HB 5449 Connecticut House · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS.

This bill restricts how Connecticut public agencies and law enforcement can use automated license plate reader systems starting October 1, 2026. It limits their use to specific purposes like weighing station operations, vehicle maintenance, and comparing plates against criminal or missing person databases, while requiring most collected data to be deleted within seven days. The legislation also prohibits using this technology to monitor individuals based on protected characteristics such as race, gender identity, or immigration status, and bans collecting data near reproductive health facilities or immigrant-serving organizations.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 4, 2026 Last action Apr 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → JUD Joint Favorable Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the permitted uses of automated license plate reader data by law enforcement agencies, explicitly adding traffic analytics and automated enforcement of traffic violations. Additionally, the retention period for collected data was increased from seven days to thirty days, with specific exceptions for active criminal investigations. The bill also added new federal and national databases to the list of sources law enforcement can cross-reference.

Scope change

The scope of permitted uses for law enforcement agencies was broadened to include traffic analytics and automated enforcement, and the scope of data retention was expanded to allow for longer storage periods under specific conditions.

REQUIREMENT

The mandatory deletion period for automated license plate reader data was extended from seven days to thirty days, unless the data is needed for active criminal investigations, court orders, or highway fee collection.

ENFORCEMENT

New provisions allow law enforcement agencies to use license plate reader data for traffic analytics and to enforce traffic violations using work zone speed control systems and automated safety devices.

The list of databases law enforcement can cross-reference was expanded to include the National Crime Information Center database and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database.

DEFINITION

A new definition for 'Hotlist' was added to clarify it as a list of registration numbers used for comparison against data captured by automated systems.

The definition of 'Automated license plate reader system' was updated to include the ability to convert vehicle descriptors into computer-readable data, not just license plates.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Judiciary

lower

10 primary · 0 co-sponsors