OrdinanceWatch
Recent Local Government Activity
County: Lee City: Sanibel
Date Created: 09/13/26
Last updated:10/01/26
Sanibel, FL to Consider Ordinance Affecting License Plate Reader Systems Regulations
The draft Ordinance defines surveillance technology broadly enough to address current and
emerging capabilities. Covered technology includes ALPR systems as defined by Florida law;
facial recognition; artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, or computer-vision systems used to
identify, classify, search for, or track persons or vehicles; natural-language image or video
searching; travel-pattern, association, or proximity analysis; aggregated searching or sharing
across camera networks or jurisdictions; pan-tilt-zoom cameras used for law-enforcement or
surveillance purposes; and automated audio or gunshot-detection systems.
The draft excludes routine law-enforcement body-worn cameras, standard law-enforcement
vehicle cameras, and standard security cameras at City parks, buildings, parking areas, public
facilities, and other City property. Those exclusions would not apply if the acquisition of mobile
ALPR, facial recognition, automated tracking, or other surveillance were proposed.
The proposed ordinance would require that data and related images, recordings, metadata,
search records, audit records, and other information collected or generated through the City’s
use of a vendor’s technology are owned and controlled by the City, to the extent permitted by
law. Vendors and third parties would be prohibited from selling, monetizing, commercially
exploiting, or using City data for unrelated purposes except as expressly authorized by the City
Council or required by law.
Issue History
10/01/26 The Council will discuss the item at the 10/06/26 meeting.
09/13/26 The Council will consider draft ordinance at the 9/14/26 meeting.
Related Documents
10/06/26 Background10/06/26 Meeting Agenda
9/14/26 Background
9/14/26 Meeting Agenda