Elma WA temporary ALPR moratorium (2026)

Elma, Washington — Temporary Moratorium on Automated License Plate Reader Systems Pending a Local Policy, Deferring to RCW 10.130 and the Attorney General's Model Policies (September 8, 2026)
Elma, WA · City of Elma, Wash. — temporary moratorium on Automated License Plate Reader systems (approved September 8, 2026)

Status
In effect
Took effect
September 8, 2026
Applies to
The City of Elma and its police department; any vendor seeking to deploy ALPR systems in Elma
Enforced by
City of Elma / Elma City Council; state framework administered under RCW 10.130 with model policies from the Washington Attorney General

The City of Elma placed a temporary moratorium on automated license plate reader systems at its council meeting on September 8, 2026. A city official summed it up plainly: this is basically the city saying that in the meantime it will not be using automated license plate readers in Elma until it can gather more information and develop a policy at a later date. The moratorium defers to state law on law enforcement's use of ALPRs — specifically RCW 10.130, which the Washington Legislature enacted in 2026 to establish a framework for ALPR systems and the data they collect, and under which the Washington Attorney General must develop and publish statewide model policies no later than July 1, 2027. Elma is a small city in Grays Harbor County and this is a modest measure, but it is a useful example of a pattern: rather than write its own rules from scratch, a small municipality paused deployment and tied its own timeline to the state's, so its eventual policy can be built on the Attorney General's model rather than guessed at. The moratorium was one of six public hearings Elma scheduled for September 2026.

Who is protected: Elma, Washington residents and drivers

Legal detail

City of Elma, Wash. — temporary moratorium on Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems, approved by the City Council at its meeting of Tuesday, September 8, 2026. OPERATIVE EFFECT: the city will not use ALPRs pending collection of further information and development of a local policy. STATE-LAW ANCHORING — the feature worth recording: the moratorium DEFERS TO STATE STATUTE regarding law enforcement use of ALPR systems, specifically RCW 10.130, enacted by the Washington Legislature in 2026, which establishes a framework governing ALPR systems and ALPR data. Under that chapter the WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL must develop and publish STATEWIDE MODEL POLICIES governing ALPR use NO LATER THAN JULY 1, 2027. Elma has therefore tied its local timeline to a state deliverable rather than drafting independently, which is a rational posture for a small municipality and effectively sets the practical review horizon at mid-2027 (review_by is set accordingly). NO EXPRESS SUNSET is reported, so expires_date is null rather than guessed. JURISDICTION: Elma is in Grays Harbor County, Washington. PROCEDURAL CONTEXT: the moratorium was among six public hearings the city scheduled for September 2026. WASHINGTON STATE BACKDROP: Gov. Ferguson signed the ALPR regulation law in 2026; police agencies statewide paused ALPR use to comply with the new restrictions, and the Attorney General's Office issued clarification on the effective-date obligation in June 2026.

Key facts

JurisdictionElma, WA
LevelCity / local
StrengthModerate
EnactedSeptember 8, 2026
CitationCity of Elma, Wash. — temporary moratorium on Automated License Plate Reader systems (approved September 8, 2026)
Private right of actionNo, agency enforcement only
PenaltiesThe city will not use or deploy ALPR systems during the moratorium
Topicspolice and surveillance AI · consumer data privacy · government use of AI · data retention
News reportTemporary Automatic License Plate Readers moratorium approved by Elma city council — The Daily World

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