The License-Plate Reader File · TexasIn reporting · updated Oct. 17, 2026

Who is reading your plate?
County by county.

Texas sheriffs and police departments, many paid for by a state auto-theft grant, bought thousands of license-plate readers from Flock Safety and others. In August 2026 the governor cut off state funding. This map tracks which agencies use them, what they pay, and which have pulled back.

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. 2023 The Legislature unanimously passed a $1 increase to the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority fee on auto insurance policies, aimed at catalytic converter theft. The Texas Tribune estimated it raised about $81 million and found at least $30 million of it went to Flock cameras (at least 3,200 cameras) through grants; sponsors Sen. Carol Alvarado and Rep. Jeff Leach told the Tribune cameras were not discussed when the bill passed. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026)
  2. July 10, 2024 DPS sent Flock Safety a cease-and-desist letter saying the company lacked the private security license required under the Private Security Act. The complaint that started the inquiry was filed by a Baytown resident. (The Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 25, 2024; The Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 30, 2024)
  3. Oct. 2024 DPS licensed Flock, whose private plate readers served homeowners associations, businesses and homes. The Texan reported Flock kept operating those cameras while licensing was pending, and that a DPS report noted a 2021 finding of unlicensed alarm-installer work without indicating any penalty. (The Texan, Oct. 10, 2024)
  4. 2025 Two 2025 bills to regulate ALPR use did not advance: HB 961 (Rep. Brian Harrison; warrant or court order, violent-crime use only, destruction of unrelated data, published policies) and HB 2083 (Rep. John Bucy; 48-hour default destruction, no sharing with the federal government, private right of action). Both were referred to the House Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs committee and got no hearing, per Texas Policy Research. The same source says Texas has no ALPR-specific statutory framework. (Texas Legislature, date not shown; Texas Policy Research, date not shown)
  5. May 2025 404 Media reported in May 2025 that a Johnson County Sheriff's Office search of Flock's nationwide network covered more than 83,000 cameras in a case involving a woman who had a self-managed abortion. Sheriff Adam King said it was about her safety, and Flock said she was sought as a missing person. EFF later obtained Flock audit logs and court records (reported Oct. 7, 2025) showing a first search of 1,295 networks (17,684 cameras) and a second of 6,809 networks (83,345 cameras), both logged with the reason "had an abortion, search for female," and an affidavit describing a death investigation of a non-viable fetus. The district attorney's office told deputies she could not be charged. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, Oct. 7, 2025; The Record (Recorded Future News), Oct. 7, 2025)
  6. Aug. 27, 2026 Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras; spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said state agency funds "cannot be used for Flock cameras." Some outlets date the order Aug. 27 and others Aug. 28. Existing locally funded cameras are not covered. (Texas Public Radio (The Texas Tribune), Aug. 29, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; Dallas Express, Sept. 7, 2026; Good Good Good (The Texas Tribune), Sept. 1, 2026)
  7. Sept. 8, 2026 TxDOT stopped issuing permits for Flock and other plate readers on state roads at the governor's direction, including approved agreements not yet installed. Existing cameras, including more than 900 operated by DPS, were not affected. The Sept. 8 start date comes from a Schertz police presentation, not TxDOT. (The Texas Tribune, Sept. 17, 2026)
  8. Sept. 24, 2026 The Texas Tribune counted at least 900 Flock cameras shut off across at least 14 cities and counties since state funding ended. Dallas Express counted at least 23 local governments that ended, declined, suspended or reduced Flock use as of Sept. 6. (San Antonio Current (The Texas Tribune), Sept. 24, 2026; Dallas Express, Sept. 7, 2026)
  9. Oct. 5, 2026 The Texas Tribune reported agencies were charging large fees for Flock records or withholding them: North Richland Hills invoiced $2.3 million up front, Irving was reported charging $70,000, one agency quoted KPRC $121,000, and DPS stopped releasing search data and asked the Attorney General for a ruling. The Tribune counted 60 Texas agencies with Flock transparency portals, 16 of which publish search records. (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
  10. Sept. 2026 A Lufkin police officer was sentenced to 5 years after pleading guilty to 100 felony counts of abuse of official information involving Flock searches, per the Texas Tribune. (Lufkin is in Angelina County, outside this assignment's county list.) (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
  11. Oct. 9, 2026 Reps. Brian Harrison and Mitch Little said they plan to file bills to ban the devices in the session that begins in January 2027; Harris County Pct. 4 Constable Mark Herman has asked state officials to put Flock regulation on the agenda. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; FOX 26 Houston, Oct. 9, 2026)

State agencies

Texas Department of Public Safety

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
940
At least 940 DPS cameras installed as of Sept. 2, 2026, per a DPS email shared by a lawmaker (Texas Tribune). DPS told KEYE roughly 900; Rep. Brian Harrison cited over 1,000. DPS does not publish a total.
Contract
Flock Safety: $15,900,000 three-year total · from 2025 · approved by Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority 2025 · Contract between MVCPA and DPS for 1,183 proposed cameras, funded by the auto-insurance fee. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $3,000,000 one-year · from Aug. 2026 · approved by Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority Aug. 2026 · Approved for 583 more cameras on seven toll roads; status after the Aug. 27 funding order not reported. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $28,500,000 total (term not reported) · The Texas Tribune reports a $28.5 million DPS Flock contract without giving term or funding. A Tribune/Waco Bridge story cites a $26 million Flock contract approved in 2025 for state roads and Operation Lone Star; the relationship between the figures is unclear. (The Texas Tribune, Aug. 28, 2026; KSAT (The Texas Tribune / The Waco Bridge), Aug. 3, 2026)
Data sharing
Per Texas Tribune reporting (not a DPS policy page): 206 Texas agencies had signed data-sharing agreements by July 2026; in June 2026 about 615,000 searches came from 3,075 agencies, 2,679 of them out of state. On Sept. 3, 2026, DPS said only agencies with signed agreements may search.
  1. 2025 The Texas Tribune and KSAT reported DPS cameras on state roads support Operation Lone Star and were installed under TxDOT permits. (KSAT (The Texas Tribune / The Waco Bridge), Aug. 3, 2026)
  2. June 2026 Texas Tribune analysis: roughly 615,000 searches of the DPS network in June; 48% from outside Texas; Houston police ran about 13%; DPS's own officers just under 9%; 111 searches cited immigration-related reasons. (The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
  3. Sept. 3, 2026 DPS paused new installations after the governor's funding order while keeping existing cameras in use, and limited all searches to agencies with signed agreements. (KEYE CBS Austin, Sept. 4, 2026; The Texas Tribune, Sept. 4, 2026)
  4. Oct. 2026 DPS stopped releasing search logs it had earlier given the Tribune and asked the Attorney General to let it withhold them; it has also challenged requests for camera locations. (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 5, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Contract amounts differ across outlets ($15.9M MVCPA contract, $28.5M separate contract, $26M 'Lone Star' contract); DPS contract documents not pulled.
  • DPS did not say how recurring Flock costs will be paid without state money.
  • Some event dates here are inferred from weekday references (such as “Tuesday”) in news reports; confirm from meeting records.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Every county

All 254 counties
AndersonNot yet checked———
AndrewsNot yet checked———
AngelinaNot yet checked———
AransasNot yet checked———
ArcherNot yet checked———
ArmstrongNot yet checked———
AtascosaNot yet checked———
AustinNot yet checked———
BaileyNot yet checked———
BanderaNot yet checked———
BastropNot yet checked———
BaylorNot yet checked———
BeeNot yet checked———
BellUsing license-plate readers2Axon, Flock Safety269
BexarUsing license-plate readers4Flock Safety42
BlancoNot yet checked———
BordenNot yet checked———
BosqueNot yet checked———
BowieNot yet checked———
BrazoriaUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety21
BrazosUsing license-plate readers3Flock Safety111
BrewsterNot yet checked———
BriscoeNot yet checked———
BrooksNot yet checked———
BrownNot yet checked———
BurlesonNot yet checked———
BurnetNot yet checked———
CaldwellNot yet checked———
CalhounNot yet checked———
CallahanNot yet checked———
CameronUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety10
CampNot yet checked———
CarsonNot yet checked———
CassNot yet checked———
CastroNot yet checked———
ChambersNot yet checked———
CherokeeNot yet checked———
ChildressNot yet checked———
ClayNot yet checked———
CochranNot yet checked———
CokeNot yet checked———
ColemanNot yet checked———
CollinUsing license-plate readers5Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions42
CollingsworthNot yet checked———
ColoradoNot yet checked———
ComalUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety—
ComancheNot yet checked———
ConchoNot yet checked———
CookeNot yet checked———
CoryellNot yet checked———
CottleNot yet checked———
CraneNot yet checked———
CrockettNot yet checked———
CrosbyNot yet checked———
CulbersonNot yet checked———
DallamNot yet checked———
DallasUsing license-plate readers6Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions492
DawsonNot yet checked———
DeWittNot yet checked———
Deaf SmithNot yet checked———
DeltaNot yet checked———
DentonUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety10
DickensNot yet checked———
DimmitNot yet checked———
DonleyNot yet checked———
DuvalNot yet checked———
EastlandNot yet checked———
EctorProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety30
EdwardsNot yet checked———
El PasoUse suspended2Flock Safety150
EllisProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety2
ErathNot yet checked———
FallsNot yet checked———
FanninNot yet checked———
FayetteNot yet checked———
FisherNot yet checked———
FloydNot yet checked———
FoardNot yet checked———
Fort BendUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety176
FranklinNot yet checked———
FreestoneNot yet checked———
FrioNot yet checked———
GainesNot yet checked———
GalvestonUsing license-plate readers2Flock Safety83
GarzaNot yet checked———
GillespieNot yet checked———
GlasscockNot yet checked———
GoliadNot yet checked———
GonzalesNot yet checked———
GrayNot yet checked———
GraysonProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1——
GreggNot yet checked———
GrimesNot yet checked———
GuadalupeRemoving or limiting cameras2Flock Safety—
HaleNot yet checked———
HallNot yet checked———
HamiltonNot yet checked———
HansfordNot yet checked———
HardemanNot yet checked———
HardinNot yet checked———
HarrisUsing license-plate readers6Flock Safety534
HarrisonNot yet checked———
HartleyNot yet checked———
HaskellNot yet checked———
HaysUsing license-plate readers4Flock Safety6
HemphillNot yet checked———
HendersonNot yet checked———
HidalgoProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety4
HillNot yet checked———
HockleyNot yet checked———
HoodNot yet checked———
HopkinsNot yet checked———
HoustonNot yet checked———
HowardNot yet checked———
HudspethNot yet checked———
HuntNot yet checked———
HutchinsonNot yet checked———
IrionNot yet checked———
JackNot yet checked———
JacksonNot yet checked———
JasperNot yet checked———
Jeff DavisNot yet checked———
JeffersonProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1——
Jim HoggNot yet checked———
Jim WellsNot yet checked———
JohnsonProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety—
JonesNot yet checked———
KarnesNot yet checked———
KaufmanNot yet checked———
KendallNot yet checked———
KenedyNot yet checked———
KentNot yet checked———
KerrNot yet checked———
KimbleNot yet checked———
KingNot yet checked———
KinneyNot yet checked———
KlebergNot yet checked———
KnoxNot yet checked———
La SalleNot yet checked———
LamarNot yet checked———
LambNot yet checked———
LampasasNot yet checked———
LavacaNot yet checked———
LeeNot yet checked———
LeonNot yet checked———
LibertyNot yet checked———
LimestoneNot yet checked———
LipscombNot yet checked———
Live OakNot yet checked———
LlanoNot yet checked———
LovingNot yet checked———
LubbockUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety18
LynnNot yet checked———
MadisonNot yet checked———
MarionNot yet checked———
MartinNot yet checked———
MasonNot yet checked———
MatagordaNot yet checked———
MaverickNot yet checked———
McCullochNot yet checked———
McLennanUsing license-plate readers3Flock Safety—
McMullenNot yet checked———
MedinaNot yet checked———
MenardNot yet checked———
MidlandRemoving or limiting cameras2Axon, Flock Safety109
MilamNot yet checked———
MillsNot yet checked———
MitchellNot yet checked———
MontagueNot yet checked———
MontgomeryUsing license-plate readers3Flock Safety51
MooreNot yet checked———
MorrisNot yet checked———
MotleyNot yet checked———
NacogdochesNot yet checked———
NavarroNot yet checked———
NewtonNot yet checked———
NolanNot yet checked———
NuecesUsing license-plate readers1Motorola Solutions—
OchiltreeNot yet checked———
OldhamNot yet checked———
OrangeNot yet checked———
Palo PintoNot yet checked———
PanolaNot yet checked———
ParkerProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety—
ParmerNot yet checked———
PecosNot yet checked———
PolkNot yet checked———
PotterProgram documented, current use unconfirmed1Flock Safety—
PresidioNot yet checked———
RainsNot yet checked———
RandallNot yet checked———
ReaganNot yet checked———
RealNot yet checked———
Red RiverNot yet checked———
ReevesNot yet checked———
RefugioNot yet checked———
RobertsNot yet checked———
RobertsonNot yet checked———
RockwallNot yet checked———
RunnelsNot yet checked———
RuskNot yet checked———
SabineNot yet checked———
San AugustineNot yet checked———
San JacintoNot yet checked———
San PatricioNot yet checked———
San SabaNot yet checked———
SchleicherNot yet checked———
ScurryNot yet checked———
ShackelfordNot yet checked———
ShelbyNot yet checked———
ShermanNot yet checked———
SmithUsing license-plate readers2Axon, Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions9
SomervellNot yet checked———
StarrNot yet checked———
StephensNot yet checked———
SterlingNot yet checked———
StonewallNot yet checked———
SuttonNot yet checked———
SwisherNot yet checked———
TarrantUsing license-plate readers3Flock Safety130
TaylorUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety13
TerrellNot yet checked———
TerryNot yet checked———
ThrockmortonNot yet checked———
TitusNot yet checked———
Tom GreenProgram documented, current use unconfirmed2Flock Safety—
TravisUsing license-plate readers5Axon, Flock Safety—
TrinityNot yet checked———
TylerNot yet checked———
UpshurNot yet checked———
UptonNot yet checked———
UvaldeNot yet checked———
Val VerdeNot yet checked———
Van ZandtNot yet checked———
VictoriaNot yet checked———
WalkerNot yet checked———
WallerNot yet checked———
WardNot yet checked———
WashingtonNot yet checked———
WebbUsing license-plate readers1Flock Safety111
WhartonNot yet checked———
WheelerNot yet checked———
WichitaNot yet checked———
WilbargerNot yet checked———
WillacyNot yet checked———
WilliamsonUsing license-plate readers8Flock Safety78
WilsonNot yet checked———
WinklerNot yet checked———
WiseNot yet checked———
WoodNot yet checked———
YoakumNot yet checked———
YoungNot yet checked———
ZapataNot yet checked———
ZavalaNot 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