Privacy & Surveillance in Columbia, MO (2026)
2 verified privacy & surveillance rules for Columbia, Missouri, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Facial Recognition Ban
Columbia, Missouri police cannot acquire or deploy facial recognition software without a public city council hearing and majority-vote approval under the Boone County city's surveillance technology oversight ordinance: it's regulated, not banned.
Facial Recognition Oversight in Columbia, Missouri
Significant RestrictionsColumbia Code of Ordinances § 21-61
"Surveillance technology" means any device or system designed or used or intended to be used to collect, retain, process or share audio, electronic, visual, location, thermal, olfactory or similar information associated with, or capable of being associated with, any specific individual or group of specific individuals by the police department. Examples of surveillance technologies include, but ...
License Plate Readers
Columbia, Missouri automatic license plate readers are regulated 'surveillance technology' under Boone County's city code; police need council-approved acquisition and a data retention and third-party sharing policy before deployment.
License Plate Readers Need Council Approval
Significant RestrictionsColumbia Code of Ordinances § 21-61 (Technology use policy, subsections (6) & (9))
"Technology use policy" means a policy adopted by the chief of police and approved by the city manager for use of a specific item or category of surveillance technology ... The policy must, at a minimum, specify the following: ... Data retention: The time period, if any, for which information collected by the surveillance technology will be routinely retained ... Third party data sharing: If an...
Looking for Boone County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbia city rules.
Privacy & Surveillance in Boone County →