Representative Pat Harrigan introduces H.R. 10822: Automated License Plate Reader Accountability Act of 2026

We have received text from H.R. 10822: Automated License Plate Reader Accountability Act of 2026. This bill was received on 2026-10-15, and currently has 1 cosponsor.

Here is a short summary of the bill:

This bill would place strict federal limits on how government agencies use automated license plate reader systems, which are cameras and software that scan vehicles’ license plates and turn the images into searchable data.

Core rule: warrants would generally be required

Government agencies could not search ALPR data, obtain ALPR records from another person, or trigger alerts about a specific vehicle unless they have a warrant based on probable cause. The warrant would have to identify the vehicle, limit the time period that can be searched, and specify which ALPR systems or networks can be used.

The bill also bars broad “area queries” that search all vehicles in a place during a time window, except in a narrow circumstance involving probable cause that a felony causing death or serious bodily injury occurred there and the search is limited to one hour and the smallest area necessary.

Emergency exception

In an emergency involving an imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, a supervisory official could authorize a warrantless query. If that happens, the agency must ask a court for approval within 48 hours. If the court denies approval, the agency must stop any ongoing use, destroy the records obtained, and cannot use or disclose them.

Limits on what ALPR data can be used for

The bill would prohibit using ALPR systems to identify, monitor, or catalog people based on religious affiliation, political affiliation, or other First Amendment-protected activity. It would also prohibit using ALPR data to enforce civil penalties, parking or non-moving traffic violations, debts, or civil immigration laws.

Short retention period

As a general rule, agencies and their vendors would have to delete ALPR records within one day after they are created. Records obtained under a warrant, approved emergency query, or court-preserved case could be kept longer. The bill also says deletion must cover backups and replicated copies within 7 days, must be irreversible, and must be certified annually.

Limits on searching by vehicle features

Agencies and vendors could not create searchable tags or indexes for “expressive attributes” on vehicles, such as bumper stickers, flags, slogans, or other markings that communicate political, religious, social, or organizational messages. They also could not search or filter ALPR data by those expressive attributes.

However, the bill still allows data about license plate characters, the issuing jurisdiction of the plate, and basic vehicle characteristics like make, model, body type, and color. It also does not stop officers from visually observing a vehicle or reviewing an image lawfully obtained under a warrant.

Logging, reporting, and audits

Agencies would have to keep an unchangeable log of each ALPR query, including who ran the search, when it happened, what was searched, the related case or incident number, and the warrant or court order used. These logs would have to be kept for at least 3 years.

Each agency would also have to submit an annual public report showing, among other things, how many ALPR devices it operates, how many warrants were sought or denied, how many emergency queries were later denied by a court, how many arrests or charges resulted from ALPR use, and any compliance problems. Federal inspectors general would have to audit federal agencies’ compliance at least every 2 years.

Restrictions on vendors

Companies that provide ALPR systems to governments could use the data only to provide the contracted service. They could not sell, share, retain, or use the records for other purposes, and they could not use them to train or improve products or models, except to maintain plate-reading accuracy for the contracting agency.

Vendors also could not share records from one government customer with another unless the receiving entity is also subject to the bill or an equivalent state law, and the sharing would have to be logged. Government contracts for ALPR systems would have to include these requirements and allow termination for major violations.

State law incentive

Two years after enactment, the Justice Department would have to withhold 10% of certain federal public-safety funds from states that do not have laws meeting the bill’s standards. States could avoid the withholding by certifying that they have a qualifying law. Withheld funds would be redistributed to states that do comply.

Enforcement and notice

Evidence gathered in violation of the bill, and evidence derived from it, could not be used in proceedings before federal or state courts, agencies, or other authorities. A person harmed by a violation could sue the government agency or vendor and seek damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief.

If a warrant-authorized query is used, the registered owner of the vehicle would generally have to be notified within 90 days after the authorized period ends, unless a court delays notice for safety or investigative reasons.

Timing

The bill would take effect 180 days after enactment, except for the vehicle-attribute restrictions and the state funding penalty, which would take effect 2 years after enactment. Existing contracts would need to be brought into compliance at the first renewal after the effective date, or within 3 years after enactment, whichever comes first.

Relevant Companies

• AXON — May be affected if its public-safety technology offerings include ALPR products or services sold to government customers, due to the bill’s limits on use, retention, sharing, and contracts.
• FLOCK — If referring to Flock Safety and its public listing were applicable, its ALPR-related business could be directly affected; however, no widely recognized U.S.-listed ticker under this name is readily identifiable.
• VERI — Could be indirectly affected if any government-facing imaging or AI products overlap with ALPR-related analytics, though direct impact is less clear from the bill text alone.

Representative Pat Harrigan Bill Proposals

Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Representative Pat Harrigan:

• H.R.10873: AI Cyber Defense Act
• H.R.10822: ALPR Accountability Act of 2026
• H.R.10440: REACH Act
• H.R.10092: GATE Act of 2026
• H.R.9804: SAFE Rural Act
• H.R.9707: GAP Act

You can track bills proposed by Representative Pat Harrigan on Investivoq's politician page for Harrigan.

Representative Pat Harrigan Net Worth

Investivoq estimates that Representative Pat Harrigan is worth $9.3M, as of November 9th, 2026. This is the 119th highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.

Harrigan has approximately $9.5K invested in publicly traded assets which Investivoq is able to track live.

You can track Representative Pat Harrigan's net worth on Investivoq's politician page for Harrigan.

2026 North Carolina's 10th Congressional District Election

There has been approximately $2,168,385 of spending in North Carolina's 10th congressional district elections over the last two years, per our estimates.

Approximately $209,707 of this has been from outside spending by PACs and Super PACs. Some of the groups who are spending money in this race include:

• DEFEND AMERICAN JOBS ($150,000)
• WE THE PEOPLE...CAN'T EVEN ($37,587)
• PATRIOTIC FUND, INC. ($21,878)

The rating for this race is currently "Solid R".

You can track this election on our matchup page for the 2026 North Carolina's 10th congressional district election.

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