Texas License Plate Readers: Houston Records and Public Information

Texas readers looking for plate-reader cameras near them will find local programs rather than a single statewide ALPR code. This page explains that gap, reviews Houston’s published 2022 council item, and outlines how to ask for public information. It is not legal advice.

Does Texas have a statewide ALPR law?

No ALPR-specific statute was identified for Texas in NCSL’s September 28, 2026 50-state overview.

NCSL listed Texas among the jurisdictions with “no statute identified,” alongside several other large states. General criminal, privacy, and public-information laws still apply, and a city can adopt its own policy or contract terms. The absence of a dedicated statute also means there is no single statewide retention period or sharing rule that you can read in one place.

If a police department in Texas uses plate readers, ask that department for its written policy, retention schedule, audit practices, and vendor agreement. Do not assume another state’s deadline, such as a 60-day or 21-day rule, applies in Texas.

What did Houston’s city government publish about plate readers?

Houston published an August 16, 2022 council ordinance item authorizing a sole-source contract for automatic license plate recognition services.

The city’s agenda coversheet and supporting explanation describe an ordinance approving and authorizing a contract with the ALPR vendor named in that ordinance item. The item is identified as a sole-source procurement under Texas Local Government Code section 252.022(a)(7). According to those materials:

• The Houston Police Department and the procurement office recommended the agreement
• The vendor was to provide software and hardware, including fixed cameras and rapid-deployment cameras, plus storage, installation, maintenance, and warranties as a single service
• Intended users included the Houston Police Department, Houston Public Works, and Administration and Regulatory Affairs
• The stated functions included detecting unauthorized vehicles entering city property and supporting police investigations
• The item was presented to the Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee on August 4, 2022

A city committee presentation dated August 4, 2022 said the city planned to lease ALPR cameras at various locations to help combat violent crime and that several council members had contributed funds toward the first year of a planned multi-year contract. That presentation also listed operational requirements such as reading plates from U.S. jurisdictions, Canada, and Mexico, working in daylight and darkness, and capturing plates on faster-moving vehicles. Those statements are procurement requirements, not test results published on this site.

KHOU later reported that the council approved the contract. This page does not reprint contract amounts or camera counts, because those figures belong in the official file and can change with amendments. Request the current agreement and any renewals from the city if you need the up-to-date scope.

Other Texas cities may have their own contracts. Search that city’s council agenda and ask its police department; do not treat Houston’s 2022 item as a statewide program.

How do I request public information about Texas plate readers?

Send a written request for existing records to the governmental body you believe holds them, using a method the Texas Public Information Act allows.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office explains that a request must be in writing and must ask for information that already exists. A governmental body is not required to answer questions, do legal research, or create a new record. Under Government Code section 552.234, a request may be delivered by U.S. mail, email, hand delivery, or another method the governmental body has approved.

Tips drawn from that official guidance:

1. Check the city’s website first. Policies, agendas, and some contracts are already posted.
2. Address the request to the public information officer for the city, county, or police department that would keep the file.
3. Describe existing documents: the ALPR or LPR policy, the vendor contract and amendments, staff reports, council ordinances, retention rules, and any audit or transparency reports.
4. Keep a copy of the request and proof that it was received.
5. If you believe the governmental body did not respond properly, the Attorney General’s Open Government Hotline is listed on that same page as (512) 478-6736 or toll-free (877) 673-6839.

Agencies may withhold some information under Public Information Act exceptions. Plate-level location history and certain security details are not guaranteed to be released. Camera-location lists are released by some agencies and withheld by others. This site cannot predict the outcome of a particular request.

For reported locations, use the map and treat OpenStreetMap points as incomplete. For cost drivers rather than dollar amounts, see what affects ALPR cost.

What are common questions about Texas plate-reader records?

If Texas has no ALPR statute, are the cameras unregulated?

No. Local policies, contracts, criminal law, and the Public Information Act still apply. There is simply no single statewide ALPR code in the NCSL table checked for this page.

Should I send my Houston request to this website?

No. Send it to the City of Houston or the Houston Police Department through their public-information process. Licenseplatereader.app does not hold city records.

Does this page name a vendor because the site is connected to that company?

No. The vendor name appears because Houston’s published ordinance item names the contractor. This site is independent and is not affiliated with that company or with the city.

Sources

1. National Conference of State Legislatures, Automated License Plate Readers: State Statutes (updated September 28, 2026).
2. City of Houston, August 16, 2022 council ordinance coversheet.
3. City of Houston, ordinance item explanation for automatic license plate recognition services.
4. City of Houston, August 4, 2022 committee presentation.
5. KHOU, Automatic license plate reader cameras in Houston, Texas.
6. Texas Attorney General, How to Request Public Information.

Last reviewed: November 9, 2026 (Europe/Stockholm). Later amendments or new ordinances can change a city’s program after this date.