In effect
Moderate protection
Portland, OR Ban on Facial Recognition by City Bureaus
Portland, OR · Portland, Or., city-bureau face recognition ban ordinance (Sept. 9, 2020)
Portland bans all city bureaus, including the Portland Police Bureau, from acquiring or using facial recognition technology. Adopted the same day as the separate private-sector ban; remains in effect as of June 2026.
Technical detail
Ordinance adopted Sept. 9, 2020 (companion to City Code ch. 34.10) prohibits acquisition and use of face recognition technologies by City of Portland bureaus, effective immediately.
Who is protected: Portland residents and visitors
Who must comply: All City of Portland bureaus and employees, including Portland Police Bureau
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Portland, OR |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2020-09-09 |
| Enacted | 2020-09-09 |
| Citation | Portland, Or., city-bureau face recognition ban ordinance (Sept. 9, 2020) |
| Enforced by | City of Portland (internal compliance; Smart City PDX oversight) |
| Topics | facial recognition · biometric data · police and surveillance AI · government use of AI · consumer data privacy |
| Last verified | 2026-06-11 |
| Official source | City Council approves ordinances banning use of face recognition technologies (Portland.gov) ↗ |
More AI rules in Portland, OR
- Portland Public Schools genAI pause (Jun. 23, 2026) · In effect
- Portland OR Twin FR Bans (2020, broadest-in-nation) · In effect
- Portland Private-Sector FR Ban · In effect
- Portland OR GenAI Policy · In effect
- Ordinance banning use of face recognition technologies by Ci · In effect
- Ordinance 192122 - Prohibition of anti-competitive algorithm · In effect
Related facial recognition rules elsewhere
- Virginia § 15.2-1723.2 (facial recognition by local law enforcement, eff. July 1, 2026) · In effect
- Ban biometric recognition in public accommodations (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Limit facial recognition in residential buildings (Ban The Scan) · Proposed / pending
- Texas v. Google · In effect
- Lorenzano-Nunez v. Roestenberg — FR wrongful arrest (2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Montgomery County MD Police Directive FC 0627 · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction — every entry must carry a verifiable official source.