Are Flock Cameras Legal in Washington? Yes, within the rules below. Flock’s license plate readers are lawful to operate in every state; the real question — the one this page answers — is what rules Washington puts on them: how long your plate data can be kept, who can search it, whether a warrant is needed, and what rights you have to see the record.
The rules exist, they have teeth, and knowing them is the difference between guessing and acting. All details are for general guidance, verified against Washington sources as of September 2026.
In This Washington Guide:
Are Flock Cameras Legal in Washington? The Short Answer
YES — Washington now has a comprehensive ALPR-specific statute. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002 (2026), the “Driver Privacy Act,” signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on March 30, 2026 and effective immediately upon signing (emergency clause). It adds a new chapter to Title 10 RCW. It is described by the ACLU of Washington as the state’s first comprehensive ALPR law.
Permanent codified RCW section numbers: UNVERIFIED (check the Washington Legislature’s RCW site for the codified chapter). Note: Washington was in the no-ALPR-statute group until March 2026 — before that date, only local policy and the general Public Records Act governed.
Before March 30, 2026 there was no state ALPR statute, so Washington cities set their own rules entirely through council-approved surveillance ordinances, department policy manuals, and vendor contracts — e.g., published ALPR policies from Ellensburg and the Black Diamond Police Department, and the WASPC (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs) model ALPR policy for state law enforcement.
Seattle has a council surveillance-technology review ordinance requiring public review before acquiring surveillance tech. Local control still matters after SB 6002: the statute is a floor, and cities have gone in both directions.
Redmond and Lynnwood switched their cameras off in October 2025 amid federal-access concerns; Everett turned its Flock cameras back on in 2026 once the new state law provided a compliance framework; the Spokane County sheriff shut cameras down citing SB 6002 compliance risk. MRSC (the Municipal Research and Services Center) published April 2026 guidance for Washington cities on the new restrictions.
What Washington Law Actually Requires
| Question | Rule in Washington |
|---|---|
| ALPR statute | YES — Washington now has a comprehensive ALPR-specific statute. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002 (2026), the “Driver Privacy Act,” signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on March 30, 2026 and effective immediately upon signing (emergency clause). It adds a new chapter to Title 10 RCW. It is described by the ACLU of Washington as the state’s first comprehensive ALPR law. Permanent codified RCW section numbers: UNVERIFIED (check the Washington Legislature’s RCW site for the codified chapter). Note: Washington was in the no-ALPR-statute group until March 2026 — before that date, only local policy and the general Public Records Act governed. |
| Data retention | 21 days. ESSB 6002 caps retention of ALPR data collected by authorized Washington agencies at 21 days — shorter than Flock’s 30-day default. Data may be kept longer only under listed exceptions: retained as evidence pursuant to a warrant, subpoena, or court order (including by court order in criminal or civil cases), and for parking enforcement, traffic studies, and commercial vehicle system enforcement. Earlier versions of the bill and the House companion HB 2332 used a 72-hour cap; the enacted number is 21 days. Flock has said it is applying a 21-day retention schedule to its Washington agency customers. |
| Who can search | Washington law enforcement agencies (“authorized agencies”) may query ALPR data only for enumerated purposes: investigating felonies and gross misdemeanors, stolen vehicles, and locating missing persons, plus parking and traffic-related purposes. No warrant is required for an agency to search its own ALPR data that is within the 21-day window. A warrant IS required to obtain privately held ALPR data (e.g., data from private retail lots such as Home Depot or Lowe’s) — an agency may obtain that only pursuant to a valid, court-issued probable-cause warrant. The statute also provides that a positive ALPR “hit” alone does NOT constitute reasonable suspicion to stop a vehicle; the officer must develop independent reasonable suspicion, or visually confirm the plate matches the ALPR image and confirm by other means that the plate is on one of the statutory lists. Whether supervisor pre-approval is required for individual queries: UNVERIFIED. |
| Immigration use | YES — explicit. ESSB 6002 makes it unlawful for any agency to use an ALPR system for immigration investigation or enforcement. It also bars use for monitoring activity protected by the Washington Constitution or the First Amendment, and use in relation to reproductive health care or gender-affirming care. Federal and out-of-state agencies are barred from accessing ALPR data owned by Washington public agencies. Cameras also may not be sited near protected places, including schools, places of worship, health care facilities, immigration facilities, courts, and food banks. This layers on top of the pre-existing Keep Washington Working Act, which Washington officials cited as the basis for concern that federal immigration access to city Flock data was already unlawful. |
| Data sharing | Restricted. ESSB 6002 limits sharing of ALPR data and bars federal and out-of-state agency access to data owned by Washington public agencies. The law also prohibits the buying and selling of ALPR data. Audit trails must record sharing details. Exact permitted in-state sharing mechanics (e.g., sharing with other Washington agencies for an enumerated purpose): UNVERIFIED — read the codified chapter or ask the agency. |
| Search audits | YES. Agencies using or accessing an ALPR system must maintain audit trail data for two years, including the identity of the user accessing the system, the date/time of access, the purpose of the access, search terms used, and sharing details. Agencies must conduct annual internal audits for compliance. Agencies must register their ALPR use with the Washington Attorney General’s Office within 180 days of the effective date, on AG-provided forms, certifying the system meets the law’s requirements and that policies and training are in place. By December 1, 2027, each authorized agency must submit an annual report to the Legislature and post it publicly, covering matches leading to arrests, data sharing, and audits. |
The retention number is the one to watch. Flock’s national default is 30 days; some states now force shorter windows by statute, and where Washington law is silent, the local contract decides. When people ask “are flock cameras legal in Washington,” the retention and search rules above are usually what they actually need to know.
Misuse penalties: YES. A willful violation of the ALPR chapter is a gross misdemeanor under Washington law. A violation is also a per se violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act, and the law carries a private right of action — an injured person may sue for damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees. Standard gross misdemeanor exposure in Washington is up to 364 days in jail and a fine up to 5000; confirm current maximums with the court.
Separately, damaging ALPR equipment is charged under Washington’s malicious mischief statutes: second-degree malicious mischief is a class C felony for knowing and malicious physical damage over 750, and first-degree malicious mischief is a class B felony where damage exceeds 5000.
Your Rights: Seeing What Washington Has on Your Plate
Knowing whether are flock cameras legal in Washington is only half the question — the other half is what you can see about your own plate. Harder than it was before March 2026. Path: (1) Submit a Public Records Act request under chapter 42.56 RCW to the specific city, county, or agency police department that operates the cameras — the Washington Attorney General’s Open Government office explains the PRA process at atg.wa.gov/obtaining-records.
(2) Be aware ESSB 6002 created a new PRA exemption: ALPR data is no longer subject to disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW, except for bona fide research as defined in RCW 42.48.010 that does not include individually identifiable information.
This reversed the November 2025 Skagit County Superior Court ruling that Flock images were disclosable public records. (3) The mandated two-year audit-trail records and the annual public ALPR reports are the practical avenue now — many drivers can request an agency’s ALPR audit logs and its annual report, and can ask the agency directly whether their plate was queried.
Whether audit-trail data on a specific individual plate is itself exempt: UNVERIFIED — check with the agency’s public records officer and, if denied, with the Attorney General’s Open Government Ombuds. (4) You may also file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, which now holds the ALPR registrations.
A records request is the single most useful lawful move for a driver asking are flock cameras legal in Washington: it is free or cheap, it forces the agency to state its rules on paper, and the answers feed every other channel — council testimony, comments on pending bills, or a lawyer if the logs show misuse. If a camera-based citation is the concern, the Flock camera ticket guide for Washington covers that side.
The bills and rulings below are what will change the answer to are flock cameras legal in Washington next — each item is dated, and this section is refreshed as they move.
Washington ALPR Bills and Rulings in Motion
Dated items, newest first. Last checked September 9, 2026.
- March 30, 2026: Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002, the Driver Privacy Act (Chapter 239, 2026 Laws), Washington’s first statewide ALPR law, limiting plate-reader use to specified serious offenses, restricting data sharing, and requiring 21-day deletion. (app.leg.wa.gov)
- January 29, 2026: The Washington Court of Appeals, Division III, held in State v. Simonson (No. 40732-2-III) that a fixed automated license plate reader image of a plate on a public roadway is not a search under the Fourth Amendment or Article I, Section 7. (www.courts.wa.gov)
Where communities have pushed back, it shows up here: cancellations, lawsuits, and documented cases — the practical backdrop to are flock cameras legal in Washington, reported as cases and charges only.
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The Backlash in Washington: Cancellations, Lawsuits & Cases
Dated items, newest first. Last checked September 9, 2026.
- August 13, 2026: Griffin Perry Hinchliff, 22, of Ellensburg was arraigned in Kittitas County Superior Court on charges of second-degree theft and second-degree malicious mischief involving three Flock cameras and pleaded not guilty, with trial set for November 2. (www.dailyrecordnews.com)
- July 21, 2026: The Redmond City Council voted 7-0 to terminate the city’s Flock Safety contract and end its automated license plate reader program, beginning removal of all 24 cameras. (www.redmond.gov)
- February 23, 2026: The Lynnwood City Council voted 7-0 to terminate the city’s two-year, $171,000 Flock Safety contract after a University of Washington report found out-of-state agencies had accessed Lynnwood ALPR data. (www.heraldnet.com)
- December 4, 2025: The Mountlake Terrace City Council voted unanimously to cancel the city’s $54,000 two-year Flock Safety contract, becoming the first Washington city to fully cancel, while still owing $27,000 for year one. (www.heraldnet.com)
- December 3, 2025: The City of Olympia suspended its Flock Safety camera pilot program and deactivated all 15 cameras, citing privacy, data-access, and community-trust concerns. (www.olympiawa.gov)
What Flock and Other Vendors Are Saying
Dated items, newest first. Last checked September 9, 2026.
- August 31, 2026: Flock Safety published guidance calling Washington SB 6002 one of the strictest statewide ALPR frameworks in the country and describing its compliance steps, including a 21-day retention schedule and sensitive-location controls for Washington agencies. (www.flocksafety.com)
- July 24, 2026: Flock Safety issued a statement responding to the University of Washington report "Leaving the Door Wide Open," saying customers control data sharing, that federal agencies were removed from lookup access, and that keyword filters block civil immigration and reproductive-healthcare searches. (www.flocksafety.com)
- February 6, 2026: Flock Safety published a blog post stating that the Washington Court of Appeals decision in State v. Simonson upholds fixed-location license plate readers as constitutional. (www.flocksafety.com)
Key Takeaways: Are Flock Cameras Legal in Washington
- Start with the statute question: the honest answer to “are flock cameras legal in Washington” begins with whether Washington has any ALPR law at all — and where it does not, vendor defaults and local contracts are the only rules.
- Retention is the number that matters: when drivers ask “are flock cameras legal in Washington”, what they usually need is how long a plate read is kept and who can search it, both covered in the table above.
- Your city may answer differently than your state: because local policy fills the gap, “are flock cameras legal in Washington” can have one answer in one town and another across the line.
- A records request is the lawful lever: for anyone asking “are flock cameras legal in Washington”, the search logs and the written policy are obtainable under the public-records law, and they are what changes council votes.
- Bills move monthly: the dated sections above are refreshed because the answer to “are flock cameras legal in Washington” is being rewritten in real time by legislation and court rulings.
- Cancellations are facts, not rumors: the backlash section records which Washington communities have ended contracts and why — the practical backdrop to “are flock cameras legal in Washington”.
- Damaging a camera is a crime: the lawful channels are the ones that work, and the cases above show the charges that follow the other route.
- Check the date on everything: including this page — the verification date is printed above, because “are flock cameras legal in Washington” is a moving answer.
- Vendor statements are not law: a company’s retention promise can change by press release; “are flock cameras legal in Washington” is answered by statute and contract, which is why both are quoted above.
- Sharing is the quiet issue: a plate read in Washington can be searchable by agencies elsewhere by default, and “are flock cameras legal in Washington” includes whether the local contract turned that off.
Bottom line on are flock cameras legal in Washington: confirm the current rule at the official sources below, keep every notice and envelope, and treat the dated sections of this page as the record of what changed and when.
Washington FAQ: Are Flock Cameras Legal in Washington
Can I find out if police searched my plate in Washington?
Often, yes. ALPR search logs are records, and public-records laws reach many of them — the request path in the rights section above is the route. Some state statutes require agencies to keep audit logs precisely so this question is answerable. Expect exemptions for active investigations, but the policy, the retention schedule, and aggregate search data are routinely producible.
Do Flock cameras use facial recognition?
No — the cameras photograph vehicles and plates, not faces, and the company states the system does not identify drivers or passengers. The privacy concern is different and real: a network of timestamped plate captures builds a movement history of your vehicle, which is why retention limits and search rules are where every serious legal fight is happening.
Is it illegal to block or damage a Flock camera in Washington?
Damaging one is criminal property destruction — and prosecutions are real: vandalism cases around the country in 2026 have drawn felony charges, including over a police decoy camera. Blocking or obscuring one on public land can also draw obstruction or tampering charges depending on state law. The lawful channels — records requests, council testimony, pending bills — are covered above, and they are the ones actually cancelling contracts.
Why the Answer to “Are Flock Cameras Legal in Washington?” Keeps Changing
ALPR law is the rare corner of traffic law being written in real time. The cameras spread faster than legislatures could react, so the first rules were whatever the vendor’s defaults and each city’s contract said. Now the statutes are arriving — retention caps, search standards, immigration-use bans, audit duties — and every session moves the line somewhere. A page that answered “are flock cameras legal in Washington” correctly last year can be wrong this year.
The fights driving it are concrete: officers caught running personal searches, federal agencies reaching into local data, cities discovering their contracts allowed sharing they never intended. Each scandal produces a bill; each bill resets the rules. That is why the dated sections on this page exist and get refreshed — the statute table is the stable part, and everything else is a moving front.
For a driver, the takeaway is to check the date on anything you read about are flock cameras legal in Washington — including this page, which is why its verification date is printed above — and to anchor on the statute citations, which are the one part of this fight that is always checkable at the source.
Official Washington Sources & Resources
- Washington Legislature: https://leg.wa.gov
- Washington DMV: https://dol.wa.gov
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: nhtsa.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
Statute reference: Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002, 2026 Wash. Laws (Driver Privacy Act), signed March 30, 2026, adding a new chapter to Title 10 RCW. Final codified RCW section numbers: UNVERIFIED — verify at app.leg.wa.gov/RCW.
Other Washington rules to know: (1) The “no hit alone” rule is unusual and driver-relevant: under ESSB 6002 an ALPR match by itself does not create reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop — the officer must independently develop reasonable suspicion or visually confirm the plate and separately confirm it appears on a statutory list. If you were stopped in Washington on nothing but a camera hit, that is worth raising with your court or attorney.
(2) Geofencing of protected places — ALPR cameras may not be sited near schools, places of worship, health care facilities, immigration facilities, courts, and food banks. (3) Reproductive and gender-affirming health care are named as prohibited ALPR use categories, which is rare among states. (4) The buying and selling of ALPR data is banned.
(5) The law is enforced through both criminal exposure (gross misdemeanor for willful violations) and the Consumer Protection Act with a private right of action — an unusual dual-enforcement structure. (6) Mandatory registration with the Attorney General within 180 days of March 30, 2026 (i.e., roughly late September 2026) means the AG’s office should hold a list of every Washington agency operating ALPR — a useful starting point for drivers.
(7) The March 2026 PRA exemption reversed a driver-favorable November 2025 court ruling, so guidance published before April 2026 about requesting Flock images in Washington is now out of date. Always check with your court or the operating agency for current practice.
This guide to are flock cameras legal in Washington was last verified against official sources in September 2026. ALPR law is the fastest-moving area of traffic law — the dated sections above are refreshed as developments land.
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Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Fines, points, and procedures are estimates for general guidance and change when state laws change. Always verify the exact amount and process with your state DMV or the court listed on your citation, and consult a licensed traffic attorney in your state for advice on your specific situation.