OpenFlock — Minnesota ALPR Camera Map

Loading cameras…

Layers

Show which way cameras face (field-of-view cones) Heatmap (camera density) Cluster nearby markers

Show vendors

Flock Safety Motorola / Vigilant / Genetec Other / unknown vendor

Direction guide

Each shaded wedge points the way a camera looks. Cameras usually read plates of traffic coming toward them. A camera "facing NE / 45°" is aimed at vehicles approaching from the northeast.

Export this area

Download every camera currently loaded on the map:

The link in your address bar always points to your current view.

Will I pass cameras on my trip?

Enter a start and destination. OpenFlock maps the driving route and counts every known ALPR camera near it.

Start

Destination

Count cameras within

Uses free public routing (OSRM) and geocoding (Nominatim). Occasionally rate-limited — if it fails, wait a moment and retry. Driving route only.

Cameras in view

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Vendor	Faces	Area	Dist

Click any row to jump to that camera. "Dist" appears after you use 📍 Near me.

Your rights in Minnesota

Minn. Stat. § 13.824 governs ALPR data statewide:

Plate data not tied to an active investigation must be destroyed within 60 days.
Agencies must keep an audit log of every search and who ran it.
Agencies must publicly report ALPR use, including a biennial audit.
Location data about individuals is generally private under the MN Government Data Practices Act.
ALPR data generally can't be shared for immigration enforcement or to track lawful activity like protests.

Read the statute →

Data practices request generator

Any Minnesotan can ask an agency what ALPR data it holds about them and how its system is used. Fill this in to generate a ready-to-send request letter citing the statute.

Your full name

Agency / police department

Your license plate(s) (optional)

Your contact email

What is an ALPR?

An Automated License Plate Reader photographs every passing vehicle, reads its plate, and logs the plate, time, and location into a searchable database. Networks like Flock Safety share these logs across thousands of agencies, creating a searchable record of where vehicles have been.

How to spot a camera

Small rectangular unit, often on its own slim pole near an intersection or neighborhood entrance.
Usually solar-panel on top and a small camera head; Flock units are often black.
Aimed at the roadway, not sidewalks — pointed at oncoming traffic lanes.
Frequently placed just inside city limits, on arterials, and at HOA/apartment entrances.

FAQ

Is mapping these cameras legal?

Yes. The cameras are installed in public view on public roads, and the locations here come from crowdsourced observations and public records, published on OpenStreetMap under an open license.

Where does the data come from?

Live from OpenStreetMap via the DeFlock project. Anyone can add or correct a camera; changes appear here on the next load.

Why are some areas empty?

A blank area usually means no one has mapped cameras there yet — not that there are none. Rural and small-town coverage is thin.

How accurate are the directions?

Direction comes from the OSM direction tag when a mapper recorded it. Not every camera has one, and some may be approximate.

Is this affiliated with Flock Safety?

No. OpenFlock is an independent public-awareness project and is not affiliated with Flock Safety or any vendor.

Add or correct a camera

Spotted an ALPR that's missing or wrong? Report it on DeFlock and it flows into OpenStreetMap — and back onto this map.

Sources

DeFlock — national crowdsourced ALPR map
OpenStreetMap — underlying open dataset
UnFlocked — Minneapolis routing
EFF — ALPR explainer