Why there's no one answer
Flock sells the cameras and the platform, but the retention policy is set by the customer — a police department, city or even an HOA — within whatever their state allows. That means two cities running identical cameras can have very different privacy profiles: one might purge records after 30 days, another might keep them for years.
What the law says — a state-by-state patchwork
ALPR data retention is governed by state law, and the U.S. has a patchwork. Some states have explicit caps or rules; many have none. California is a notable example: its ALPR law restricts how plate data is handled, and reporting has examined whether those rules are being followed (US News, AP).
Our state-by-state tracker is building out each state's reported ALPR status from public records — check your state's page for what's documented so far.
How to find out for your own city
- Ask your police department for its ALPR retention policy — many publish it.
- File a public records (FOIA) request for the Flock contract or ALPR policy; retention terms are usually in there.
- Check city council minutes — Flock agreements are approved in open meetings.
- Ask whether data can be deleted — some agencies allow removal requests for non-investigative records.
Why it matters
Retention length is the single biggest driver of the controversy: a plate read with no match still becomes a record, and that record can outlive the reason it was created. Whether it's gone in 30 days or kept for years is a policy choice your city made — and one you can change.