Automatic License Plate Reader Transparency
APD uses ALPR technology only for legitimate law enforcement purposes, consistent with Virginia law and APD policy. Key safeguards include:
- ALPR searches must have a legitimate law enforcement purpose, such as a criminal investigation or missing person case.
- ALPR data is not used for immigration enforcement.
- Access is limited to trained and authorized personnel only.
- All searches are documented, tracked, and regularly audited.
- ALPR data is retained for 21 days, consistent with Virginia law and APD policy.
- APD does not provide ALPR data access to federal agencies or law enforcement agencies outside Virginia without a valid court order.
Our goal is to responsibly use every lawful tool available to help solve crimes, deliver justice for victims, and protect the community while respecting constitutional rights and maintaining public trust.
What type of alerts do police officers receive?
Alerts received
- Stolen vehicle
- Stolen license plate
- Missing person
- Warrants (person with active warrants for their arrest)
- Felony vehicle (vehicle involved in felony crimes)
- Custom alert (used to enter vehicles recently involved in a crime and not yet entered in NCIC)
Alerts NOT received
- Immigration related enforcement
- Driver's license or registration violations
- Civil infractions or civil warrants
- Parking violations
- Tax related violations
What happens when an ALPR generates an alert?
An ALPR alert is an investigative lead, not automatic confirmation that a vehicle or person is involved in criminal activity.
Before taking enforcement action, APD officers must confirm the accuracy and nature of the alert. Officers may verify that the license plate or other identifying characteristics of the vehicle match the information that generated the alert and confirm that the underlying information remains active.
An ALPR alert alone does not automatically provide grounds to stop a vehicle.
What can officers search the ALPR database for?
Officers can use the ALPR database to search for vehicles involved in crimes that are a violation of the Code of Virginia (Title 18.2. Crimes and Offenses Generally).
*Alexandria has 61 fixed ALPR cameras. *Information shown reflects the most recent available update and may not represent real-time data. Data will be updated approximately every 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
APD's approach to ALPR technology is governed by controls at every stage: access is restricted to authorized personnel, queries must have a legitimate law enforcement purpose, use must comply with Virginia law and APD policy, activity is documented and audited, data is subject to defined retention limits, and sharing is restricted by law.
No. APD does not use ALPR technology for civil immigration enforcement. APD enforces Virginia law and City ordinances, not federal civil immigration law. Virginia law limits ALPR searches to specifically authorized law enforcement purposes, including qualifying criminal investigations involving an alleged violation of Virginia law or a local ordinance, as well as certain investigations involving missing or endangered persons or human trafficking. Civil immigration enforcement is not an authorized purpose for an ALPR search.
Access to APD's investigative ALPR systems is limited to trained, authorized personnel with a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
Virginia law places restrictions on how ALPR information may be shared. APD does not sell ALPR data.
Sharing with other law enforcement agencies must comply with Virginia law and APD policy. APD maintains the authority to suspend or terminate data-sharing access when appropriate.
ALPR technology captures information about a vehicle when its license plate is observed, including the license plate number, the date and time of the observation, the location, and an image of the vehicle/plate. Personal identifying information (PII) about the driver or occupants of a vehicle is not captured by an ALPR. An ALPR observation does not, by itself, identify who was driving or who was inside the vehicle.
Every 30 days, the Alexandria Police Department's Mobile Computer Unit (MCU) audits internal ALPR system activity to ensure the technology and its data are accessed and used in accordance with Department policy and applicable law.
As part of the audit, MCU reviews system activity and query records, including who accessed the system, when it was accessed, and the documented purpose for the search. The review verifies that ALPR activity is connected to a documented, official, and lawful public safety purpose and helps identify potential unauthorized access, improper searches, sharing, or other misuse.
Any activity that cannot be verified or appears inconsistent with Department policy or law is referred for additional review.
ALPR database information is subject to a defined 21-day retention period by law and access controls; it is not maintained indefinitely. Under Virginia law, ALPR system data must be purged 21 days after capture.
Every ALPR database query creates an audit trail. Users must document the law enforcement purpose for accessing the system and provide information necessary to associate the search with the investigation or event.
APD's Mobile Computer Unit conducts an internal audit of APD's ALPR systems at least once every 30 days to ensure the technology is being used in accordance with Department policy and Virginia law. Any suspected discrepancies are referred for additional review. Audit trails are purged after two years unless part of an ongoing investigation, prosecution, or civil action.
Misuse is any use of ALPR equipment, databases, or data that does not strictly serve a documented, official, and lawful public safety purpose.
Policy and Law
APD's use of ALPR technology is governed by Department policy and Virginia law.
Alexandria Police Department
Directive 10.40: License Plate Reader Program
Code of Virginia
§ 2.2-5517: Use of Automatic License Plate Recognition Systems by Law-Enforcement Agencies