Field Guide
How to Identify an ALPR
Most ALPRs are easy to recognize once you know what to look for. Below are the most common vendors deployed across the US — their hardware, where you'll see it, and the features that give them away.
Flock Safety
ALPRThe most common ALPR in the US.
Flock cameras dominate the US market. They're deployed by police, HOAs, businesses, and entire residential neighborhoods, often without public input. If you see an ALPR camera in America, it is probably a Flock.
- Black teardrop-shaped housing
- Mounted on a black pole, usually 10–15 ft tall
- Solar panel mounted on top or behind the camera
- Infrared illuminator window beside the lens
Motorola Solutions
ALPRVigilant / PIPS / Avigilon ALPRs.
Motorola sells ALPRs under the Vigilant, PIPS, and Avigilon brands. They're common in police vehicles and on fixed mounts in larger cities. Housings are typically rectangular and heavier than Flock's.
- Boxy rectangular housing
- Often mounted in pairs facing opposite directions
- Common on highway gantries and bridges
Genetec
ALPRAutoVu fixed and mobile cameras.
Genetec's AutoVu product is widely used in Canada and for parking enforcement. Cameras are often mounted on patrol vehicles or parking-garage entrances rather than fixed roadside poles.
- Compact, angular gray or white housing
- Frequently vehicle-mounted
- Common at parking facilities and toll plazas
Leonardo (ELSAG)
ALPRELSAG MPH-900 and fixed ALPRs.
Leonardo's ELSAG line is older and built like a tank. You'll often see them on highway patrol vehicles and in long-running state agency deployments.
- Cylindrical or wedge-shaped housing
- Industrial gray or beige finish
- Mostly vehicle-mounted, occasionally fixed
Neology
ALPRToll-style ALPRs adapted for surveillance.
Neology comes from the toll-road and electronic-tag world. Their ALPRs show up on highway gantries and at managed-lane entrances.
- Large rectangular housings on overhead gantries
- Usually paired with RFID readers
- Most common on toll roads and managed lanes
Axon
ALPRAxon Fleet ALPRs on patrol vehicles.
Axon — the Taser and body-camera company — sells vehicle-mounted ALPRs as part of its Fleet product. Almost always seen on the roof or trunk lid of a patrol car.
- Small black housing
- Mounted on patrol vehicles
- Tied into Axon's evidence and body-cam ecosystem
Spotted one?
Add it to the public map. Verified, previously-unmapped cameras earn a $SOL bounty paid through a mixer.