The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued a formal memo on Monday instructing local law enforcement agencies to discontinue the use of automated license plate reader (LPR) systems on state highways. The order specifically targets the use of Flock Safety cameras, which have become a common tool for police departments to track vehicle movements and identify suspects in real-time.

Under the new directive, FDOT has ordered that all future requests for LPR installations on state-owned property be denied. Furthermore, the agency has instructed law enforcement partners to remove existing camera systems that are currently mounted on state highway infrastructure. This move represents a significant shift in how the state manages surveillance technology on its roadways, effectively limiting the reach of private-sector monitoring tools that have been widely adopted by local police departments across the country.

While the memo establishes a clear policy for state highways, it does not explicitly address the use of these cameras on local or municipal roads, which fall outside of FDOT’s direct jurisdiction. The decision follows growing national debates regarding the balance between public safety surveillance and individual privacy rights. The FDOT memo serves as a definitive administrative action to restrict the presence of these devices on state-managed transit corridors, though the specific reasoning behind the timing of this order was not detailed in the initial announcement.