The Automatic License Plate Reader Act establishes regulations for the use of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) systems by law enforcement agencies in New Mexico. The Act defines key terms such as "alert," "automatic license plate reader system," and "license plate data," and permits law enforcement to utilize license plate data for investigatory purposes by comparing it with various state and federal databases. The Act also outlines specific conditions under which license plate data can be retained, including a one-year retention period if there is an alert related to a criminal or missing persons investigation, and a fourteen-day retention period if there is no alert, with exceptions for ongoing investigations or legal requests.

Additionally, the Act mandates that law enforcement agencies protect the security of collected license plate data and prohibits sharing this data with third parties unless they comply with the Act's requirements. It also requires agencies to report annually on their use of ALPR systems, detailing the number of scans, arrests, and any privacy concerns. Importantly, the Act emphasizes that ALPR systems must not be used to target individuals based on protected characteristics, and it classifies license plate data as confidential, exempting it from public records disclosure under certain conditions.