Philadelphia Police Department deploys automated license plate readers on patrol vehicles and at fixed sites under Pennsylvania Title 18 section 5703 and the Pennsylvania ALPR statute. Philadelphia retains scan data for one year unless connected to an active criminal investigation requiring longer hold.
Pennsylvania Act 108 of 2018, codified at 75 Pa.C.S. section 6181, authorizes police to use Automated License Plate Reader Systems and sets standards for stored-plate retention, accuracy audits, and data sharing. Records linked to no active investigation must be purged within one year. The Philadelphia Police Directive 4.21 governs PPD use, requiring supervisor logging, prohibits use to track First Amendment activity, and limits sharing to verified law-enforcement agencies. The Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, 18 Pa.C.S. section 5703, separately bars audio capture without consent. Philadelphia has no facial-recognition ban analogous to San Francisco, but the city's Bill 200625 requires advance Council notice before adopting new surveillance technologies, including expanded ALPR deployment.
Unauthorized ALPR data sharing or purpose-creep can trigger third-degree misdemeanor charges under 75 Pa.C.S. 6181(g), Philadelphia Inspector General investigation, and civil rights claims under 42 USC 1983 with attorney-fee shifting.
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See how Philadelphia's license plate readers rules stack up against other locations.
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