DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa House of Representatives has approved legislation that imposes new restrictions on how law enforcement agencies may use automated license plate reading cameras.

The bill passed by a 77 to 11 vote on April 16, 2026. It now moves back to the Iowa Senate for further consideration before potentially going to the governor.

Key Provisions

Under the proposed law, cities and counties would need to pass local ordinances specifically authorizing the use of automated license plate readers. These local laws would have to identify approved technology vendors and specify which personnel may access captured data.

The legislation requires that most license plate images and related data be deleted within 30 days. An exception applies when the information is connected to an active criminal investigation.

To access data older than 24 hours, law enforcement would generally need a search warrant or a subpoena from a county attorney. Emergency situations, such as missing child alerts or human trafficking cases, would not require a warrant.

The bill also prohibits police from using facial recognition technology on any images captured by license plate readers.

Support and Opposition

Supporters of the measure argued that it balances public safety needs with individual privacy rights. They stated that law enforcement should have effective tools while citizens deserve protection from continuous surveillance.

Privacy advocacy groups backed the legislation. They expressed concern that unrestricted use of automated readers could create a tracking system recording every vehicle movement.

Some law enforcement officials opposed the 30-day data retention limit. They argued that criminal investigations sometimes require reviewing older license plate records.

Several lawmakers voted against the bill, with some stating the restrictions were too strict and others arguing they did not go far enough. One opponent noted that the legislation does not regulate how private companies operating these systems store their data.

Next Steps

The Senate must agree to changes made by the House before the bill can be sent to the governor for final approval. If signed into law, the restrictions would take effect on a date specified in the final version of the legislation.