Tech

We’re Asking an Appeals Court to Require a Warrant for ALPR Searches

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 10/11/2026, 06:20:24 UTC.

Briefings

Amicus briefs filed by ACLU and EFF in the Sixth Circuit challenge the warrantless use of ALPR data in United States v. Sturdivant, a Cleveland case involving robberies. The brief argues ALPR tracking constitutes a Fourth Amendment search, citing the 'virtual time machine' capability of ALPRs. A federal district court previously ruled ALPRs are indiscriminate mass surveillance, but the Sixth Circuit reversed the lower court, requiring a warrant for such searches.

Key points

• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower federal district court ruling that ALPR searches constitute indiscriminate mass surveillance.
• The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on whether ALPR searches require a warrant, leaving the legal standard for this technology uncertain.

Context

ALPRs track driver movements across the country, creating a virtual time machine for law enforcement. The Sturdivant case involved robberies in Cleveland, Ohio, where police used ALPR data to identify a suspect's car after running open-ended searches of two databases.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to the Sixth Circuit's reversal of a lower court's ruling on ALPR warrants. The Supreme Court has not yet addressed the Fourth Amendment implications of ALPR searches, creating uncertainty about the legal standard for such technology.

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