ST. PAUL, Minn. — Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten (DFL-St. Paul) and Representative Brad Tabke (DFL-Shakopee) introduced legislation in 2026 (SF 4739 and HF 4205) that would regulate automated license plate readers, often operated by Flock, and protect Minnesotans’ data privacy.
“I wrote this legislation for my Shakopee neighbors who reported story after story of ICE agents using Flock cameras and license plate readers to harass and stalk them,” said Representative Tabke. “It is a fundamental infringement on people’s liberty, and I am going to continue working to make sure people’s private data is protected from misuse by an overreaching federal government and amoral tech billionaires.”
Rep. Tabke’s HF 4205 was heard in the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee in March, and stalled on a 7-7 vote, with all Republicans voting against.
“Minnesotans know all too well how unregulated technology can be used to surveil and harass us,” said Senator Oumou Verbeten. “I introduced my bill to protect our communities from overreach by license plate reader companies, federal agencies and bad actors. I plan to introduce this bill again in the 2027 session so my colleagues can hear what I’ve heard from my constituents and Minnesotans across the state: We cannot allow Flock and its competitors to destroy our right to privacy.”
Proposed regulations in their bills include:
- Data collected by a license plate reader must be destroyed no later than 48 hours from the time of collection unless it is related to an active criminal investigation.
- License plate reader data may not be accessed or shared outside Minnesota unless required by a court order or judicial warrant. That includes federal agencies, states other than Minnesota, and private entities.
- The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would maintain all data collected, created, or received by license plate readers operated by a law enforcement agency of the state or of a political subdivision; and store that data on a server located within the state.
- Require prominently posted signs to inform drivers that a license plate reader system is in use.
- A person may not sell or share license plate reader system data about an individual or an individual's vehicle without that person’s affirmative consent, a court order, or a judicial warrant. Data collected by a license plate reader system would be classified as personal data.
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