Please take a look at LPR success stories and DFR success stories on the FCPD News site.
License Plate Readers (LPR) Transparency
The Fairfax County Police Department is committed to the responsible and transparent use of License Plate Reader (LPR) technology. This tool is used to support public safety while maintaining strong safeguards to protect individual privacy and civil liberties.
- LPR cameras capture images of license plates from vehicles in public view
- LPR is used to support criminal investigations and locate missing or endangered persons
- All searches must be tied to a valid law enforcement purpose, such as a criminal investigation or missing person case
- LPR data is not used for immigration enforcement purposes
- The department does not grant federal law enforcement agencies access to LPR data without a court order
- The department does not grant agencies outside the Commonwealth of Virginia access to LPR data without a court order
- Data is retained for a limited period in accordance with Virginia law and department policy (21 days)
- All LPR searches are logged, tracked, and subject to regular audit and oversight
- Access to LPR systems is restricted to authorized personnel who have received required training
- The department maintains strict policies to ensure compliance with state law and protect community trust
Alerts received:
- Stolen vehicle
- Stolen license plate
- Missing person
- Warrants (person with active warrants for their arrest)
- Felony vehicle (vehicle involved in felony crimes)
- Custom alert (used to enter vehicles recently involved in a crime and not yet entered in NCIC)
- Immigration related enforcement
- Driver's license or registration violations
- Civil infractions or civil warrants
- Parking violations
- Tax related violations
Officers can use the LPR database to search for vehicles involved in crimes that are a violation of the Code of Virginia (Title 18.2. Crimes and Offenses Generally).
The Fairfax County Police Department continually reviews its policies and practices to ensure LPR technology is used responsibly, effectively, and in a manner that reflects the values of the community it serves. The use of license plate readers is governed by Code of Virginia 2.2-5517 and FCPD General Order 424, Automatic License Plate Reader Program.
Since November 2022, the Fairfax County Police Department has used LPR technology from Axon, Flock Safety, and Motorola.
Cumulative LPR Data
November 1, 2022 through September 4, 2026
LPR Searches by Offense Type Over the Past 30 Days
*Last updated September 4, 2026. Bar length is the search count, scaled to the largest category. Percentages are each category's share of total searches.
All 15 remaining offense types
How the FCPD Conducts LPR Audits
Every LPR search is tied to a case and permanently logged. Two independent review tracks examine those searches before anything reaches the Commander. Audit reports are on a monthly cadence.
Search Conducted
Case number and crime type required
Logged to Audit Portal
Permanent record, cannot be removed
Human Review
Audit team reviews 100% of searches, anomalies in patterns, and user history
AI Audit Tool
Surfaces search patterns based on pre-determined criteria
Reviewed separately
Monthly Report to FCPD Commander
Commander reviews all audit findings
Commander is prohibited from conducting LPR searches
This prohibition is separately reviewed
Rules Followed?
Did the user follow FCPD system rules?
Yes
Audit Cycle Complete
Search cleared
No
Written Justification
To justify their actions
Removed From System
Must re-attend in-person training
Prompt Investigation
If law or policy violated
Every Search Is Attributed and Permanent
- All users must list a case or event number and a crime type when they conduct a search.
- All searches are logged into the Audit portal and cannot be removed.
Every Search Is Reviewed, Twice
- An audit team continually reviews 100% of the searches conducted by the FCPD.
- The team looks to identify anomalies within search patterns and user history.
- An AI audit tool surfaces search patterns based on pre-determined criteria.
- The AI audit is reviewed separately from the human review.
Command Oversight
- The audit team provides a monthly report to the FCPD Commander for final review.
- The FCPD Commander is prohibited from conducting any LPR searches, which is separately reviewed.
If the Rules Are Not Followed
- Any user who did not follow the strict system rules set forth by the FCPD must provide written documentation to justify their actions.
- That user is removed from the system and must re-attend in-person training.
- If violations of law or departmental policy are found, then a prompt investigation will begin.