How long can police keep your ALPR data? State-by-state retention laws in 2026
A reference table of ALPR data retention limits across US states - from 30 days (New Jersey) to indefinite (federal and most southern states).
Published September 25, 2026
Retention policy is the single most important number to know about your local ALPR fleet. A camera that holds plate reads for 30 days is a surveillance tool with a short memory; a camera that holds reads indefinitely becomes a permanent record of where every car in town has been.
The patchwork
There is no federal ALPR retention law. Each state sets its own ceiling (if any), and within a state individual police departments can adopt shorter policies. As of 2026 the spread looks like this:
| State | Statutory max | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | Indefinite (with audit) | 2015 SB 34 imposed a 3-year cap on ALPR data unless part of an active investigation; that cap has been litigated and the practical limit is now case-by-case. |
| Colorado | 3 years | HB 21-1220 (2021) capped retention at 3 years for non-hit plate reads. |
| Florida | Indefinite | No statutory cap. Local departments set their own policies, typically 30-90 days unless flagged. |
| Illinois | 30 days (non-hit) | One of the strictest state-level caps. Hits may be retained longer. |
| Massachusetts | 14 days (non-hit) | Strictest in the country. Hits may be retained 30 days. |
| New Hampshire | 3 minutes (live only) | Most restrictive. Cameras may not store plate reads except for hits. |
| New Jersey | 30 days (non-hit) | 2024 amendment codified the 30-day limit. |
| New York | 30 days (non-hit) | Enacted 2022; applies to all ALPR operators including private security. |
| Texas | Indefinite | No statutory cap. Local policy varies; most departments retain 90 days to 1 year. |
| Utah | Indefinite (with audit) | SB 71 (2023) created an audit framework but no hard cap. |
| Washington | 30 days (non-hit) | HB 1905 (2023) imposed the 30-day limit. |
The remainder of US states (about 40) have no statutory cap. Federal agencies operating ALPRs (DHS, ICE, FBI, US Park Police) are not bound by state law and typically retain plate reads for the lifetime of the database unless purged by an explicit court order.
Hit vs non-hit retention
Almost every retention statute distinguishes between a "hit" (a plate read that matched a hot list - stolen vehicle, missing person, BOLO) and a "non-hit" (a plate read that matched nothing). Non-hits get the shorter retention window; hits are kept because they are evidence. The numbers above are non-hit limits.
Check your city
For city-level retention policy, contract value, and FOIA status, see our state directory and click into any city that has a published dossier.