AI License Plate Readers: New Law Shields Images

0:00It's April 6th. Welcome in. This is Vancouver News today, where local news meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. Two small Washington cities, Cedra Woolley and Stanwood, just filed a motion in Scadger County Superior Court to scrap a judge's November 6th ruling. That decision said images from automated license plate readers are public records. But now, with Senate Bill 6,002 signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson on March 30th, those images are mostly exempt from disclosure. The new law, passed by the legislature on March 10th, shields data from flock safety systems unless it's for legit research. Back in April and May of 2025, folks requested those car images, so both cities shut down their cameras. Mount Vernon, with the same setup, never turned theirs off. People like Jose Rodriguez kicked off the fight by asking for the picks, leading to the court's call that they got to be released. The cities appeal to the State Court of Appeals, where that case still sits.

1:02Shedding cameras her police work, tracking suspect vehicles through makes, models, colors, and plates. This week, lawyers argued the law straight up overrides the judge's order, settling the dispute. Stanwood plans to flip their cameras back on this month, but Cedra Woolley stays dark for now. Judge Elizabeth Nijdzowski hears the vacate motion on April 17th, which could flip the script on how these AI tools play with public access. Across the state.