Documented Incident
Texas Comptroller bars state grant funds from being used to buy ALPR systems
First reported: October 13, 2026 · 4 sources
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced Tuesday that state grant money administered by his agency may no longer be used to purchase or contract for automated license plate readers and similar vehicle-identification systems. The restriction covers cameras, sensors, software, subscriptions, and data platforms that convert license plate images into computer-readable data, and names vendors including Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, and Axon. Huffines said the policy will be written into all future grant solicitations and agreements from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Grantees may not obligate or spend the funds on covered equipment or enter, extend, or renew contracts for it.
Funding conditions are one of the few levers a statewide office can apply to local surveillance purchases, and this action tests whether grant restrictions can shape ALPR adoption without new legislation.
Key facts
- Announced by Texas Comptroller Don Huffines in Austin; applies to future grants administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
- Covers systems, software, or algorithms that convert license plates or other images into computer-readable data, including cameras, sensors, subscriptions, and data platforms.
- Flock Group Inc. (Flock Safety), Motorola Solutions Inc., and Axon Enterprise Inc., plus affiliates and resellers, are named as examples of covered vendors.
- Huffines said warrantless government tracking of drivers violates the Fourth Amendment; that characterization is his own and has not been adjudicated in this context.
- This is an agency grant policy, not a statute; it does not bar agencies from buying ALPR with other funding sources.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Comptroller Huffines Announces Ban on Grant Money for Flock Cameras and License Plate Trackers (EastTexasRadio.com, October 13, 2026)
- No Spy Cameras: Comptroller Huffines Announces Ban on Grant Money for Flock Cameras and License Plate Trackers (The Gilmer Mirror, October 14, 2026)
- Comptroller Huffines Bans Grant Funds for Flock Cameras, License Plate Readers (Texas Scorecard, October 13, 2026)
- Comptroller Huffines Signs Executive Order Banning Grant Money for Flock Cameras and License Plate Trackers (Newsbreak, October 14, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 14, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.