Vermont License Plate Reader Laws (2026)

Vermont regulates ALPR use today, but the enacted law replaces those rules with a ban. Under current law, on July 1, 2027, 23 V.S.A. §§ 1606-1608 are repealed and § 1609 takes effect: "No State agency or department or any political subdivision of the State shall use automated license plate recognition systems or automated traffic law enforcement systems." That is unless the General Assembly acts first. Until then, § 1607 sets the rules, including 18-month retention.

Information reviewed September 30, 2026.

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

What happens to Vermont's ALPR law on July 1, 2027?

2024 Acts and Resolves No. 135, signed May 30, 2024, repeals 23 V.S.A. §§ 1606-1608 in section 5. Section 7 adds § 1609, and section 8(b) makes it take effect upon that repeal. Section 5 also provided an earlier alternative repeal date of July 2, 2025, tied to federal funding for a work-zone pilot. That earlier date did not take effect. According to a Compass Vermont report, the Agency of Transportation's policy director said federal Highway Safety Program funds had been approved for the pilot before the June 30, 2025 deadline, although the agency said it is unclear whether an exact amount was ever obligated, and its position is that the repeal happens in 2027. The official statute site still shows §§ 1607 and 1608 in force and labels § 1609 "[Effective July 2, 2025 or July 1, 2027]."

So under current law, from July 1, 2027, no state agency or department or political subdivision may use ALPR systems, unless the legislature changes the schedule first. The rest of this page describes the rules in force today, which are time-limited.

Are any changes pending?

None is law. As of September 30, 2026, the official status pages show only these:

• H.500 (2025, ALPR systems) was referred to House Transportation on April 1, 2025, had one committee hearing on April 24, 2025, and shows no further action.
• S.35 (2025, automated traffic law enforcement) was referred to Senate Transportation on January 30, 2025, had one committee hearing on May 16, 2025, and shows no further action.
• S.263 (2026, automated traffic law enforcement by municipalities) was referred to Senate Transportation on January 16, 2026, had one committee hearing on February 26, 2026, and shows no further action.

The enrolled text of Act 153 of 2026 (S.326, signed June 16, 2026), a motor vehicle bill, contains no reference to plate recognition, § 1607 or § 1609. The next session could change the outcome, so check the legislature's site before relying on the July 2027 date.

What do the rules say today?

Under 23 V.S.A. § 1607(a)-(b), a Vermont officer must be ALPR-certified by the Criminal Justice Council. Use of and access to active data are restricted to legitimate law enforcement purposes. A supervisor must approve entry of non-ALPR data.

The definition of "legitimate law enforcement purpose" in § 1605 covers investigation, detection, analysis or enforcement of a crime or commercial motor vehicle violation, defense against such a charge, AMBER alerts, and missing or endangered person searches.

Who can get active data?

Access requests must be in writing, with an ORI number and specific and articulable facts of relevance to an ongoing criminal, missing person or commercial motor vehicle investigation. The VIC must keep the request and its outcome for at least three years. "Access to active data shall be restricted to data collected within the past seven days," and only by designated personnel.

How does historical data work?

Historical data on the statewide server is released by a VIC analyst only to a Vermont or out-of-state officer or person with a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Requests within six months need a written request with specific and articulable facts. After six months, VIC may disclose only under a warrant (when there is no pending charge) or to the prosecution or defense on a court order for a pending charge.

A separate statute bears on sharing with immigration authorities without naming plate readers. Under 20 V.S.A. § 2366(a)(1), every state, county, and municipal law enforcement agency must adopt a fair and impartial policing policy that includes each component of the Criminal Justice Council's model policy, and agencies "may not adopt a policy that allows for greater communication or involvement with federal immigration authorities than is permitted under the model policy." The version of the model policy filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19, 2026 lists "Vehicle / license plate information" among the kinds of information agencies may choose to withhold from federal immigration authorities, and directs members not to "[s]hare any information (other than information regarding citizenship or immigration status) about an individual with federal immigration authority" unless a listed public-safety or non-immigration law enforcement justification applies. The model policy is a Council policy, not a statute, and this page did not confirm that the filed version is the one currently in effect.

"Active data and historical data shall not be subject to subpoena or discovery, or be admissible in evidence, in any private civil action."

How long does Vermont keep plate data?

ALPR information must be sent to the Department of Public Safety and "shall only be retained for 18 months after the date it was obtained." The Department and any local agency with custody must then destroy it and all copies or backups. Exceptions are retention under a § 1608 preservation request or disclosure order, or a Rule 41 warrant.

Under § 1608, the Criminal Division of the Superior Court may extend the 18-month period by up to 90 days if the applicant offers specific and articulable facts showing reasonable grounds to believe the data are relevant and material to an ongoing criminal or missing persons investigation, or to a pending court or Judicial Bureau proceeding involving a crime or commercial motor vehicle violation, with an affidavit identifying the cameras or plate and the dates or time frames, and may grant further 90-day extensions. If an extension is denied, the data is destroyed 14 days after denial or on the ordinary schedule, whichever is later.

What reporting is required?

The Department of Public Safety, with the Department of Motor Vehicles, must run a review process to confirm ALPR data is used only for permitted purposes. It must "report the results of this review annually on or before January 15" to the House and Senate Judiciary and Transportation Committees. The report covers units, reads, cost, requests for historical data, out-of-state requests, alerts and investigations. The Department may adopt rules. This page did not locate the most recent annual report.

Can you request ALPR records in Vermont?

No ALPR-specific public-records exemption was found in 23 V.S.A. §§ 1605-1609. The civil discovery and subpoena bar is in § 1607(b)(3). The general Public Records Act exemption for records dealing with the detection and investigation of crime is 1 V.S.A. § 317(c)(5). How it applies to ALPR data was not researched, and no Attorney General or court authority was opened, so this page does not decide it.

Have Vermont courts or towns addressed ALPR?

The research found no Vermont court ruling on ALPR law. In State v. Murphy, 2023 VT 8, the opinion mentions that police "requested license-plate-reader information throughout Vermont" during a manhunt. Its holding concerned a warrantless cell-phone location request justified by exigent circumstances, not ALPR data, so it should not be read as an ALPR ruling.

On the local side, a Manchester Journal report republished by VTDigger says Manchester's five Flock cameras, in place since 2023, remain in use, and that on August 18, 2026 the selectboard tabled a decision on their future. That is a news source, and the list of Vermont deployments is not complete.

Last updated: September 30, 2026. Statutes cited reflect the text reviewed on September 30, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Vermont have an ALPR law?

Yes. 23 V.S.A. section 1607 currently regulates ALPR use, but under current law it is repealed on July 1, 2027, when section 1609 bars state agencies and political subdivisions from using ALPR systems unless the legislature acts first.

Will Vermont ban license plate readers in 2027?

Under Act 135 of 2024, sections 1606 to 1608 are repealed on July 1, 2027 and section 1609 takes effect, barring ALPR use by state agencies and political subdivisions. The legislature could change that first, and as of September 30, 2026 no bill doing so had advanced out of committee.

How long can Vermont keep license plate reader data?

No more than 18 months after it was obtained, subject to a court-ordered 90-day extension process or a warrant.

Can plate reader data be used in a private lawsuit?

Under section 1607(b)(3), active and historical data are not subject to subpoena or discovery and are not admissible in evidence in any private civil action.

Who can see Vermont plate reader data?

Access to active data is limited to the past seven days and requires a written request with specific and articulable facts. After six months, historical data is disclosed only under a warrant or a court order for a pending charge.

Is Flock used in Vermont?

A Manchester Journal report republished by VTDigger in August 2026 said Manchester's five Flock cameras, in place since 2023, remain in use, and that the selectboard tabled a decision on their future on August 18, 2026. The list of Vermont deployments on this page is not complete.