Automated license plate readers, set up by law enforcement on roads or mounted in their cruisers, capture license plate information that police can access for investigations.

Despite near defeat and intense debate, a proposal to regulate automated license plate readers is still alive in Virginia’s General Assembly — though not without significant revisions and shifting alliances.

With just a few days left in the 2025 Regular General Assembly Session, lawmakers continued to grapple with how to regulate and perhaps expand the use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in Virginia.

The issue of tracking license plates continues to create controversy as the General Assembly heads into its final days.