North Carolina License Plate Reader Laws (2026)

North Carolina regulates law enforcement license plate readers in Article 3D of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes, and in 2026 it added a new authority for placing readers on state rights-of-way. Under G.S. 20-183.32, captured plate data from a reader operated by or on behalf of a law enforcement agency "shall not be preserved for more than 90 days after the date the data is captured," with exceptions for a preservation request or a warrant. The data is "confidential and not a public record."

Information reviewed September 30, 2026.

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

Does North Carolina have a license plate reader law?

Yes. Article 3D of Chapter 20, titled Automatic License Plate Reader Systems, was created by S.L. 2015-190. It currently consists of G.S. 20-183.30 (definitions), 20-183.31 (policy and use), 20-183.32 (retention and confidentiality) and 20-183.33 (penalty). S.L. 2023-151, section 5, rewrote parts of the Article effective January 1, 2024, adding the definition of law enforcement purpose and the penalty section and repealing a former reporting section, G.S. 20-183.32A. The bar on using the data to enforce traffic violations came earlier, from S.L. 2021-180, section 41.57(b).

The Article defines an automatic license plate reader system as "a system of one or more mobile or fixed automated high speed cameras used in combination with computer algorithms to convert images of license plates into computer readable data." The definition excludes a traffic control photographic system and an open road tolling system.

What may a North Carolina agency use plate readers for?

Each State or local law enforcement agency using a reader must adopt a written policy before the system is operational. Under G.S. 20-183.31, the policy must cover the databases the agency compares against, retention, sharing with other agencies, operator training, supervisory oversight, internal data security and access, and auditing and reporting to the agency head at least annually. It must also cover accessing data from systems the agency does not operate. Agencies must keep maintenance and calibration records.

Data may be obtained, accessed, preserved or disclosed only for a law enforcement purpose. The definition in G.S. 20-183.30 lists four:

1. Criminal investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and post-conviction confinement or supervision.
2. Apprehending an individual with an outstanding felony warrant.
3. Locating a missing or endangered person.
4. Locating a lost or stolen vehicle.

The statute adds that data "shall not be used for the enforcement of traffic violations."

How long can North Carolina keep plate reader data?

The general cap is 90 days. Under G.S. 20-183.32(a) through (d), captured plate data from a reader operated by or on behalf of a law enforcement agency may not be preserved more than 90 days after capture, except:

1. Under a preservation request.
2. Under a state search warrant.
3. Under a federal search warrant.

A preservation request requires a sworn written statement identifying the camera location and the plate, the dates, specific and articulable facts showing relevance to an ongoing criminal or missing-persons investigation or a motor carrier safety violation, and the case and parties. After one year from the initial request, the data is destroyed under the custodian's retention policy unless another request resets the period. Agencies must update their systems from the databases named in their policies every 24 hours if updates are available, or as soon as practicable after they become available.

Are North Carolina plate reader records public?

No. G.S. 20-183.32(e) says captured plate data "is confidential and not a public record as that term is defined in G.S. 132-1." It may be disclosed only to a criminal justice officer at a State or local agency, or a similar official at a federal law enforcement agency, for a legitimate law enforcement purpose on a written request. An agency need not disclose if it determines that disclosure would compromise an ongoing investigation. The data may not be sold for any purpose.

We found no court decision or Attorney General opinion on public records litigation over plate data.

What is the penalty for misuse?

Under G.S. 20-183.33, a person who obtains, accesses, preserves or discloses Article 3D data other than as the Article allows "is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor." The section was added by S.L. 2023-151, section 5(g), effective January 1, 2024. We did not find a civil cause of action in the Article 3D sections we read.

What did the 2026 Department of Transportation law add?

S.L. 2026-41 (S.B. 257), the Current Operations Appropriations Act, section 43.26, added G.S. 20-183.34. It was ratified July 2, 2026 and approved by the Governor July 7, 2026. Section 43.26(b) says it "is effective when it becomes law." When we checked the official Article 3D page on September 30, 2026, it ended at G.S. 20-183.33, so we cite the new section as G.S. 20-183.34 as added by S.L. 2026-41, section 43.26, not as a codified section.

The new section says the Department of Transportation "may enter into agreements with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for the placement and use of automatic license plate reader systems within land or rights-of-way owned by the Department" if:

1. The system is above ground, removable and has no combustible fuel.
2. It does not unreasonably interfere with public utility facilities.
3. DOT can revoke the authorization for cause on at least 30 days' notice.
4. Use complies with Article 8A of Chapter 87, the Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act.
5. The system is operated in accordance with Article 3D.

The section also requires removal on the reasonable request of an affected public utility and lets the SBI act as administrative agent of a federal, State or local agency. The SBI must report by March 1 of each year to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety on each agency's written policy, the number of data requests by requesting agency, and the number of cameras. The text has no sunset. Section 43.21 of the same act separately lets the Board of Transportation set fees, capped at actual cost, for relocating license plate reader systems.

Earlier, S.L. 2023-151, section 5(a), created a pilot program for the same kind of DOT and SBI agreements. S.L. 2024-43, section 3(c), moved its expiration from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026, with pilot agreements ending no later than that date. The SBI's April 2026 initial report counted 17 agencies with readers at 140 camera locations in DOT rights-of-way as of March 15, 2026. The new section is a permanent authority and does not depend on the pilot.

What have North Carolina courts said?

We found no North Carolina appellate decision on license plate readers in our searches. That reflects the searches we ran, not proof that none exists. At the trial level, a November 2023 GovTech report described a Wake County Superior Court order, in a case brought by the North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board, that temporarily barred Flock Safety from installing additional cameras or maintaining existing ones in the state unless it used a licensed third party, after the judge found the company had been operating without a required license. We did not read the order or verify later proceedings.

What have local governments decided?

This list is not complete, and each item reflects the linked source on its date.

• Asheville. A Carolina Public Press report describes the City Council voting 5-2 on August 25, 2026 to terminate the city's Flock contract.
• Greenville. A WITN report of August 28, 2026 says the police department dropped plans to install new Flock cameras.
• Raleigh. The city's page on how it uses Flock cameras describes an active program. We did not record a date for it.
• Hillsborough. NPR reported that town officials announced in October 2025 that they had ended the town's relationship with Flock, after becoming concerned about contract language that could allow Flock to disclose data to other government entities or third parties.

How can I check my local system?

Ask the agency for its written policy, which Article 3D requires before a system is operational, and for its retention setting. The statute says the captured data itself is not a public record, so ask for the policy, the contract and council records instead. For the technology, see What are Flock cameras?.

North Carolina's anti-sanctuary statutes do not mention plate readers. G.S. 160A-205.2 for cities and G.S. 153A-145.5 for counties bar any "policy, ordinance, or procedure that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law," and bar prohibiting the communication of information "regarding the citizenship or immigration status" of any individual to federal law enforcement agencies. Under G.S. 160A-485.1 and G.S. 153A-435.1, added by S.L. 2026-19, which became law over the Governor's veto on June 24, 2026, a noncomplying city or county waives its immunity from civil liability in tort if "an unauthorized alien commits a crime against a person or property" within its limits. The information clause reaches citizenship or immigration status information, not plate data by name.

Toll records fall under a different statute. G.S. 136-89.213(a1) says identifying information the Turnpike Authority obtains through an information-sharing agreement "is not a public record" and is subject to the disclosure limits of the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act, and it requires the Authority to keep confidential "information related to the collection of a toll or user fee from a person, including, but not limited to, photographs or other recorded images or automatic vehicle identification or driver account information generated by radio-frequency identification or other electronic means." The account holder may examine his own account information, the Authority "may use the account information only for purposes of collecting and enforcing tolls," and a party may inspect confidential account information "by authority of a proper court order." Subsection (a) separately lets the Authority exchange confidential information that identifies vehicles and their owners with the Division of Motor Vehicles, another state, another toll operator, a toll collection-related organization or a private partner of the Authority. The section does not use the words license plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal for police to use license plate readers in North Carolina?

Yes, within Article 3D of Chapter 20. An agency must adopt a written policy first, may use the data only for a law enforcement purpose, and may not use it to enforce traffic violations.

How long can North Carolina keep license plate reader data?

Captured plate data may not be preserved more than 90 days after capture, unless it is held under a preservation request, a state search warrant or a federal search warrant.

Is license plate reader data a public record in North Carolina?

No. G.S. 20-183.32(e) says captured plate data is confidential and not a public record under G.S. 132-1. It may be disclosed to criminal justice officers and similar federal officials for a legitimate law enforcement purpose on a written request.

What is the penalty for misusing plate reader data in North Carolina?

Obtaining, accessing, preserving or disclosing Article 3D data other than as the Article allows is a Class 1 misdemeanor under G.S. 20-183.33.

Can plate readers be placed on North Carolina highways?

S.L. 2026-41, section 43.26, added G.S. 20-183.34, which lets the Department of Transportation enter agreements with the State Bureau of Investigation to place readers on DOT land and rights-of-way, subject to listed conditions. The SBI must report annually by March 1.

Can plate reader data be sold or shared in North Carolina?

The data may not be sold for any purpose. It may be disclosed to a criminal justice officer at a State or local agency or a similar official at a federal law enforcement agency for a legitimate law enforcement purpose on a written request.