Free toolkit · Spotting guide
How to spot an ALPR camera
A small black box. A slim pole. A solar panel. Once you know the shape, you'll see them everywhere.
typical installation
What to look for
- A small rectangular box, roughly brick-sized, usually matte black
- A slim pole 10–15 ft tall — often a stand-alone pole, sometimes clamped to an existing utility or sign pole
- A small solar panel on top and no power or data wires running down the pole (it's cellular)
- Aimed low at the back of passing cars — at bumpers and plates, not at windshields or the intersection
- Often at neighborhood entrances, on through-streets, and at the edges of subdivisions and HOAs
Not the same as…
| This is NOT | How it differs |
|---|
| A speed / red-light camera | Those face oncoming traffic at a specific intersection, are usually large, mains-powered, and issue tickets. ALPRs issue no tickets and log everyone. |
| A traffic-flow sensor | Those count vehicles anonymously. ALPRs read and store your specific plate and a description of your car. |
| A doorbell / security cam | Those are owned by a resident or business. ALPRs feed a shared database thousands of agencies can query. |