Menlo Park PD revokes all ALPR sharing agreements (Jul. 2026)
Menlo Park, CA — Police Department Revokes All ALPR Data-Sharing Agreements and Requires New Compliance-and-Audit Agreements (July 9, 2026)
Menlo Park, CA · Menlo Park Police Department ALPR data-sharing revocation, July 9, 2026
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- July 9, 2026
- Applies to
- Outside law enforcement agencies seeking Menlo Park ALPR data; Menlo Park Police Department
- Enforced by
- Menlo Park Police Department
After finding that outside agencies had improperly searched its license plate camera data, including about 700 searches tied to federal agencies through a regional intelligence center, the Menlo Park Police Department cancelled all its data-sharing agreements on July 9, 2026. Any agency that wants access back must sign a new agreement to follow California law and city rules and to audit its own use. The department also started quarterly audits of outside searches. By late August only five agencies had regained access, compared with 242 before.
Who is protected: Drivers recorded by Menlo Park's 35 Flock ALPR cameras
Legal detail
MPPD administrative action, July 9, 2026: revoked every existing ALPR (Flock, 35 cameras) data-sharing agreement. New access requires a city-specific agreement affirming compliance with California law (SB 34 bars sharing with federal or out-of-state agencies) and local policy, plus periodic internal audits (frequency not specified). Trigger: a June 2026 audit found about 0.33% (about 700) of 214,147 NCRIC searches since Feb. 2025 did not comply, involving federal agencies (no immigration-related searches found), on top of 2025 access by Houston TX and an Illinois department. MPPD also began quarterly audits of external searches (Q2 2026: 122,450 searches reviewed, all compliant). Access restored to 5 agencies (East Palo Alto PD, San Mateo PD, South San Francisco PD, San Mateo County Sheriff, San Diego County DA), down from 242. A department policy, not a council ordinance, so strength is limited.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Menlo Park, CA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | July 9, 2026 |
| Citation | Menlo Park Police Department ALPR data-sharing revocation, July 9, 2026 |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | consumer data privacy · police and surveillance AI · AI disclosure and transparency |
| News report | Menlo Park overhauls license plate reader sharing after discovering more improper searches — Palo Alto Online / The Almanac |
Related consumer data privacy rules elsewhere
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for location… · Blocked / in litigation
- House Bill 2512 — Banning surveillance pricing by rideshare companies · Proposed / pending
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Maine LD 61 (employer surveillance disclosure & prohibition) · In effect
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.