The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has stopped issuing permits for new Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers along state-owned roadways. This pause, confirmed Thursday by an agency spokesperson, was enacted at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott and affects state rights-of-way across Texas. The suspension includes agreements that were previously approved but had not yet resulted in installation. However, the directive does not impact the more than 900 cameras already installed and operated by the Texas Department of Public Safety along state rights-of-way. While TxDOT did not immediately confirm the start date of the pause, a presentation about Flock cameras from the police chief in Schertz, a city northeast of San Antonio, indicated the halt began on September 8.
TxDOT's role in the deployment of these devices is limited to reviewing permits to ensure license plate readers are installed correctly and safely. An agency spokesperson clarified that TxDOT does not install the devices nor does it have access to the data collected by Flock cameras placed along state roads. The use of these cameras, which scan all passing vehicles to compile license plate numbers and other identifying data into an easily searched database, has increasingly raised privacy concerns among residents and some officials.
The statewide pause by TxDOT follows an earlier action by Gov. Abbott in late August, when he ordered a block on state funding for Flock cameras. This directive came as a news organization prepared to publish an investigation into a small state agency that had funneled at least $30 million to help fund more than 3,200 Flock cameras across Texas. Concurrently, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on August 31 ordered his state’s transportation department to remove such cameras from state roads, expressing that he did not want "a surveillance state."
Before these state-level actions, an estimated 13,000 Flock cameras were active across Texas in August. Following Gov. Abbott's funding freeze, hundreds of these devices have been shut down. Local government bodies, including city councils and county commissions across the state, have also begun unplugging their cameras. This local response is largely driven by pressure from residents who cite privacy concerns. Additionally, a growing number of police officers have been arrested or investigated for misusing Flock cameras to stalk individuals, further fueling public opposition.
Despite the growing scrutiny and removals, law enforcement agencies have consistently defended the cameras. They maintain that the devices are a highly effective crime-solving tool, asserting their utility in reducing vehicle theft and assisting in the location of missing people. As the statewide permit freeze continues, the future of expanded automated license plate reader technology on Texas state roads remains on hold.
