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The License-Plate Reader File · MichiganIn reporting · updated Oct. 27, 2026

Who is reading your plate?
County by county.

Michigan has no state law on police license-plate readers, and bills introduced in 2026 have not left committee; in 2025 and 2026 several cities and counties, among them Monroe County, Eastpointe and Adrian, voted to end their Flock contracts.

License-plate readers in other states →

A county’s color reflects any documented agency in it: the sheriff’s office or a city police department. “Not yet checked” is not the same as “none”.

Using license-plate readers
In use; some cameras may have been switched off or removed.
Removing or limiting cameras
Removing cameras beyond state roads, or limiting use, while some remain.
Use suspended
Cameras switched off or use paused; no contract termination reported.
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Records or reports show the agency bought or used plate readers, but no source found confirms whether they are still in use.
Ended or removed
Contract terminated, program discontinued, or all cameras removed.

Statewide

  1. Jan. 30, 2026 Michigan has no state statute governing automated license plate readers, leaving rules on use and data sharing to local governments, Bridge Michigan reported; it counted at least 125 county or municipal agencies with Flock Safety contracts. (Bridge Michigan, Jan. 30, 2026)
  2. Jan. 29, 2026 Reps. Douglas Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) and Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) introduced tie-barred House Bills 5492 and 5493, which would create a new act setting guidelines for plate reader systems. Both were referred to the House Judiciary Committee the same day; the Legislature's site lists no later committee or floor action. (Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026; Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026; Bridge Michigan, March 5, 2026)
  3. March 5, 2026 As described by Bridge Michigan, the House package would cap retention of plate reader data at 14 days, limit uses to listed purposes such as missing persons, stolen vehicles, warrants and criminal investigations, require public reports on use, and give drivers a path to legal recourse for misuse. (Bridge Michigan, March 5, 2026)
  4. April 22, 2026 The House Fiscal Agency issued a summary of HB 5492 and HB 5493 as introduced. (Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026; Michigan Legislature, Jan. 29, 2026)
  5. July 29, 2026 Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) introduced Senate Bill 1131, which is similar to the House bills but not a formal companion. It went to the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety the same day, and no later action is listed. His office said it would require a warrant to search plate-reader data except during active criminal, missing-person or stolen-vehicle investigations, and would have unused data erased after 14 days. (Michigan Legislature, July 29, 2026; Office of State Sen. Jim Runestad, July 29, 2026; WWMT, July 30, 2026)
  6. July 27, 2026 Fifteen Democratic state lawmakers asked the Michigan Department of Transportation to end a maintenance memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector and Homeland Security Investigations covering plate readers, and to review surveillance deployments on state transportation property. MDOT said it was reviewing the letter and that law enforcement plate readers have been permitted along its trunklines for several years. (Michigan Advance, July 27, 2026)
  7. July 2026 MDOT said agencies placing a plate reader on an MDOT trunkline must agree to follow the Michigan State Police manual for license plate reader systems and commit that the data will not be used, sold or transferred for non-law-enforcement purposes. (Michigan Advance, July 27, 2026)
  8. Aug. 14, 2026 Flock Safety announced company-wide policy changes, reported in Michigan: default retention cut from 30 to 7 days (existing customers may keep their current period), an option for cities to choose which offenses allow outside agencies to search their data, and audit tools and case codes required for searches by year-end. WILX reported more than 180 Michigan law enforcement agencies use Flock cameras. (WILX, Aug. 14, 2026)
  9. Aug. 4, 2026 Michigan Public reported that more than 180 Michigan law enforcement agencies use the cameras. Ron Wiles of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police said some oversight may be warranted but cautioned against rules that would make the tool ineffective; an ACLU of Michigan policy strategist warned the data could be used to track sensitive personal information. (Michigan Public, Aug. 4, 2026)

State agencies

Michigan State Police

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
MSP did not disclose how many freeway readers it installed in its 2023 metro Detroit pilot (WXYZ, Feb. 2023). No current count found.
  1. Jan. 30, 2023 MSP began installing plate readers along the Southfield Freeway and I-96 in metro Detroit as a pilot it said would later expand statewide; it said images would be kept 30 days and used for serious and violent crimes, not traffic enforcement. (WXYZ, Feb. 2, 2023; FOX 2 Detroit, Feb. 1, 2023)
  2. March 2023 MSP said readers were in use on freeways in several parts of the state and that it wanted to expand them. (WILX, March 6, 2023)
  3. June 20, 2023 MSP Procedure Manual 07-13, 'License Plate Reader Systems,' took effect. Under it MSP stores no historical plate data itself (the provider it subscribes to holds the data), MSP's agreements ask providers to keep data from MSP hardware no more than 30 days, every query must cite an incident number, and outside agencies can get data by written request to MSP supervisors with confirmation of an ongoing criminal investigation. (Michigan State Police (PowerDMS public), June 20, 2023)
  4. July 2026 MDOT said its permits for plate readers on state trunklines require agencies to comply with the MSP license plate reader manual. (Michigan Advance, July 27, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Vendor for MSP's own readers not named in any source opened; the manual refers only to the provider MSP subscribes to.
  • The newest source on MSP's own readers is from 2023, so current use is marked unconfirmed.
  • No Michigan Attorney General opinion or action on plate readers was found.

From agency records.

Every county

All 83 counties
AlconaNot yet checked———
AlgerNot yet checked———
AlleganUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety21
AlpenaNot yet checked———
AntrimNot yet checked———
ArenacNot yet checked———
BaragaNot yet checked———
BarryChecked: no program found———
BayNot yet checked———
BenzieNot yet checked———
BerrienUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety20
BranchProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety4
CalhounChecked: no program found———
CassChecked: no program found———
CharlevoixNot yet checked———
CheboyganNot yet checked———
ChippewaNot yet checked———
ClareNot yet checked———
ClintonUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety1
CrawfordNot yet checked———
DeltaNot yet checked———
DickinsonNot yet checked———
EatonUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety26
EmmetNot yet checked———
GeneseeUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety92
GladwinNot yet checked———
GogebicNot yet checked———
Grand TraverseUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety28
GratiotNot yet checked———
HillsdaleNot yet checked———
HoughtonNot yet checked———
HuronNot yet checked———
InghamUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety27
IoniaChecked: no program found———
IoscoNot yet checked———
IronNot yet checked———
IsabellaNot yet checked———
JacksonUsing license-plate readers4Flock Safety30
KalamazooUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety59
KalkaskaNot yet checked———
KentUsing license-plate readers4Axon, Flock Safety115
KeweenawNot yet checked———
LakeNot yet checked———
LapeerNot yet checked———
LeelanauNot yet checked———
LenaweeUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety10
LivingstonUse suspended1Flock Safety25
LuceNot yet checked———
MackinacNot yet checked———
MacombUsing license-plate readers6Flock Safety134
ManisteeNot yet checked———
MarquetteNot yet checked———
MasonNot yet checked———
MecostaChecked: no program found———
MenomineeNot yet checked———
MidlandChecked: no program found———
MissaukeeNot yet checked———
MonroeEnded or removed1Flock Safety40
MontcalmChecked: no program found———
MontmorencyNot yet checked———
MuskegonProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety—
NewaygoChecked: no program found———
OaklandUsing license-plate readers9Flock Safety99
OceanaNot yet checked———
OgemawNot yet checked———
OntonagonNot yet checked———
OsceolaNot yet checked———
OscodaNot yet checked———
OtsegoNot yet checked———
OttawaUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety21
Presque IsleNot yet checked———
RoscommonNot yet checked———
SaginawUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety34
SanilacChecked: no program found———
SchoolcraftNot yet checked———
ShiawasseeChecked: no program found———
St. ClairNot yet checked———
St. JosephUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety13
TuscolaNot yet checked———
Van BurenChecked: no program found———
WashtenawNot yet checked———
WayneUsing license-plate readers6Flock Safety, Genetec, Motorola Solutions651
WexfordNot yet checked———

How this map is built

We start with each county’s sheriff’s office and its largest city police departments, then work outward. Each agency’s entry says whether it comes from agency records or from news reports, and links every source. Companies are tracked separately, so the map can show one company’s customers or all license-plate readers together.

Have a contract, invoice or records response for an agency here? Send it to tips@signaldata.org.

Sources