North Carolina Legalizes AI-Powered License Plate Readers Across State Roads
North Carolina has legalized the permanent installation of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) along state-maintained roads and highways, following a successful pilot program. This new provision, embedded in the state's budget, allows the Department of Transportation to make its land and rights-of-way available for these fixed cameras. Given that North Carolina manages approximately four out of every five road miles in the state, this significantly expands the potential reach of ALPR technology. The State Bureau of Investigation is authorized to act on behalf of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in utilizing this system. The law explicitly states that ALPR data cannot be used for enforcing traffic violations. Instead, the cameras capture details such as time, location, and sometimes vehicle make, model, and color for every passing plate. This data is intended for use by officers in investigating crimes, tracking stolen vehicles, or locating missing persons. The pilot program, which ran... 
