Overview

• California Senate Bill 34 has banned local departments from sharing ALPR data with federal or out-of-state agencies since 2015, and Attorney General Rob Bonta reaffirmed the prohibition in 2023.
• Logs obtained by The San Francisco Standard show Oakland and San Francisco police departments have processed over 200 federal queries since August 2024 for agencies including ICE, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
• A search by the California Highway Patrol of Oakland’s ALPR system on April 22 is labeled as an “ICE case,” prompting the CHP to launch an internal probe into possible violations of state law.
• Oakland and San Francisco police have opened separate internal reviews and say they are collaborating with external agencies to determine whether their ALPR practices complied with state regulations.
• Privacy advocates and state legislators, backed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, are pressing Attorney General Bonta to initiate formal investigations or litigation to enforce SB 34 and ensure accountability.