License plate reader cameras (ALPR/ANPR): how they work and what they record
ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition), also called ANPR, is a camera that automatically reads the plates of vehicles passing in front of it. According to media reports, the government Smart City programme foresees more than 2,000 such cameras in Albania. Read what we know about Smart City.
How does an ALPR camera work?
- The camera photographs each passing vehicle, often with infrared lighting that also works at night.
- Software recognises the characters on the plate and converts them to text.
- The system stores a record: the plate, date, time, camera location and usually a photo of the vehicle.
- The plate is automatically compared against lists, for example wanted vehicles, uninsured vehicles or vehicles with unpaid fines.
What can the data reveal?
A single record only shows that a car passed one point. But many records from many cameras can build a movement profile: where someone works, where they sleep, whom they visit and when. For this reason European data protection authorities treat ALPR systems as high-risk processing.
How is it different from an ordinary camera?
| CCTV camera | ALPR camera | |
|---|---|---|
| What it records | Continuous video | Plate, time, place, photo |
| How it is searched | Someone must watch the footage | Instant search by plate |
| Typical retention | Days | Depends on policy, often longer |
| Main risk | Identification in the footage | Tracking movements over time |
Which standards apply?
Albania has aligned its rules with the EU through Law No. 124/2024 on the protection of personal data and the principles of Directive (EU) 2016/680 for police processing. For ALPR systems this means in practice:
- A clear purpose: what the data is used for should be defined in advance.
- Limited retention: records that match no list should not be kept longer than necessary.
- Controlled access: only authorised staff, with a log of every search.
- A data protection impact assessment (DPIA) before the system goes live.
- Transparency: the public should know the system exists and who is responsible.
Read more about surveillance and EU standards (in Albanian).
What are your rights?
A vehicle plate linked to you as the owner is personal data. You have the right to ask the operator whether data about your vehicle is stored, for what purpose and for how long. See how to request your data.
Open questions
The locations of Smart City ALPR cameras have not been officially published. Other questions also remain publicly unanswered: whether a DPIA has been published, how long records are retained, who has vendor access, whether searches are logged, and how signage is handled.
Where are the ALPR cameras?
On our map you can filter by the type "Plate readers (ALPR)". If you have seen one from a public space, report it so the map is more complete for everyone.
See the camera map →