St. Louis, MO Privacy & Surveillance: License Plate Readers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 15.192, Surveillance Technology Usage
- Approval required
- Board of Aldermen resolution plus public hearing
- Data retention
- Follows RSMo 109.200-109.310 records schedule
- Exigent-use cap
- 30 days without prior approval
- Enacted
- Ord. No. 71842, effective May 1, 2024
Summary
St. Louis requires Board of Aldermen approval before any city agency can acquire, fund, or share automatic license plate reader data, under the city's surveillance technology ordinance.
Surveillance technology includes but is not limited to these or their successor technologies: (a) international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers and other cell site simulators; (b) automatic license plate readers... A City entity must obtain Board of Aldermen approval in the form of a resolution... prior to... Acquiring, borrowing, or sharing surveillance technology, including the surveillance data therefrom, whether or not that acquisition is made through the exchange of monies or other consideration.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 15.192 of the city code defines 'surveillance technology' to expressly include automatic license plate readers, and bars any city entity from acquiring, funding, borrowing, or sharing ALPR technology or the data it collects without Board of Aldermen approval of a public surveillance use plan, following a noticed committee hearing under Sections 15.192.020-.030. Data retention must follow the state records schedule in RSMo 109.200-109.310, and each approved use requires an annual public report on deployments, data sharing with outside agencies, and complaints. Unapproved ALPR use is allowed only in defined exigent circumstances, capped at 30 days absent a Board-approved extension.
Violations & Fines
Violators face civil suits for damages and attorneys' fees, unapproved data must be deleted and is excluded as evidence, and city employees face discipline for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does St. Louis use license plate readers?
Can the city share ALPR data with outside agencies like ICE?
What happens if a city agency uses ALPR without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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