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HB05552 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE CONTRACTS CONCERNING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER INFORMATION.

AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE CONTRACTS CONCERNING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER INFORMATION.

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Last action
2026-04-09
Official status
File Number 555
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on penalties for violations, leaving this aspect uncertain.

Rules for State Contracts on License Plate Reader Data

This act sets rules for state contracts involving automated license plate reader (ALPR) data, requiring confidentiality and specific handling of the information.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'automated license plate reader' as a device that captures images of license plates and converts them into readable data.
  • Requires public agencies to include specific rules in contracts with ALPR vendors about how the data can be stored, shared, and used.
  • Prohibits vendors from selling or sharing ALPR information without permission from the contracting agency and notification to the Governor.
  • Makes sure that any disputes related to these contracts are handled under Connecticut law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public agencies in Connecticut
  • Vendors who own, operate, or have access to automated license plate readers

Terms To Know

Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR)
A device that captures images of license plates and converts them into readable data.
Vendor
A person or company that owns, operates, or has access to ALPR information.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the penalties for violating these rules.
  • It is unclear how this will affect existing contracts before October 1, 2026.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-09 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-04-09 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House

  3. 2026-04-09 Connecticut General Assembly

    House Calendar Number 375

  4. 2026-04-09 LCO

    File Number 555

  5. 2026-04-02 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/08/26 5:00 PM

  6. 2026-03-23 GAE

    Joint Favorable Substitute

  7. 2026-03-23 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  8. 2026-03-13 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/18

  9. 2026-03-12 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections

Official Summary Text

To impose requirements for contracts entered into by a public agency with an entity that concern automated license plate reader information to govern how the entity may store or use such information, require such information be kept confidential and concerning jurisdiction and choice of law in the event of a dispute.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House of Representatives
sHB5552 / File No. 555 1

General Assembly File No. 555
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5552

House of Representatives, April 9, 2026

The Committee on Government Administration and Elections
reported through REP. BLUMENTHAL of the 147th Dist.,
Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the
substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE CONTRACTS
CONCERNING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER
INFORMATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Automated license plate reader" means a mobile or fixed 2
electronic image recording device that is capable, in combination with 3
computer programs or algorithms, of converting images of license 4
plates into computer-readable data; 5
(2) "Automated license plate reader information" means information 6
that is (A) gathered by an automated license plate reader, or (B) created 7
through an analysis of the information gathered by an automated 8
license plate reader; 9
(3) "Vendor" means a person that (A) owns or operates an automated 10
license plate reader, or (B) has access to the automated license plate 11
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reader information gathered by the automated license plate reader; 12
(4) "Contracting public agency" means the public agency that enters 13
into a contract with a vendor concerning the creation, use or storage of 14
automated license plate reader information; 15
(5) "Person" means an individual, association, corporation, limited 16
liability company, partnership, trust or other legal entity; and 17
(6) "Public agency" has the same meaning as provided in section 1 -18
200 of the general statutes. 19
(b) On and after October 1, 2026, no public agency shall enter into or 20
renew any contract with a vendor, unless such contract provides that 21
the vendor shall not engage in any of the following activities with 22
respect to any automated license plate reader information gathered in 23
this state: 24
(1) Sell such automated license plate reader information; 25
(2) Share or transfer such automated license plate reader information 26
to any person or public agency other than the contracting public agency, 27
without receiving the prior express written authorization of the 28
contracting public agency for the sharing of such automated license 29
plate reader information for a specific purpose, and prior notification to 30
the Governor; 31
(3) Allow any person other than the contracting public agency to 32
access such automated license plate reader information, unless the 33
vendor is required to allow such person to access such automated 34
license plate reader information pursuant to a signed judicial warrant or 35
valid court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. As used in 36
this subdivision, "judicial warrant or valid court order" excludes any 37
subpoena or demand of a grand jury investigation; or 38
(4) Store or maintain the contracting public agency's automated 39
license plate reader information (A) with the automated license plate 40
reader information stored or maintained pursuant to a contract with a 41
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different public agency concerning automated license plate reader 42
information or any such automated license plate reader information 43
stored or maintained pursuant to a contract with any other person 44
concerning such automated license plate reader information, (B) in a 45
state other than this state, or (C) in a manner that is not in accordance 46
with industry -recognized data security practices, including, but not 47
limited to, using encryption when transmitting or storing such 48
automated license plate reader information. 49
(c) Beginning on October 1, 2026, no public agency shall enter into or 50
renew any contract with a vendor unless such contract (1) provides that 51
the vendor consents to personal jurisdiction in this state in the event of 52
any legal proceeding, and (2) contains a choice of law provision that 53
states that Connecticut state law shall be the controlling law for the 54
contract. 55
(d) (1) Automated license plate reader information is confidential and 56
shall not be deemed a public record for the purposes of the Freedom of 57
Information Act, as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes, and 58
shall not be disclosed, except as provided in subdivision (2) of 59
subsection (b) of this section and subdivision (2) of this subsection. Any 60
of the following information shall be disclosable pursuant to said act: 61
(A) Locations of any still or video image recording device used as part 62
of an automated license plate reader; and 63
(B) Any data, other than automated license plate reader information, 64
derived from any audit of an automated license plate reader, usage logs 65
for such reader and logs detailing access to automated license plate 66
reader information, provided any such data disclosable under this 67
subsection has all automated license plate reader information redacted 68
from otherwise disclosable data. 69
(2) Any person who seeks to obtain automated license plate reader 70
information concerning a motor vehicle that was registered in such 71
person's name at the time of the creation of such information may obtain 72
such information from the contracting public agency, provided if such 73
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motor vehicle is also registered in another person's name, such person 74
also consents to such disclosure. 75
(e) The Attorney General may institute proceedings to enforce the 76
provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section. In any proceedings 77
instituted under this subsection, the court may grant appropriate relief, 78
including, but not limited to, preliminary, temporary or permanent 79
injunctive relief. 80
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section

Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Subsec. (a)(6), the definition of "personal identifying information"
was deleted as unnecessary, in Subsec. (c), Subdiv. designators were
added for clarity, in Subsecs. (d)(1)(A) and (B), "system" was deleted for
consistency, and throughout the bill, references to "data" and "such
information" were changed to "automated license plate reader
information", for consistency.

GAE Joint Favorable Subst.

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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill, which is not expected to have a fiscal impact, sets various
restrictions on state agency contracts with automated license plate
reader vendors.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None

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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5552

AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE CONTRACTS
CONCERNING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER
INFORMATION.

SUMMARY
Starting October 1, 2026, this bill sets restrictions that must be
included in public agency contracts with automated license plate reader
(ALPR) vendors (owners and operators who have access to ALPR
information), such as prohibiting vendors from engaging in certain
actions, such as selling ALPR information (information the ALPR
gathers or that is created by analyzing the gathered information). It also
prohibits public agencies from contracting or renewing a contract with
a vendor unless the contract (1) pr ovides that the vendor consents to
Connecticut’s personal jurisdiction for any legal proceeding and (2) has
a choice of law provision designating Connecticut state law as
controlling over the contract.
An “ALPR” is defined as a mobile or fixed electronic image recording
device capable, in combination with computer programs or algorithms,
of converting license plate images into computer-readable data.
Under the bill, ALPR information is generally confidential and not
disclosable under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), with certain
exceptions. It also allows the (1) attorney general to start proceedings to
enforce the bill’s contracting provisions and (2) court to grant
appropriate relief, including preliminary, temporary, or permanent
injunctive relief.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
ALPR CONTRACTS WITH PUBLIC AGENCIES
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Under the bill, starting October 1, 2026, a public agency may not enter
into a contract with an ALPR vendor unless the contract restricts the
vendor from doing the following:
1. selling ALPR information;
2. sharing or transfer ring the ALPR information to any one else,
including other public agencies not party to the contract, unless
the contracted agency sends prior express written authorization
for sharing the data for a specific purpose, with prior notification
to the governor;
3. allowing anyone other than the contracted agency to access the
ALPR information, unless the vendor is required to give access
by a judicial warrant or valid court order, which do not include
subpoenas or grand jury investigation demands; or
4. storing or maintaining the contracting public agency’s ALPR
information (a) with other ALPR information, including
information stored or maintained for a different public agency,
(b) in another state, or (c) not according to industry -recognized
data securi ty practices, such as using encryption when
transmitting or storing the information.
LIMITS ON INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
The bill generally prohibits ALPR information from being disclosed
under FOIA except the following:
1. the locations of ALPR recording devices (of video or still images)
and
2. data other than ALPR information derived from a system audit,
system usage logs, and data access logs, as long as ALPR
information is redacted.
The bill also allows a person (individual or entity) seeking ALPR user
information about a motor vehicle registered in his or her name when
the information was created to obtain it from the contracting public
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agency. If the motor vehicle is also registered to another person, then the
other person’s consent is needed for disclosure.
BACKGROUND
Public Agencies
By law, “public agency” generally includes any:
1. executive, administrative, or legislative office of the state or any
political subdivision of the state and any state or town agency;
2. department, board, commission, authority, or official of the state
or of any municipality, school district, or other district or other
political subdivision of the state;
3. committee of, or created by, any of these offices or officials;
4. judicial office, official, or body or committee, but only for
administrative functions; and
5. person to the extent they are the functional equivalent of a public
agency (CGS § 1-200(1)).
Related Bills
sSB 4 ( § 18), favorably reported by the General Law Committee,
prohibits the transportation and motor vehicles departments, or law
enforcement agencies, from entering or renewing contracts with ALPR
users unless the contract bars the user from taking various actions.
sHB 5449, favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee, restricts
public agencies or law enforcement agencies from using ALPR systems,
or using or sharing ALPR data, except for listed reasons, and requires
related policies and reporting.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Administration and Elections Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 19 Nay 0 (03/23/2026)