Michigan License Plate Reader Laws (2026)

Michigan has no license plate reader statute. The Legislature's own search of the Michigan Compiled Laws, complete through Public Act 103 of 2026, returned no provision that names a plate reader. The main written rules we found are an internal Michigan State Police procedure that binds only that agency, three pending bills that are not law, the state's open-records exemptions, and the constitution's protection of "electronic data."

Information reviewed September 30, 2026.

For related pages, see the Michigan entry in the state comparison, the ALPR laws hub, Are Flock cameras legal?, What are Flock cameras?, and our Michigan surveillance camera laws guide.

Does Michigan have a license plate reader law?

No statute we found sets plate reader rules. On September 30, 2026 we ran quoted-phrase searches of the Legislature's Michigan Compiled Laws search, which is complete through Public Act 103 of 2026. It returned zero results for license plate reader, plate reader, automatic license plate, automated license plate, license plate recognition, registration plate reader and surveillance technology.

Controls on the same tool show it reaches plate text: license plate returned 12 sections, license plate number 3, vehicle location 2 and location data 2. Those hits are unrelated to plate readers. They include the sex offender registry vehicle provisions (MCL 28.727 and 28.728), tax exemptions (MCL 205.54t, 205.54u, 205.94o, 205.94p), parking placards, secondhand goods records (MCL 445.427), and water use data (MCL 324.32707 and 324.32708).

We relied on the full-text search and did not read the Michigan Vehicle Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the FOIA, the State Police act or toll authority chapters one by one. We also did not open the 40 sections that matched the word immigration, so we cannot say whether any of them restricts sharing plate data for immigration enforcement.

What does the Michigan State Police policy say?

Michigan State Police Procedure Manual 07-13, License Plate Reader Systems, took effect June 20, 2023 and governs MSP members only. As we read it:

• Permitted collection purposes include crime analysis, hot-list alerts, locating vehicles tied to a person reasonably suspected of a crime, detecting unreported crimes and locating missing persons.
• MSP does not keep historical plate reader data; the provider holds it. The memorandums of understanding with providers "shall request that LPR providers not retain data obtained from department hardware longer than 30 days."
• Every inquiry needs an incident number, and supervisors monitor searches.
• Non-MSP agencies get data on written request with confirmation of an ongoing criminal investigation.
• The manual states that "Federal agencies can access LPR data through their federal identified database."
• Individuals "have no right to access or challenge LPR Data unless otherwise authorized by law."

The House Fiscal Agency's April 22, 2026 analysis of HB 5492 and 5493 confirms the limit of this policy. It says "Michigan law does not currently provide for statewide data retention or deletion requirements for these systems or entities," and that the MSP procedure "does not apply to local units of government, other law enforcement agencies, or private entities." The analysis also reports a five-year, $2.6 million MSP contract with Flock in 2025 and a Flock statement in an RFP response of 114 Michigan agency partners and 2,264 fixed cameras. The agency counts are a vendor statement that we did not verify.

What Michigan bills are pending?

None of these is law, and all are proposals.

HB 5493 (introduced January 29, 2026, Rep. Wilson, referred to Judiciary, tie-barred to HB 5492) would bar governmental entities from using plate readers except to compare plate data with alert data (uninsured, unregistered, arrest warrant, missing, stolen, or relevant to a criminal investigation), or for parking enforcement, secured-area access and toll collection. Captured plate data "must not be retained for more than 14 days" except for listed reasons such as evidence, a preservation request, a disclosure order, a warrant, or an ongoing investigation with an alert match. It would require a published policy and privacy policy, automatic deletion, quarterly public reports and secure storage.

HB 5492 (introduced January 29, 2026, Rep. Wozniak, referred to Judiciary) would address private operators. It would require preserving data for 14 days on a sworn preservation request from a governmental entity or criminal defendant, allow the government to use privately held data only under a warrant or preservation request, and create a suppression remedy and a private right of action for actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus fees. It also provides that captured plate data are "not subject to disclosure under the freedom of information act" and may be disclosed only to the registered owner or with the owner's written consent.

SB 1131 (introduced July 29, 2026, Sen. Runestad, referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety) would regulate governmental use and also includes provisions that closely track HB 5492. It opens: "Except as provided in subsection (2), a governmental entity shall not use an automatic license plate reader system." Its purposes track HB 5493 plus outstanding parking and traffic violations. Where HB 5493 sets a 14-day limit, SB 1131 says captured plate data "must not be retained except for" listed reasons such as evidence, a preservation request, a disclosure order, a warrant or an ongoing investigation with an alert match. It also contains an operator preservation duty, an evidence-exclusion rule, a private right of action for actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, and a FOIA exemption for captured plate data.

The Legislature's bill pages showed no action beyond committee referral on September 30, 2026.

Are Michigan plate reader records public?

Michigan's FOIA (MCL 15.231 and following) has no plate reader rule. MCL 15.243(1)(b) exempts "investigating records compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that disclosure as a public record would" interfere with law enforcement proceedings, invade privacy or disclose investigative techniques, among other listed harms, and subsection (1)(s) balances the public interest for certain law enforcement records. We found no Attorney General opinion or court ruling on plate reader records. HB 5492 or SB 1131, if enacted, would make captured plate data exempt from FOIA.

Does the Michigan Constitution protect plate data?

Article I, section 11, as amended in 2020, provides that "the person, houses, papers, possessions, electronic data, and electronic communications of every person shall be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures." Advocates cite the words "electronic data" as a text hook for plate reader data. We found no opinion applying the section to plate readers. A CourtListener search of the Michigan Court of Appeals returned no plate reader results, but we did not search the Michigan courts' own sites, so this is not proof that no ruling exists.

Where are plate readers reported in Michigan?

This list is not complete. WDIV Local 4 reported on September 16, 2026 that "the Eastpointe City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to end the contract," after employees misused the plate reader system. Our deployment record lists Eastpointe's Flock program as ended on September 15, 2026. The Michigan State Police's own use is described in the procedure manual above.

How can I check my local system?

Michigan has no state statute to check, so the useful documents are local. Ask the operating agency for its written policy, retention setting, who may search the data, and its vendor contract. The State Police manual is one example of what a written policy can cover, but by its terms it binds only MSP. A request for the reads themselves may be met with the FOIA exemptions above. For the technology, see What are Flock cameras?.

Last updated: September 30, 2026. This page reflects the statutes and records described above as we reviewed them; it is general legal information, not legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to use a license plate reader in Michigan?

We found no Michigan statute that prohibits or regulates plate readers. The Legislature's full-text search of the Michigan Compiled Laws, complete through Public Act 103 of 2026, returned no plate reader provision.

How long can Michigan police keep plate reader data?

No statute sets a statewide period. A House Fiscal Agency analysis says Michigan law does not currently provide for statewide retention or deletion requirements. The State Police procedure says its provider agreements shall request that data not be kept longer than 30 days, and it does not apply to local agencies.

Do Michigan State Police rules apply to my city's plate readers?

No. Procedure Manual 07-13 governs MSP members only. A city or county agency is governed by its own policy and contract.

Are there Michigan plate reader bills?

HB 5493, HB 5492 and SB 1131 were introduced in 2026 and were in committee on September 30, 2026. HB 5493 would regulate governmental use, HB 5492 would address private operators, and SB 1131 would do both. None is law.

Are Michigan plate reader records public?

FOIA applies, with law enforcement exemptions that depend on whether disclosure would cause a listed harm. We found no plate reader rule, opinion or ruling on the question.