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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky regulates automated license plate readers and restricts data sharing
Last action · April 10, 2026: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 71)Sponsors: John Hodgson and 22 others
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What This Bill Does
Kentucky restricts the deployment of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) to specific public safety, parking, and transportation purposes, while limiting data retention to 90 days and prohibiting unauthorized data sales or sharing. The law establishes strict exceptions for law enforcement, insurance companies, financial institutions, and the Transportation Cabinet, and sets criminal penalties for violations.
Vehicle owners face new rules regarding how their license plate and location data can be collected, stored, and shared with private entities such as insurers and lenders, while law enforcement agencies must adopt public written policies and follow visual confirmation procedures before conducting traffic stops based on ALPR alerts.
- Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are high-speed camera systems used by law enforcement and private entities to track vehicle movements and check license plates against crime databases. context
- The Kentucky General Assembly enacts statutory changes and amendments to transportation laws under KRS Chapter 189. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Vehicle owners
Vehicle owners are subject to license plate data collection by ALPR systems, with limits on data retention and new privacy notification rules regarding insurance and financing contracts.
Law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement agencies must adopt public written policies, conduct mandatory 90-day audits, and visually confirm plates before traffic stops when using ALPR systems.
Insurance carriers and financial institutions
Insurance carriers and financial institutions gain specific permissions to access ALPR data for fraud investigations and loan enforcement, contingent on implementing new customer privacy notifications.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can law enforcement or private entities keep my license plate data?
Can insurance companies and banks access automated license plate reader data?
What must police do before pulling over a vehicle based on an ALPR alert?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
15 actions- Apr 10, 2026HouseEnrolledsigned by Governor (Acts Ch. 71)
- Mar 31, 2026HouseEnrolledHouse concurred in Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) passed 70-19 enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Governor
- Mar 27, 2026Senateposted for passage for concurrence in Senate Floor Amendment (1) and Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 24, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 34-3 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) received in House to Rules (H)
- Mar 20, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
- Mar 19, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
Show 9 earlier actions
- Mar 18, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 16, 2026SenateCommitteeto Transportation (S)
- Feb 19, 2026SenateIntroducedreceived in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
- Feb 18, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 89-9 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1)
- Feb 17, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, February 18 2026
- Feb 12, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules floor amendment (2) filed to Committee Substitute
- Feb 11, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeto Judiciary (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 18 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Statewide ALPR Regulations
Kentucky has enacted comprehensive statutory limits on automated license plate reader deployments, establishing clear boundaries for data retention and third-party data sharing.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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