Florida is pulling the plug on a majority of its Flock cameras after Governor Ron DeSantis called the technology “out of control.” The order is effective statewide, including in Hernando County, where deputies had already started taking cameras down before it was made official.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office stated that the Florida Department of Transportation issued a directive on Monday, August 31, revoking existing permits for automated license plate reader cameras, also known as Flock cameras, installed within state highways.
Agencies across Florida have 30 days to remove the devices, or FDOT says it will remove them directly. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said it will fully comply with the timeline and noted that they have already begun this process.
It emphasized that the removal applies only to public right-of-way installations and doesn’t affect the roughly 20 privately owned and operated license plate readers located on commercial and private properties.
The Order Came After Growing Concerns
The move follows comments DeSantis made during an August 26 press conference, where he described the spread of license plate readers as “out of control,” according to FOX 13. He said he supports their use but doesn’t want Florida to become a “surveillance state.”
There have been plenty of recent cases that represent this misuse. An officer in Haines County was arrested for using the flock cameras to track his estranged wife’s vehicle more than 700 times, according to FOX 13.
The Ban Only Covers State Roads
The removal order applies specifically to cameras installed within the State Highway System, which includes major interstates like I-10 and I-75. Cameras on city and county roads aren’t affected by this removal, meaning police could still legally operate them there unless state lawmakers pass broader restrictions during the next legislative session.
FDOT also said it will no longer approve any new license plate reader installations along state highways going forward and will remove any that are still up after the 30-day period ends.
The People Are Still Concerned
Reactions to the flock cameras being removed focused heavily on the logistics and money. Some are still asking for the cameras to be removed in private areas even after this announcement.
Others were questioning the financial aspect of it, including how the cameras were originally paid for, whether taxpayer money covered the cost, whether the devices can be resold to recoup losses, and whether there’s a penalty tied to ending existing camera contracts early