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AB576: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0423/1
CMH:emw&wlj
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 576
October 24, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Clancy
,
Cruz
,
Hong
,
Madison
,
Phelps
,
Tenorio
and
Ortiz-Velez
. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
AB576,1,4
1
An Act
to create
86.107 and 968.376 of the statutes;
relating to:
limiting the
2
use of automatic registration plate readers, requiring a search warrant for
3
data from an automatic registration plate reader or security camera, and
4
providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a ban on the use of automatic registration plate readers, which are devices that capture images from vehicle registration plates and convert the images into computer-readable data. The bill creates several exceptions to the ban, including exceptions for parking enforcement entities, controlling access to nonpublic areas, and the regulation of commercial vehicles. Under the bill, an entity using an automatic registration plate reader under an exception is limited to collecting only registration plate numbers; the date and time the data were captured and the location of the vehicle; and pictures of the plates, vehicles, and areas surrounding the vehicle. In addition, these entities must keep the data confidential and destroy the data within 90 days of collection.
The bill prohibits a law enforcement agency from using the data from a privately owned security camera (such as a doorbell camera) or the data from an automatic registration plate reader without a search warrant unless there is an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to a person and the data could prevent the death or injury or mitigate the injury. A law enforcement officer who violates the prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000. The bill also creates a process for a law enforcement officer to obtain a search warrant for the data.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB576,1
1
Section
1
.
86.107 of the statutes is created to read:
AB576,2,2
2
86.107
Automatic registration plate reader ban.
(1)
In this section:
AB576,2,5
3
(a) “Automatic registration plate reader” means a device that has the capacity
4
to capture an image from a registration plate and convert the image into computer-
5
readable data.
AB576,2,7
6
(b) “Registration plate” means a plate specified under s. 341.12 or under a
7
similar law of another state.
AB576,2,9
8
(2)
No person may use an automatic registration plate reader except under
9
any of the following circumstances:
AB576,2,11
10
(a) The automatic registration plate reader is used by a parking enforcement
11
facility to regulate the use of the parking facility.
AB576,2,15
12
(b) The automatic registration plate reader is being used to control access to
13
an area, if the area is enclosed by clear boundaries, access to the area is limited and
14
not open to the public, and entry to the area is through only specific access-control
15
points.
AB576,3,2
16
(c) The automatic registration plate reader is installed at an entrance at a
17
weigh station facility and is being used by a state or local governmental agency for
1
electronically verifying registration, logs, or other compliance data or to provide
2
more efficient movement of commercial vehicles on a state highway.
AB576,3,3
3
(3)
Data captured under sub. (2) shall be limited to the following:
AB576,3,4
4
(a) The registration plate number and issuing state.
AB576,3,5
5
(b) The date and time the data were captured and the location of the vehicle.
AB576,3,6
6
(c) Pictures of registration plates, vehicles, and areas surrounding the vehicle.
AB576,3,9
7
(4)
Unless the data are subject to s. 968.376, data captured under sub. (2) may
8
not be shared except for a purpose listed under sub. (2) and may not be preserved for
9
more than 90 days.
AB576,2
10
Section
2
.
968.376 of the statutes is created to read:
AB576,3,12
11
968.376
Warrants for data from private security cameras and
12
automatic registration plate readers.
(1)
Definitions.
In this section:
AB576,3,16
13
(a) “Automatic registration plate reader” has the meaning given in s. 86.107
14
(1) (a). “Automatic registration plate reader” does not include a body camera worn
15
by a law enforcement officer or a dashboard camera on a vehicle owned or operated
16
by a law enforcement agency for official purposes.
AB576,3,18
17
(b) “Private security camera” means a privately owned camera that is
18
mounted for security purposes and is activated by motion or by a doorbell.
AB576,3,23
19
(2)
Prohibition.
Except as provided in sub. (4), no law enforcement officer, as
20
defined in s. 165.85 (2) (c), may use data captured from a private security camera or
21
from an automatic registration plate reader without first obtaining a warrant
22
under sub. (3). A law enforcement officer who violates this subsection is guilty of a
23
misdemeanor and subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000.
AB576,4,4
24
(3)
Warrant.
Upon the request of the attorney general or a district attorney
1
and upon a showing of probable cause, a judge may issue a warrant requiring a
2
person who owns a private security camera or an automatic registration plate
3
reader to provide data captured by the device within a reasonable time that is
4
established in the warrant.
AB576,4,9
5
(4)
Exception.
The prohibition in sub. (2) does not apply to a law
6
enforcement officer who uses data captured by a private security camera or an
7
automatic registration plate reader if an emergency involving danger of death or
8
serious physical injury to any person exists and the data are relevant to preventing
9
the death or injury or to mitigating the injury.
AB576,4,13
10
(5)
Basis, application for, and issuance of warrant.
Section 968.12 (2)
11
and (3) applies to the basis and application for and issuance of a warrant under sub.
12
(3) as it applies to the basis and application for and issuance of a search warrant
13
under s. 968.12.
AB576,4,17
14
(6)
Manner of service and time for service.
(a) A warrant issued under
15
this section may be served in the manner provided for serving a summons under s.
16
801.11 (5) or, if delivery can reasonably be proved, by U.S. mail or electronic
17
transmission.
AB576,4,19
18
(b) A warrant issued under this section shall be served not more than 5 days
19
after the date of issuance.
AB576,4,23
20
(7)
Motion to quash.
The person on whom a warrant issued under this
21
section is served may file a motion to quash the warrant with the judge who issued
22
the warrant. If the person files the motion within the time for production of data,
23
the judge shall hear and decide the motion within 8 days after the motion is filed.
AB576,5,2
24
(8)
Law enforcement presence not required.
The presence of a law
1
enforcement officer is not required for service or execution of a warrant issued
2
under this section.
AB576,5,6
3
(9)
Return.
A warrant issued under this section shall be returned to the
4
court not later than 5 days after the data described in the warrant are received by
5
the attorney general, district attorney, or law enforcement agency, whichever is
6
designated in the warrant.
AB576,5,14
7
(10)
Secrecy.
(a) A warrant issued under this section shall be issued with all
8
practicable secrecy, and the request, complaint, affidavit, or testimony upon which
9
it is based may not be filed with the clerk or made public until the warrant has been
10
executed and returned to the court. The judge may issue an order sealing the
11
warrant and the request, complaint, affidavit, or testimony upon which it is based.
12
The judge may issue an order prohibiting the person on whom the warrant is served
13
from disclosing the existence of the warrant to any person or owner of property
14
captured in the data unless the judge subsequently authorizes such disclosure.
AB576,5,18
15
(b) All data returned under sub. (9) shall be destroyed at the conclusion of all
16
criminal actions taken in the matter involving the data or at the conclusion of the
17
criminal investigation if the investigation does not result in criminal charges being
18
filed.
AB576,5,20
19
(c) Facial recognition software may not be used on any data returned to the
20
court under this section.
AB576,5,23
21
(11)
Immunity.
A person on whom a warrant issued under this section is
22
served is immune from civil liability for acts or omissions in providing data in
23
accordance with the terms of the warrant.
AB576,6,2
24
(12)
Technical irregularities
. Evidence disclosed under a warrant issued
1
under this section may not be suppressed because of technical irregularities or
2
errors not affecting the substantial rights of the defendant.
AB576,3
3
Section
3
. Initial applicability.
AB576,6,5
4
(
1
)
The treatment of s. 968.376 first applies to data captured on the effective
5
date of this subsection.
AB576,6,6
6
(end)
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