City of Tacoma Acquisition and Use of Surveillance Equipment Ordinance
Tacoma, WA · Tacoma Mun. Code ch. 1.42 (Ord. 28427) (2017)
Tacoma ordinance requiring City Council approval and a public use policy before any city department acquires or uses surveillance equipment.
Technical detail
Tacoma Municipal Code Chapter 1.42 requires departments to submit a Surveillance Impact Report and Use Policy for City Council approval before acquisition or material change in use of surveillance equipment, requires annual reporting, and applies to ALPR, drones, facial recognition, IMSI catchers, and similar systems.
Who is protected: Tacoma residents and visitors
Who must comply: All City of Tacoma departments, including Tacoma Police Department
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Tacoma, WA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2017-09-12 |
| Enacted | 2017-08-15 |
| Citation | Tacoma Mun. Code ch. 1.42 (Ord. 28427) (2017) |
| Enforced by | Tacoma City Council; City Manager |
| Topics | consumer data privacy · police and surveillance AI · AI disclosure and transparency · biometric data · facial recognition |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | Tacoma Municipal Code ch. 1.42 — Surveillance Equipment ↗ |
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 lo · Blocked / in litigation
- House Bill 2512 — Banning surveillance pricing by rideshare · 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
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