Official Summary Text
SB1111 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
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PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1111
automated
license plate readers
(
NOW: license
plate readers; privacy; violations
)
Purpose
Outlines official law enforcement purposes for which a law enforcement
agency may use automated license plate readers and requirements relating to
automated license plate reader use, training and data management.
Background
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) must provide every
vehicle owner with one license plate for each registered vehicle. The license
plate must display the number assigned to the vehicle and vehicle owner. A
person must maintain each license plate so that it is clearly legible and
securely fastened to the vehicle in a manner that: 1) prevents the plate from
swinging; 2) is at a height of at least 12 inches from the ground to the bottom
of the plate; and
3) is in a position that is clearly visible. Failure to display a license plate
as prescribed is a civil traffic violation (A.R.S. ��
28-121
;
28-2351
;
and
28-2354
).
Except as specifically prescribed, the federal Driver's Privacy
Protection Act prohibits a state department of motor vehicles and any officer,
employee or contractor of the department from knowingly disclosing or otherwise
making available to any person or entity an individual's personal information
or highly restricted personal information obtained in connection with a motor
vehicle record without the express consent of the person whom the information
applies. Personal information may be disclosed for uses including, but not
limited to use: 1) by any government agency, including any court or law
enforcement agency, in carrying out the agency's functions or any private
person or entity acting on behalf of a federal, state or local agency; 2) in
connection with matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft; and 3) in
connection with any civil, criminal, administrative or arbitral proceeding in
any federal, state or local court, agency or
self-regulatory body, including for service of process, investigation in
anticipation of litigation and the execution and enforcement of judgments and
orders (
18
U.S.C. � 2721
).
����������� There
is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1.
Limits
a law enforcement agency's use of an automated license plate reader only to:
a)
legitimate and official law enforcement purposes;
b)
use in conjunction with any patrol operation or criminal law enforcement
investigation;
c)
canvassing license plates around any crime scene; and
d)
checking
any partial license plate number reported during a major crime to identify
persons of interest.
2.
Requires a law enforcement officer, if practicable, to verify an
automated license plate reader response through an accessible, authorized
central law enforcement database before taking enforcement action based only on
an alert from an automated license plate reader.
3.
Prohibits a law enforcement agency employee from operating an automated
license plate reader until the employee successfully completes law enforcement
agency-approved training for the automated license plate reader.
4.
Prohibits an operator of an automated license plate reader from
accessing data from an authorized central law enforcement database unless the
operator is authorized to access the data.
5.
Stipulates that data from an automated license plate reader may be
accessed by law enforcement agencies only if a trackable criminal case number
or incident number is provided for the data being accessed.
6.
Specifies
that:
a)
all data and images collected by an automated license plate reader are
for official use by the law enforcement agency that collected the data and
images; and
b)
any
data or images collected by automated license plate readers are not subject to
a public records request, except as required by subpoena or by any other law.
7.
Requires
a law enforcement agency that uses an automated license plate reader to:
a)
ensure that all automated license plate reader data is only accessible
through a password-protected system capable of documenting all accessed
information by name of the person who accessed the data and the date and time
of access;
b)
ensure that any person who is approved to access automated license plate
reader data and images is allowed access only for official law enforcement
purposes;
c)
release automated license plate reader data and images to other
authorized and verified law enforcement officials and agencies for official law
enforcement purposes only if the date and time of access, the reason for access
and the law enforcement agency that accessed the information are documented in
the system, unless the law enforcement agency's policies prohibit the release;
and
d)
perform
annual system audits of the law enforcement agency's automated license plate
reader system.
8.
Deems a law enforcement agency that operates an automated license plate
reader as responsible for ensuring proper collection and retention of the data
and images collected.
9.
Prohibits a person from accessing an image of a license plate or any
other accompanying data that is captured by an automatic license plate reader
more than 48 hours after notification to law enforcement of an incident or
occurrence of a crime, unless a search warrant or subpoena has been issued.
10.
Outlines circumstances under
which a search warrant or subpoena is not required to access automated license
plate reader data or images, including if:
a)
the owner of a vehicle gives voluntary consent that authorizes the
operator of the automated license plate reader to access data or images of the
owner's vehicle;
b)
the owner of a vehicle files a report with a law enforcement agency
attesting that the vehicle is lost or stolen;
c)
exigent circumstances make it impractical to obtain a search warrant or
subpoena before the exigent circumstances no longer exist;
d)
searching for evidence relating to an Amber, Blue, Turquoise or Seek and
Find Alert; and
e)
searching
for evidence relating to human trafficking or sex trafficking.
11.
Deems
a person as guilty of a class 6 felony if the person willfully and
intentionally queries, accesses, uses, sells, shares or disseminates an image
of a license plate or any captured data from an automated license plate reader
in violation of the outlined automated license plate reader requirements.
12.
Specifies
that the outlined automated license plate reader requirements do not prohibit a
law enforcement agency from allowing a vendor to process de-identified or
redacted derivatives of automated license plate reader data or images under a
written agreement, if the vendor only uses the data or images for operating,
securing, testing or improving the automated license plate reader system.
13.
Exempts
a third-party vendor from liability for disclosing automated license plate
reader images or data under a duly authorized subpoena, warrant or court order.
14.
Specifies that
official
law enforcement purposes
include the identification of stolen or wanted
vehicles, stolen license plates, human trafficking and missing persons, the
gathering of information related to active warrants, suspect interdiction and
stolen property recovery.
15.
Defines
automated license
plate reader
as a technology that provides stationary or mobile automated
detection of license plates and that captures data associated with license
plates for official law enforcement purposes.
16.
Becomes
effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by
Committee of the Whole
1.
Adopted the strike-everything amendment.
2.
Specifies that access to automated license plate reader data is
restricted to law enforcement agencies and only when a trackable criminal case
number or incident number is provided for the data.
3.
Prohibits a person from accessing automated license plate reader data
and images more than 48 hours after notification to law enforcement of an
incident or occurrence of a crime unless a search warrant or subpoena is issued
for the data.
4.
Outlines circumstances in which a search warrant or subpoena is not
required to access automated license plate reader images and data.
5.
Specifies that the prescribed requirements relating to automated license
plate reader data and images do not prohibit a law enforcement agency from
allowing a vendor to process
de-identified or redacted data if the vendor only uses the data for prescribed
purposes.
6.
Replaces the prohibition on a third party from intentionally releasing
automated license plate reader data with the prohibition on any person from
intentionally accessing, using, selling or disseminating any captured data or
image of a license plate from an automated license plate reader in violation of
the prescribed automated license plate reader requirements.
7.
Classifies a violation of the prohibition on accessing or sharing
automated license plate reader data as a class 6 felony.
8.
Exempts a third-party vendor from liability for disclosing automated
license plate reader data or images under a duly authorized subpoena, warrant
or court order.
9.
Requires a law enforcement agency to ensure that all automated license
plate reader data, rather than only downloaded data, is accessible only through
a password-protected system as prescribed.
10.
Makes
technical changes.
Senate Action
ATT���������� 2/10/26���������� DPA/SE������ 7-2-1����������
Prepared by Senate Research
March 6, 2026
LMM/KS/ci
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SB1111 - 572R - S Ver
Senate Engrossed
automatic
license plate readers
(now: license
plate readers; privacy; violations)
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE BILL 1111
AN
ACT
Amending title 28, chapter 3, Arizona
Revised Statutes, by adding article 23; relating to automated license plate
readers.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 28, chapter 3, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding article 23, to read:
ARTICLE
23. AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS
START_STATUTE
28-1241.
Definitions
IN THIS ARTICLE, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE
REQUIRES:
1. "AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE
READER" MEANS A TECHNOLOGY THAT PROVIDES STATIONARY or mobile AUTOMATED
DETECTION OF LICENSE PLATES AND THAT CAPTURES DATA ASSOCIATED WITH LICENSE
PLATES FOR OFFICIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES.
2. "OFFICIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
PURPOSES" includes THE IDENTIFICATION OF STOLEN OR WANTED VEHICLES, STOLEN
LICENSE PLATES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND MISSING PERSONS, the GATHERING OF
INFORMATION RELATED TO ACTIVE WARRANTS, SUSPECT INTERDICTION AND STOLEN
PROPERTY RECOVERY.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
28-1242.
Automated license plate readers; allowable uses; training;
authorized access
A. A law enforcement agency shall use
an automated license plate reader only for the following purposes:
1. Legitimate and official law
enforcement purposes.
2. In conjunction with any patrol
operation or criminal law enforcement investigation.
3. canvassing license plates around
any crime scene.
4. checking Any partial license plate
number reported during a major crime to identify persons of interest.
B. If practicable, a law enforcement
officer shall verify an automated license plate reader response through an
authorized central law enforcement database that is accessible to law
enforcement officers in this state before taking enforcement action based only
on an alert from an automated license plate reader.
C. an employee of a law enforcement
agency may not operate an automated license plate reader until the employee
successfully completes law enforcement agency-approved training for the
automated license plate reader.
D. an operator of an automated
license plate reader may not access data from an authorized central law
enforcement database that is accessible to law enforcement officers in this
state or a national law enforcement database unless the operator is authorized
to access the data.
E.
notwithstanding
section 28-1243, subsection D, data from an automated license plate
reader may be accessed
by law enforcement agencies only
if a trackable criminal case number or a trackable INCIDENT number is provided
for the data being accessed.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
28-1243.
Automated license plate readers; data and image collection;
requirements; violation; classification
A. All
data and images collected by an automated license plate reader are for official
use by the law enforcement agency that collected the data and
images.
this section does not prohibit the law
enforcement agency from allowing a vendor to process de-identified or
redacted derivatives of data or images collected by an automated license plate
reader pursuant to a written AGREEMENT if the vendor uses the data or images
only to operate, secure, test or improve the automated license plate reader
system.
B. Any data or images collected by
automated license plate readers are not subject to a public records request,
except a law enforcement agency shall share any data or images collected by an
automated license plate reader pursuant to a duly authorized subpoena or any
other law.
C. A law enforcement agency that
operates an automated license plate reader is responsible for ensuring proper
collection and retention of the data and images collected.
D. A person may not access an image
of a license PLATE or any other accompanying data that is captured by an
automatic license plate reader more than forty-eight hours after
notification to law enforcement of an INCIDENT or AN occurrence OF A crime
unless a judge has issued a search warrant or a city ATTORNEY, a county
ATTORNEY or the ATTORNEY general issues a subpoena for the image or data,
except a search warrant or subpoena is not required for any of the following
circumstances:
1. If the owner of a vehicle gives
voluntary consent authorizing the operator of an automatic license plate reader
to access data or images of the owner's vehicle.
2. If the owner of a vehicle files a
report with a law enforcement agency attesting that the vehicle is lost or
stolen.
3. If exigent circumstances make it
impractical to obtain a search warrant or subpoena before the exigent
circumstances no longer exist.
4. If searching for evidence related
to an amber alert.
5. If searching for evidence related
to an alert issued pursuant to section 41-1726, 41-1728 or 41-1728.01.
6. If searching for evidence related
to a violation of section 13-1307, 13-1308 or 13-3212.
E. A law enforcement agency that uses
an automated license plate reader shall:
1. Ensure all automated license plate
reader data is accessible only through a password-protected system
capable of documenting all access information by the name of the person who
accessed the data and the date and time of access.
2. Ensure any person who is approved
to access automated license plate reader data and images pursuant to this
article is allowed to access the data and images only for official law
enforcement purposes.
3. Release automated license plate
reader data and images to other authorized and verified law enforcement
officials and agencies for official law enforcement purposes only if the date
and time of access to, the reason for access to and the name of the agency that
accessed the automated license plate reader data and images are documented in
the system, unless the law enforcement agency's policies prohibit the release
of license plate reader data and images.
4. Perform annual system audits of
the law enforcement agency's automated license plate reader system.
END_STATUTE
START_STATUTE
28-1244.
Violations; classification
A person who wilfully and intentionally queries,
accesses, uses, sells, shares or disseminates an image of a license plate or
any captured data from an automated license plate reader in violation of this
article is guilty of a class 6 felony, except that a third-party vendor
is not liable under this section for disclosing automated license plate reader
data or images pursuant to a duly authorized subpoena, warrant or court order.
END_STATUTE