Schmidt v. City of Norfolk Brief: Automated License Plate Readers Commit Fourth Amendment Searches

Matthew Cavedon

ALPR cameras in Pensacola, FL. (Photo: Tony Webster)

Norfolk, Virginia, has deployed nearly 200 automated license plate readers (ALPRs) across the city, capturing every passing vehicle’s location, time, and identifying details—and storing that data for weeks. Now, two residents are suing, arguing that this sweeping, warrantless tracking of their daily movements amounts to unconstitutional surveillance under the Fourth Amendment.