Florida Bans Plate Readers; USDOT Bets Big on Chattanooga
DOT Tech News
September 7, 2026 · Transportation Technology Briefing
Good morning, DOT tech nerds and professionals. Florida just made a bold move that has transportation agencies across the country paying attention, and we have the full story. Plus, USDOT's research chief is taking pilot projects off the drawing board and into the real world.
In this week's DOT Tech News:
- Florida DOT Pulls License Plate Readers From State Highways, Setting a Precedent for Transportation Agencies Nationwide
- USDOT's Top Research Official Heads to Chattanooga to Push Pilot Projects Toward Real-world Scale
- Florida DOT Revokes All Flock Camera Permits on State Roads, Orders Removal Within 30 Days
Florida DOT Pulls License Plate Readers From State Highways, Setting a Precedent for Transportation Agencies Nationwide
Florida's Department of Transportation revoked all local law enforcement approvals for automated license plate readers (ALPRs) within state highway rights-of-way, giving agencies 30 days to remove devices before FDOT steps in to do it themselves.
FDOT cited rapid network growth, documented misuse, and data privacy concerns in its Aug. 31 directive. The order stops new approvals immediately and covers readers from multiple vendors, including Flock Safety. Cameras on local roads, county streets, and private property fall outside FDOT's jurisdiction — a gap lawmakers on both sides are already moving to close.
The technology works by photographing passing vehicles and feeding data into searchable police databases. Florida officers faced accusations of using those databases to track spouses and former partners. Governor DeSantis acknowledged the cameras' crime-solving value but pointed to New Hampshire's model — restricting ALPRs to officer-operated, vehicle-mounted devices — as a potential framework for Florida's next move.
Legislative action before November's election remains uncertain, but both gubernatorial candidates have staked out positions favoring new restrictions, signaling that ALPR regulation will remain a live issue regardless of who wins.
Why it matters: Transportation agencies in every state operate within or alongside ALPR networks — this Florida decision signals that DOT-level jurisdiction over roadside surveillance infrastructure is real, consequential, and increasingly contested, putting technology procurement and vendor compliance on the policy front line.
Source: Department of Transportation
USDOT's Top Research Official Heads to Chattanooga to Push Pilot Projects Toward Real-world Scale
Michael Halem, principal deputy assistant secretary for research and technology at USDOT, will keynote Chattanooga Connect 2026 on September 15, bringing federal weight to a conference built around one of transportation tech's hardest problems — turning successful pilots into permanent deployments.
Stan Caldwell, director of USDOT's SMART Grants Program, will join Halem at the September 14–16 event hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute. Caldwell will sit on a panel alongside officials from the City of Chattanooga, Nashville DOT, and Tennessee DOT — all SMART grant recipients — to examine what sustainable operations actually require after demonstration funding runs out.
The conference agenda covers connected and automated vehicles, V2X, AI, quantum technologies, and digital infrastructure. Attendees get hands-on time with autonomous vehicle demos, intersection safety tech, and workshops from industry players including Commsignia, Miovision, ITS America, and DENSO. Chattanooga itself received a $2 million Stage 1 SMART grant in 2024 to prototype connected roadway technologies targeting pedestrian safety and transit operations.
Why it matters: With two senior USDOT officials in the room alongside state and city DOT leaders, Chattanooga Connect is a rare opportunity for vendors and agencies to align directly with federal thinking on which emerging technologies are getting funded — and what it takes to move them past the demo stage.
Source: Department of Transportation
Florida DOT Revokes All Flock Camera Permits on State Roads, Orders Removal Within 30 Days
Florida's Department of Transportation pulled the plug on license plate reader permits statewide, revoking all existing approvals and banning future requests for LPR systems on state roads.
FDOT Assistant Secretary Will Watts issued a memorandum giving agencies 30 days to remove Flock cameras and similar technology from state rights-of-way. Any cameras still standing after the deadline will be removed by FDOT directly. The order covers all previously approved permits — they are revoked immediately, not at the deadline.
Governor Ron DeSantis drove the policy shift, calling LPR deployment "out of control" and warning against Florida becoming a "surveillance state." His concern sharpened after a Kentucky officer was arrested for using Flock cameras over 2,000 times to monitor an ex-girlfriend. DeSantis previously attempted to establish guardrails through an "AI Bill of Rights" proposal that failed to clear the legislature.
Law enforcement agencies are pushing back hard. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw called LPRs "indispensable," citing a recent case where the cameras helped track a murder suspect from Florida to West Virginia. Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly is calling for a special legislative session to codify any new rules into law rather than leaving them as executive action.
Why it matters: DOT agencies and vendors selling LPR or smart-mobility surveillance tools must watch this closely — Florida's move signals that state DOTs can unilaterally shut down permitted technology deployments when political pressure around data privacy reaches a tipping point.
Source: Florida Department of Transportation / CBS12 News
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