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License-plate readers · Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County

Using license-plate readers · 4 agencies documented

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety, Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
CMPD says it owns no Flock cameras; under a memorandum of understanding its officers can search Flock data from cameras run by other agencies and by businesses, HOAs and schools. CMPD also runs its own plate-reader system, which it has used for more than a decade; the vendor of that system was not named in the sources found. No camera count was found.
  1. Feb. 18, 2026 Chief Estella Patterson signed a memorandum of understanding with Flock Safety giving CMPD officers access to search still images from Flock plate readers, limited to 'bona fide investigations and evidence gathering.' The trial period was set to end in May; a CMPD spokesperson later said it had been extended, with no new end date given. (WBTV, Aug. 4, 2026)
  2. Sept. 9, 2026 The city posted a request for proposals (Bonfire opportunity #225784) to replace CMPD's existing plate-reader system with a new platform including central management, data retention, real-time alerts and vehicle analytics. Proposals were due Oct. 5. (WSOC-TV, Sept. 10, 2026; WBTV, Sept. 29, 2026)
  3. Sept. 28, 2026 At least one resident opposed to plate readers spoke at the Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, while the vendor search was under way. (WBTV, Sept. 29, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Sept. 28, 2026 is the Monday council meeting described in WBTV's Sept. 29 story.
  • No contract award from the request for proposals had been reported as of Oct. 27, 2026.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Huntersville Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
Camera count not checked; the agency publishes a Flock transparency portal (portal page not opened in this round).
  1. Sept. 2026 WBTV listed the department among about a dozen area agencies publishing Flock transparency portals. (WBTV, Sept. 18, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Listed in news coverage of area Flock transparency portals; the portal itself was not reviewed for this map.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Mint Hill Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
Camera count not checked; the agency publishes a Flock transparency portal (portal page not opened in this round).
  1. Sept. 2026 WBTV listed the department among about a dozen area agencies publishing Flock transparency portals with downloadable audit logs. (WBTV, Sept. 18, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Listed in news coverage of area Flock transparency portals; the portal itself was not reviewed for this map.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

UNC Charlotte Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
Camera count not reported. Separately, the university's Parking and Transportation Services uses fixed and mobile plate readers for parking enforcement, keeping data with no enforcement action for 90 days.
  1. Oct. 2026 UNC Charlotte began limiting searches of its Flock network to agencies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. University records for March-May 2026 had shown the Houston Police Department running more than 183,000 searches of the network, while UNC Charlotte police ran 229. (WBTV, Oct. 20, 2026)

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. 2015 Session Law 2015-190 added Article 3D to Chapter 20 of the General Statutes (G.S. 20-183.30 to 20-183.32), the state's rules for police use of automatic license plate readers. Later amendments came in 2021 and 2023. (North Carolina General Assembly, date not shown; North Carolina General Assembly, date not shown; North Carolina General Assembly, date not shown)
  2. 2015 Under G.S. 20-183.31, a state or local law enforcement agency must adopt a written plate-reader policy before its system goes live. The policy must cover the databases used, retention, sharing with other agencies, operator training, supervision, data security and access, audits at least once a year reported to the agency head, and use of systems the agency doesn't run. Data may be used only for law enforcement purposes and not to enforce traffic violations. (North Carolina General Assembly, date not shown)
  3. 2015 Under G.S. 20-183.32, captured plate data may be kept no longer than 90 days unless a sworn written preservation request or a state or federal search warrant applies; preserved data must be destroyed after one year unless the request is renewed. The data is confidential, not a public record, may be shared only with criminal justice officials for a legitimate law enforcement purpose on written request, and may not be sold. Hot lists must be updated every 24 hours or as soon as practicable. (North Carolina General Assembly, date not shown)
  4. 2023 Session Law 2023-151, Section 5, set up a pilot program letting NCDOT make agreements with the State Bureau of Investigation to place fixed plate readers on state-owned right-of-way. It also repealed G.S. 20-183.32A effective Jan. 1, 2024. Session Law 2024-43, Section 3, amended the pilot, which was set to expire July 1, 2026. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (filed with the N.C. General Assembly), April 7, 2026; North Carolina General Assembly, date not shown)
  5. July 2024 Flock Safety obtained the state license it needed in July 2024; the license runs through July 31, 2026, The News & Observer reported, citing the Department of Public Safety. (The News & Observer (republished by AOL; original URL not found), Aug. 12, 2024)
  6. Jan. 2025 The N.C. Association of Chiefs of Police and the N.C. Sheriffs' Association helped the SBI pick the first pilot agencies. Each agency signed a memorandum of understanding with the SBI and could choose its own vendor; cameras on state right-of-way need an NCDOT encroachment approval first. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (filed with the N.C. General Assembly), April 7, 2026)
  7. June 16, 2025 NCDOT approved the first encroachment agreements for plate readers in state right-of-way under the pilot. The first cameras went up July 20, 2025, installed by the Raleigh Police Department. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (filed with the N.C. General Assembly), April 7, 2026)
  8. April 7, 2026 The SBI's initial report to legislative oversight committees said 32 agencies (12 police departments, 19 sheriff's offices and the State Highway Patrol) had asked for 250 cameras on state right-of-way. As of March 15, 2026, 17 agencies had installed 140 camera locations, with 75 more pending, and no data had been kept longer than 90 days. The SBI asked for an extension to July 1, 2028, a statewide coordinator position, $225,000 a year for access to vendors' data (pilot agencies used four vendors) and grants for cameras at state entry points. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (filed with the N.C. General Assembly), April 7, 2026)
  9. July 7, 2026 The state budget, S.L. 2026-41 (Senate Bill 257), was signed. It made the SBI-NCDOT right-of-way plate-reader program permanent and requires the SBI to report on it each year to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety. Similar language had been in House Bill 206 but was removed before that bill passed. The ACLU of North Carolina opposed the provision. (UNC School of Government, North Carolina Criminal Law blog, July 27, 2026; The News & Observer (via GovTech / Tribune Content Agency), July 16, 2026)
  10. July 2026 An NCDOT spokesperson said the department does not install or run the cameras but can inspect them to confirm they sit in approved spots in the right-of-way. (The News & Observer (via GovTech / Tribune Content Agency), July 16, 2026)

State agencies

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
Count not documented
Administers the state right-of-way program: 140 camera locations installed by 17 agencies as of March 15, 2026.
  1. April 7, 2026 The SBI reported that its own investigators had used plate-reader data in homicide, drug and missing-person cases, and that pilot agencies used four vendors. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (filed with the N.C. General Assembly), April 7, 2026)
  2. July 7, 2026 The budget made the SBI's right-of-way program permanent and added an annual report to lawmakers. (UNC School of Government, North Carolina Criminal Law blog, July 27, 2026)

From agency records.