Who sent the money
Grants
JAG, COPS, opioid settlements, retail-crime funds, immigration boards. Eligible uses are a policy choice.
Local
A grant makes the buy look free
One year of Byrne JAG or a state pass-through often covers hardware plus the national-database subscription. The second year hits the general fund. Vendor materials name JAG and COPS as common paths. A city can still refuse the buy.
Ask whether the grant covers year two, and what happens at renewal.
County
The county is the applicant
State pass-throughs (JAG, retail-crime, immigration boards) usually land at the sheriff. Illinois’s organized-retail-crime fund put more than two-thirds of $15 million into surveillance gear, including 900+ ALPRs.
Read the grant’s eligible-use line. Ask the state to rewrite it.
State
The state is a pass-through
JAG, retail-crime, and immigration-enforcement boards are often state-administered. Illinois’s organized-retail-crime fund and Florida’s immigration-enforcement board are two current exhibits: the state can fund the buy with one hand and restrict the dirt with the other.
Amend eligible uses. Publish a denial list.
Federal
JAG, COPS, and the Flock-Off Act
H.R. 10221 (Massie, 2 Sep 2026) would bar federal funds for covered camera systems and force 180-day decommission of federally funded ones, with border and tolling exceptions. H.R. 9800 (Burchett) takes a purchase-and-access cut. Neither is law.
Call the sponsor office. States do not have to wait.
Named grant pipes
Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)
DOJ / state administering agencies
Vendor materials list JAG as a common ALPR funding path. A city council can still refuse the buy. A state can rewrite eligible uses.
COPS Technology Program
DOJ COPS Office
Named by the vendor as covering LPR technology.
Border Security / immigration-enforcement state grants
State boards using federal or state immigration money
In Florida, as one example, the State Board of Immigration Enforcement approved local LPR grant requests (~$4.6M asked for ~440 readers) even as the governor later ordered devices off state roads. Not all disbursed. Other states run different pass-throughs.
Comments in this lane
Opioid money
Opioid-settlement funds meant for treatment have been spent on license-plate readers. Ask the state to forbid that use. Petition: https://orwellday.com/stop-flock-solution/
Retail-crime grants
Organized-retail-crime grants have been a pipeline for ALPR buys. A state can rewrite the eligible uses. Petition: https://orwellday.com/stop-flock-solution/