Police license plate readers must come off Volusia County roads within 30 days of notice under a 12-month moratorium Volusia County approved Tuesday. No new permits.

Law enforcement license plate reader cameras are coming down from county roads across Volusia County. The Volusia County Council approved a 12-month moratorium on the cameras Tuesday.

The pause covers cameras placed in county road rights of way. The county announced the decision in a news release on Oct. 8.

What the moratorium does

According to the county:

  • it will not issue any new use permits for law enforcement license plate readers in county rights of way
  • agencies and other permit holders will get letters telling them to remove their cameras within 30 days
  • county staff may remove any cameras left after that, at the permit holder’s expense
  • the pause lasts 12 months

The release does not say how many cameras are affected or which agencies own them. It also does not give a vote count.

Why now

The council’s move follows a decision by the Florida Department of Transportation in August. The county said FDOT will no longer allow the devices in State Highway System rights of way. It also told local agencies to remove the readers they already had there.

That left counties to decide for their own roads. The County Council asked staff last month to come back with options. The county said the yearlong pause gives it time to watch for changes at the state level and to study the cameras further.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has also posted Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s statement on the discontinuation of its license plate readers on its own website.

What it means for you

  • The county’s rule covers county roads only. The release does not address city streets in Daytona Beach. State highways fall under FDOT’s August decision.
  • Cameras will not vanish overnight. Permit holders get 30 days from the county’s letter to take them down.
  • The question comes back in a year. The moratorium lets the county revisit the cameras once the 12 months are up.
  • Questions go to Volusia County at 386-736-2700. Our Police and Fire log tracks what local agencies publish.