# Are Flock cameras legal in Texas?

> Yes. Texas has no plate reader law, but Abbott cut state money, TxDOT froze permits and League City voted them out. What's still running, and what's next.

Source: https://flockcamera.app/guides/flock-cameras-texas-law
Last updated: 2026-11-06
Camera figures as of October 8, 2026.

**Yes. Texas has no statute that bans or regulates license plate readers, so police, HOAs and stores can legally run Flock cameras. What changed in 2026 is money and permits. Gov. Greg Abbott halted state funding for Flock cameras in August, and TxDOT stopped approving new readers on state roads. Existing cameras, including more than 900 run by DPS, can stay. Lawmakers may take up a ban or limits in January 2027.**

## Legal, but the state stopped paying for them

Nothing in Texas law stops a police department, sheriff, HOA or store from putting up a Flock camera. The National Conference of State Legislatures' [statute tracker](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/automated-license-plate-readers-state-statutes) (updated September 28, 2026) lists "no statute identified" for Texas. That means no state retention limit, no sharing rule and no required audit. Each agency's contract and policy decide those things. Our [state-by-state table](https://flockcamera.app/guides/flock-camera-laws-by-state) shows which states do set those limits.

People often assume the 2019 red-light camera ban covers Flock. It doesn't. HB 1631 barred cities from running red-light systems and ticketing from their photos, and as [KPRC explains](https://click2houston.com/news/local/2026/09/23/flock-cameras-vs-red-light-cameras-whats-the-difference-under-texas-law), it "does not create a statewide ban" on plate readers, which don't enforce signals or issue tickets.

Our map has [17,342 mapped plate readers in Texas](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas), most of them Flock. That count is what volunteers have documented, not every camera that exists.

## What Abbott and TxDOT actually did

Much of the Texas network was built with state money. A 2023 law, SB 224, added $1 to every auto insurance policy to fight catalytic converter theft.

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, whose board is mostly appointed by the governor, then steered at least $30 million of it into Flock cameras, through grants to local police and a $15.9 million contract for the Department of Public Safety's own network, a [Texas Tribune analysis](https://abc13.com/story/lawmakers-added-1-texans-car-insurance-policies-money-paid-thousands-flock-cameras/19764215/) found. Lawmakers who passed the fee told the Tribune they hadn't pictured it paying for cameras.

Then two things happened:

- **Funding halt, late August.** Abbott told state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras, his spokesman confirmed on August 28. In a radio interview he cited misuse, including a Lufkin officer facing 100 counts of misusing public information, and said the cameras would "be required to be used responsibly if they're used at all" ([Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/28/texas-greg-abbott-flock-cameras-order-state-money/)).
- **Permit freeze, September.** At Abbott's direction, TxDOT stopped issuing permits for Flock and other plate readers on state roads, including agreements approved but not yet installed. Cameras already on state right-of-way, among them more than 900 run by DPS, aren't affected ([SA Current, from the Tribune](https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/texas-freezes-installation-of-flock-cameras-along-state-roads/)).

## Which cameras are still on

Most of them. Cameras bought with city or county money were never touched by the order, and many agencies kept their state-funded ones running too. The 900-plus cameras switched off by late September are a small share of the about 17,000 plate readers mapped in Texas.

| Who | Status | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DPS (state) | Keeping its 900+ cameras; hasn't said for how long. It "reined in" outside access after the Tribune found more than 2,800 agencies searching its network without the agreements DPS required. | [HPPR](https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2026-10-04/betting-that-abbott-will-soon-restore-funding-some-texas-agencies-accept-flocks-offer-to-keep-cameras-on), [Salon](https://www.salon.com/2026/09/28/at-least-900-flock-cameras-have-been-unplugged-in-texas-since-state-funding-was-cut-partner/) (both Tribune) |
| [Dallas](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/dallas) | Planned to cancel 321 grant-funded cameras on Sept. 15. On Sept. 30 Flock agreed to keep 320 running for 90 more days. About 300 city-funded cameras were never affected. | [DPD](https://dpdbeat.com/2026/09/01/statement-on-flock-camera-grant-funding/), [Fox 4](https://fox4news.com/news/dpd-chief-flock) |
| [Addison](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/addison), [New Braunfels](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/new-braunfels), Johnson County | Took Flock's 90-day payment pause. If state money doesn't return, they can exit the affected cameras without penalty. | [Tribune via HPPR](https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2026-10-04/betting-that-abbott-will-soon-restore-funding-some-texas-agencies-accept-flocks-offer-to-keep-cameras-on) |
| [El Paso](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/el-paso), [Plano](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/plano), [Pflugerville](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/pflugerville), Leander, Hutto, Kendall County, Robinson | Ended contracts. Pflugerville and Hutto cited data access, not money. At least 14 places shut off 900+ cameras by late September. | [Tribune via Salon](https://www.salon.com/2026/09/28/at-least-900-flock-cameras-have-been-unplugged-in-texas-since-state-funding-was-cut-partner/) |
| [League City](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/league-city) | Voters chose removal on Nov. 3 (just under 54%). Its 55 cameras come down or get bagged within 72 hours of certified results. | [Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/11/03/texas-flock-cameras-league-city-results-2026-elections/) |
| [Kyle](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/kyle), [College Station](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/college-station), [Conroe](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/conroe), [Carrollton](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/carrollton) | Kept their contracts. | [Tribune via Salon](https://www.salon.com/2026/09/28/at-least-900-flock-cameras-have-been-unplugged-in-texas-since-state-funding-was-cut-partner/) |

The supporters' case is about cost and results. "You can't afford the number of cops it would take to do what this system is doing," College Station's police chief told the Tribune. Kyle's mayor said the city had never had a complaint or misuse. Our list of [cities that cancelled Flock](https://flockcamera.app/guides/cities-that-cancelled-flock) covers exits in other states.

## What to watch next

- **Late December.** Ninety days from Dallas's September 30 deal runs to the end of the year. Local officials told the Tribune they're betting Abbott restores funding after the election. Nothing confirms that yet.
- **January 2027.** Sen. Lois Kolkhorst wrote "Get the Flock Out of Texas!" and said colleagues are "discussing an outright ban on ALPRs" when the Legislature meets ([KBTX](https://www.kbtx.com/2026/09/02/get-flock-out-texas-state-senator-calls-alpr-ban/)). Rep. Paul Dyson wants a statewide framework instead and said a ban is "getting a little bit in front of the evidence" ([KBTX](https://www.kbtx.com/2026/09/10/flock-contracts-end-texas-lawmakers-weigh-statewide-license-plate-reader-rules/)). We found no filed bill as of November 6.
- **May 2027.** [Kyle](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/kyle) and [Laredo](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/laredo) hold nonbinding votes on their cameras.

Until a statute passes, the questions that matter are local: how long your police department keeps reads, who it shares them with, and whether it needs a warrant to search (it usually doesn't; see [the court rulings](https://flockcamera.app/guides/can-police-search-flock-without-a-warrant)). A [records request](https://flockcamera.app/guides/flock-camera-public-records-request) gets you the policy, though costs vary wildly: [North Richland Hills](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas/north-richland-hills) quoted about $2.3 million for one broad request ([Texas Tribune via Route Fifty](https://www.route-fifty.com/public-safety/2026/10/texas-city-charges-2-million-flock-records-agencies-make-it-harder-see-how-cameras-are-used/416412/)).

## Seeing which Texas cameras are near you

In Texas, what happens to a camera depends on who runs it: a city's vote doesn't touch a DPS camera on the same road. Tap a pin in Flock Camera to see its brand, operator and facing direction. Where the operator is recorded, that tells you whether a camera belongs to DPS, a city or a store. Area Stats totals the readers on screen and their top operators, which is a quick way to see how much of your county depends on one agency.

One caveat that matters in Texas right now: the app maps known positions. It can't tell whether a camera has been switched off or bagged, so a camera Dallas unplugs, or League City covers, still shows as a pin until someone updates [OpenStreetMap](https://flockcamera.app/guides/how-to-report-a-flock-camera) and that data ships in an app update. Browse the [Texas page](https://flockcamera.app/locations/texas) by city, or open the [map](https://flockcamera.app/map).

### Are Flock cameras banned in Texas?

No. There's no state ban, and no state law limits how long police keep plate data or who they share it with. Abbott's August 2026 order stopped state money, not the cameras. Cities and counties decide for themselves, and League City's voters chose removal on November 3, 2026.

### Who paid for Texas Flock cameras?

Mostly cities and counties, plus state grants. The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority put at least $30 million from a $1 auto insurance fee into Flock cameras for local police and DPS, according to the Texas Tribune, until Abbott paused that funding in August 2026.

### Are DPS Flock cameras coming down?

Not so far. DPS has said it will keep its more than 900 existing cameras, and TxDOT's permit freeze doesn't touch cameras already on state roads. DPS hasn't said how long they'll stay on or how it will pay for them now that state grant money is paused.

### Didn't Texas ban traffic cameras?

It banned red-light cameras. HB 1631 (2019) stopped cities from running red-light camera systems and ticketing from their images. Plate readers like Flock don't enforce traffic signals or issue tickets, so that law doesn't cover them.

### Do Texas police need a warrant to search Flock?

No Texas law requires one. Texas is in the Fifth Circuit, which in 2026 allowed a warrantless Flock search against a driver who already had an arrest warrant. A 2025 bill, HB 961, would have required a warrant or court order, but it never left committee.

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Camera data (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL. Positions and facing directions are community-mapped estimates.

Flock Camera is a free iOS app and an independent project. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Flock Safety, Inc. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flock-camera/id6799255747