Tempe Permanently Bans Police Use of License Plate Reader Cameras
The Tempe City Council in Arizona has permanently banned the use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras by the city's law enforcement, marking the first such ban in the state.
Phoenix, AZ, October 15, 2026 —
The Tempe City Council has permanently banned the use of automated license plate reader cameras by the city’s law enforcement, according to the available information. The action makes Tempe the first city in Arizona to adopt such a ban.
The policy concerns ALPR cameras, which use automated technology to read vehicle license plates. The ban applies to their use by Tempe law enforcement. The information provided does not specify whether the restriction covers equipment already in use, future purchases, or both.
No date for the council’s decision was provided. Details about how the ban was adopted, when it takes effect, or how compliance will be overseen were also not included. The stated description does not identify the reasons for the council’s action or provide statements from council members, law enforcement officials, or community groups.
The statewide significance of the decision is limited to the information that Tempe is the first Arizona city to enact a ban of this kind. No further details were provided about whether other Arizona jurisdictions have considered similar policies or what rules govern ALPR use elsewhere in the state.
The available account also does not describe any exceptions to the ban, whether other agencies may use the cameras, or whether the city plans to review the policy. Those specifics remain unreported. What is clear from the summary is that Tempe’s restriction is described as permanent and applies to the city’s law enforcement.
Story summarized from the original created by David Baker on www.azfamily.com, see more information here.
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