Dennco Responds to Michigan ALPR Legislation With Policy Clarification
As bipartisan license plate reader regulation proposals advance in the Michigan Legislature, Dennco Information Systems today released an updated policy statement clarifying the structural and legal nature of license plate data.
State Representatives Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) and Doug Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) have introduced a pair of bills in the Michigan House— House Bills 5492 and 5493— intended to define and restrict the collection, storage, and use of data from Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems in the state. These proposals would, among other provisions, limit retention of captured data to no more than 14 days in most cases.
Dennco’s statement stresses the importance of aligning policy proposals with the underlying purpose and function of license plate identifiers and the systems that use them.
License Plates Are Public Identifiers — Not Personal Data
License plates in the United States are intentionally visible and serve as public identifiers for vehicles— similar to house numbers on residences.
Dennco emphasizes:
- License plates are meant to be observed in public, and therefore carry no inherent expectation of privacy.
- The sensitive personal information associated with registered owners is stored in government-regulated registration databases, access to which is already constrained by law.
- Proposed changes to how ALPR data is used should start by recognizing this structural reality rather than mislabeling the plates themselves as private information.
- Any meaningful restriction on “plate-based tracking,” the company notes, would require redefining these identifiers as private information— a shift that would fundamentally alter their designed public role.
ALPR Systems Are Already Widespread — Policy Must Be Realistic
Dennco acknowledges public concerns around data retention and use— concerns the legislators are attempting to address— but urges that regulatory frameworks reflect how the technology and data ecosystems actually operate.
Automatic License Plate Reader systems are already deployed by law enforcement agencies and private entities nationwide, capturing public information in public spaces. The key issue, Dennco argues, is access to and use of the underlying registration records, not the visible plate number itself.
Policy, the statement asserts, should focus on the mechanisms of access, permissible uses, and the legal safeguards governing data that link plate numbers to personally identifiable information, rather than reshaping the nature of license plates themselves.
A Call for Structural Policy Foundations
Dennco Information Systems supports thoughtful discussion around how new technologies intersect with privacy— but emphasizes that meaningful, practical regulation must be based on an accurate understanding of technology, data architecture, and existing law.
“Policy should start with structural reality, not optics,” the company stated
About Dennco Information Systems
Dennco Information Systems is a Michigan-based technology and infrastructure firm specializing in systems architecture, AI-enabled solutions, and data-centered operational frameworks. The company advises on policy-aligned technology deployment grounded in structural and operational analysis.
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