Florida FDOT statewide ALPR permit revocation (2026)

State of Florida — Florida Department of Transportation statewide directive of August 31, 2026 REVOKING ALL ACTIVE PERMITS for automated license plate reader systems, including Flock Safety cameras, located on STATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY. COMPLIANCE DEADLINE: 30 days from issuance — local law enforcement agencies and municipalities must remove all LPR hardware from state highway rights-of-way by approximately September 30, 2026. STATED GROUNDS (FDOT memo): 'Exponential increase in deployments coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes.' MECHANISM — THE REASON THIS ENTRY MATTERS MORE THAN ITS LENGTH SUGGESTS: this is not a statute regulating ALPR use, a retention limit, or a warrant requirement. It is a PROPRIETARY/PERMITTING action by the state as landowner, revoking the encroachment permits that authorise third-party equipment within the state right-of-way. It therefore requires no legislation, takes effect on issuance, and is not subject to the usual debates about the scope of police authority — but by the same token it reaches only equipment sited on state rights-of-way and does not restrict ALPRs on municipal streets, private property, or the use of data already collected. DOCUMENTED MISUSE supporting the action: officers in Haines City and Sarasota were fired and arrested for allegedly misusing the cameras to stalk romantic interests. POLITICAL POSTURE: Gov. Ron DeSantis had publicly called Flock camera misuse by police 'out of control' and called for legislative action. DOWNSTREAM EFFECT: Gainesville turned off all of its Flock-style cameras on September 3, 2026 following the order. PART OF A NATIONAL AUGUST 2026 REVERSAL also including Texas (funding halt, 2026-08-26), Rhode Island (installation pause, 2026-08-18) and Connecticut (installation pause request, 2026-08-07).