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Bill

SB 1013

Automated license plate recognition systems.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Sabrina Cervantes and 1 co-sponsor

California bill regulating law enforcement's automated license plate recognition systems to establish data retention, access controls, and privacy safeguards for mass vehicle tracking databases.

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1013

Legislative bill overview

SB 1013 establishes regulatory frameworks for automated license plate recognition (ALPR) systems used by California law enforcement and government agencies. The bill appears to address data collection, storage, retention, and access protocols for license plate information captured by these surveillance technologies.

Why is this important

ALPR systems can photograph and record millions of vehicle license plates daily, creating massive databases that track citizens' movements and locations. This bill determines whether and how those databases can be used, who can access them, and how long data is retained—directly affecting privacy rights and police surveillance capabilities.

Potential points of contention

  • Data retention and deletion standards: Disagreement likely exists over how long ALPR data should be stored before automatic deletion, balancing law enforcement investigations against privacy concerns
  • Access restrictions: Tension between limiting access to only legitimate law enforcement purposes versus allowing broader use by multiple agencies or private entities
  • Transparency and accountability: Whether the public and oversight bodies receive adequate information about ALPR deployment, usage patterns, and accuracy rates

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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