Use of automatic license plate recognition systems; reports; penalty. Requires the Division of Purchases and Supply of the Department of General Services (the Division) to determine and approve the automatic license plate recognition systems, defined in the bill, for use in the Commonwealth and provides requirements for use of such systems by law-enforcement agencies. The bill limits the use of such systems by law-enforcement agencies to the following purposes: (i) as part of a criminal investigation where there is a reasonable suspicion that a crime was committed; (ii) as part of an active investigation related to a missing or endangered person, including whether to issue an alert for such person, or a person associated with human trafficking; or (iii) to receive notifications related to a missing or endangered person, a person with an outstanding warrant, a person associated with human trafficking, a stolen vehicle, or a stolen license plate. The bill provides that a law-enforcement agency shall obtain a permit from the Department of Transportation in accordance with regulations of the Commonwealth Transportation Board before installing an automatic license plate recognition system on a state right-of-way. The bill requires annual reports from law-enforcement agencies using such systems that provide de-identified information concerning the use of the systems and by the State Police aggregating such information statewide. The bill also requires a law-enforcement officer or State Police officer to collect data on whether a stop of a driver of a motor vehicle or stop or temporary detention of a person was based on a notification from an automatic license plate recognition system and if so, the specific reason for the notification as set forth in relevant law. Except for certain provisions requiring (i) the Division determine and approve automatic license plate recognition systems for use in the Commonwealth, which shall become effective on July 1, 2026, and (ii) law-enforcement officers to collect data on whether a stop was based on a notification from an automatic license plate recognition system, which shall become effective January 1, 2026, the provisions of the bill become effective in due course. The bill requires the Division, in consultation with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, to determine such systems for use in the Commonwealth and publicly post a list of such systems by January 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 52-30.2
Criminal Substitute Offered: 52-30.2
Courts of Justice Substitute : 52-30.2
Courts of Justice Substitute: 52-30.2
Courts of Justice Subcommittee Substitute : 52-30.2