it will no longer approve new installations within those state-controlled rights-of-way.
That’s a major change for a technology that has rapidly expanded across Florida.
But it doesn’t mean every Flock camera in the state is coming down.
Here’s what Florida drivers need to know.
What Exactly Did Florida Do?
FDOT issued Engineering and Operations Memorandum No. 26-01 on August 31, revoking its existing approvals for automated license plate readers located within State Highway System rights-of-way.
The department pointed to the rapid expansion of the cameras as well as concerns involving misuse, privacy and surveillance.
FDOT said the “exponential increase in deployments” along Florida roads, combined with reports involving misuse and data privacy, warranted immediate action.
The directive essentially does three things:
- Revokes existing FDOT approvals for ALPR cameras within State Highway System rights-of-way.
- Gives affected law enforcement agencies 30 days to remove the cameras.
- Stops FDOT from approving new ALPR installations within those areas.
If an agency doesn’t remove an affected camera within the required timeframe, FDOT says the state can remove it.
So Did Florida Ban Flock Cameras?
No.
That’s the most important distinction in this story.
Florida’s action concerns where automated license plate readers can be installed within FDOT-controlled State Highway System rights-of-way.
It doesn’t automatically prohibit Flock cameras on:
- County roads
- City streets
- Private property
- Shopping centers
- Gated communities
- HOA property
- Other locations outside FDOT-controlled rights-of-way
Florida law still recognizes automated license plate recognition systems.
Florida Statute 316.0777 actually gives FDOT discretion over whether an ALPR can be installed within the right-of-way of a State Highway System road.
That same statute says FDOT can require the system to be removed and gives the requesting law enforcement agency 30 days after receiving notice to do so.
In other words, Florida didn’t suddenly pass a law making Flock cameras illegal.
FDOT exercised authority it already had to stop allowing the cameras on state-controlled highway rights-of-way.
Why Is Gov. Ron DeSantis Cracking Down On Flock Cameras?
The state’s decision follows increasingly strong criticism from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In late August, DeSantis said the proliferation of license plate readers had gotten “out of control” and raised concerns about Florida becoming a surveillance state.
DeSantis has emphasized that he supports giving police technology that helps them catch criminals. His concern is whether a network capable of tracking vehicle movements could also be abused by government employees or private companies.
Speaking about the issue on August 31, DeSantis again said Florida needs to consider not only how the technology helps law enforcement, but how the information could potentially be misused.
The timing isn’t accidental.
A series of recent incidents has put the potential misuse of license plate reader databases under intense scrutiny.
How Many Flock Cameras Are In Florida?
There is no comprehensive official public map showing every Flock camera operating in Florida.
Recent reporting has estimated that Florida has roughly 7,500 license plate readers, with Flock representing a major portion of the network. At least 100 Florida law enforcement agencies have reportedly used Flock cameras.
Other crowdsourced mapping projects have produced different estimates because they include cameras from multiple manufacturers and privately operated systems.
Regardless of the exact number, the scale is significant.
In only a few years, automated license plate readers have gone from relatively specialized police technology to cameras that Florida motorists can encounter throughout the state.
And FDOT specifically cited the rapid increase in deployments when explaining its decision to pull the cameras from state highway rights-of-way.
Are All Of Those Cameras Coming Down?
No.
This is where some of the headlines surrounding Florida’s announcement can be misleading.
The FDOT directive applies to cameras installed within State Highway System rights-of-way.
A privately operated camera inside a community, for example, isn’t automatically affected.
Neither is every camera installed on a locally controlled road.
That means thousands of license plate readers could potentially remain operational after FDOT’s 30-day removal period ends.
However, Florida’s announcement has triggered something much bigger than simply moving cameras off state highways.
Local agencies are beginning to abandon the technology themselves.
Some Florida Counties Are Going Much Further
Several Florida law enforcement agencies have responded to the controversy by shutting down their own programs rather than simply removing cameras affected by FDOT’s directive.
In Duval County, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced that his agency would discontinue use of license plate reader technology throughout the county effective immediately.
Nassau and Clay counties have also announced that they are discontinuing license plate readers.
In Putnam County, Sheriff H.D. DeLoach ordered all 18 ALPR cameras immediately disconnected and directed that they be removed within 30 days.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced that his agency was terminating its Flock camera program and suspending access to Flock’s database, including data generated by privately operated cameras.
In Volusia County, Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced that his agency’s license plate readers were being shut down immediately. Because Volusia’s cameras were located on state roads, the FDOT decision effectively made the existing program unworkable.
Other jurisdictions are taking action as well.
As of September 1, Seminole County and several Central Florida cities had suspended or removed cameras, while Leon County suspended its ALPR use and Jefferson and Wakulla counties moved away from their systems.
The list is changing quickly.
Pasco County Was Already Pulling Back Before The State Order
Interestingly, the backlash didn’t begin with FDOT.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco announced days before the statewide directive that he was terminating an agreement involving the county’s license plate detection system.
Nocco’s announcement followed discussions by the Pasco County Commission and concerns surrounding the program.
The agreement is scheduled to terminate on September 30, 2026.
The Pasco decision demonstrated that the political pressure surrounding ALPR technology was already building before Florida took statewide action involving its highways.
What About Privately Owned Flock Cameras?
This is one of the biggest reasons the phrase “Florida banned Flock cameras” isn’t accurate.
Flock cameras aren’t operated exclusively by police.
Private communities, businesses and other organizations can also operate license plate readers.
FDOT’s August 31 directive concerns installations within State Highway System rights-of-way.
It does not automatically prohibit privately owned and operated ALPR cameras located on commercial properties or within private developments.
Those private networks also raise another important question:
Should law enforcement be able to search data collected by privately owned cameras even when the government itself has restricted where its own cameras can operate?
That could become part of Florida’s next debate over ALPR regulation.
Those rules could ultimately have a much greater impact on Flock than FDOT’s current highway directive.
So What’s The Current Status Of Flock Cameras In Florida?
The simplest answer is:
Florida hasn’t banned Flock cameras — but the state is rapidly pulling back from them.
FDOT has revoked authorization for automated license plate readers within State Highway System rights-of-way and ordered affected cameras removed within 30 days.
Some counties and law enforcement agencies are voluntarily going further and shutting down their programs entirely.
Other locally controlled cameras may remain operational.
And privately operated Flock cameras aren’t automatically covered by the state’s action.
That leaves Florida with a patchwork system in which the legality and continued operation of a particular camera can depend on where it is located, who controls the property and which agency operates or accesses it.
What happens next will likely depend on the Florida Legislature.
For now, Florida hasn’t banned Flock.
But after years of rapid expansion, the state has clearly decided that the growth of automated license plate surveillance needs to be reined in.
