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Chapel Hill, Orange County

Chapel Hill: UNC System adopts campus rules for license-plate cameras

The Oct. 27 regulation covers Flock-style systems used by campus police. Routine scans must be deleted in 30 days. It takes effect Dec. 1.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill

File photo: Mx. Granger (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The UNC System adopted a systemwide regulation on automatic license plate recognition systems used by campus law-enforcement agencies. The policy is UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], adopted Oct. 27, 2026.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R]
  • UNC-Chapel Hill's campus safety FAQ also states that the UNC System adopted the new ALPR rules on Oct. 27, 2026, and that the campus is reviewing them for the compliance deadline.Confirmed by UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Safety FAQ, How and Why Carolina Uses Flock Cameras
  • The regulation applies to each constituent institution that owns, leases, subscribes to, operates, or obtains access to an ALPR system through its campus law-enforcement agency or on that agency's behalf. It does not apply to technology that controls access to parking facilities.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section II.A
  • Each covered campus's police chief shall designate an ALPR administrator responsible for administration, access controls, records management, auditing, retention, training, and vendor coordination.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section II.C
  • ALPR systems and data may be used only for documented law-enforcement purposes and only by authorized users acting within their official duties. Authorized uses include criminal investigations, locating missing or endangered people, locating lost or stolen vehicles or license plates, apprehending people with outstanding felony warrants, and responding to validated ALPR alerts.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section III.A
  • Banned uses include enforcing traffic violations; monitoring people or vehicles based solely on protected characteristics or lawful expressive activity; conducting broad, speculative, or indiscriminate searches; tracking attendance at political, labor, religious, or social events without a documented law-enforcement purpose; or otherwise circumventing legal restrictions, retention limits, access controls, or audit requirements.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section III.B
  • Routine ALPR data must be automatically and irretrievably deleted no later than 30 days after capture, even though state statute allows 90 days. The only exception is an active, written qualifying preservation request, search warrant, court order, or other authority permitted by law that is logged before that 30-day window ends.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section VI.A
  • Data kept under a preservation request must be destroyed no later than one year after the initial request unless the period is reset by a renewed written qualifying request or the data is retained under another lawful authority.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section VI.C
  • The requirements take effect Dec. 1, 2026. Institutions already operating an ALPR system on that date must bring their directives, contracts, configurations, and practices into compliance no later than Jan. 1, 2027.Confirmed by UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Section XI.A
  • UNC-Chapel Hill has 23 Flock license-plate reader cameras. The campus safety FAQ says the contract with Flock Safety began Feb. 21, 2024, that the department keeps Flock data for 30 days, and that the annual cost is $70,000.Confirmed by UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Safety FAQ

Still unknown

  • How each campus besides Chapel Hill will change written directives or vendor contracts before the Jan. 1, 2027, compliance date
  • Whether UNC-Chapel Hill will add, move or drop any of the 23 cameras

What this means for you

Instructions from UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R]; UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Safety

This site is not the UNC System, UNC-Chapel Hill or campus police. The regulation text is in the UNC Policy Manual. Chapel Hill's account of its own cameras is on the Campus Safety FAQ. This is not an emergency notice. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina System adopted a systemwide rule on automatic license plate recognition systems, such as Flock cameras, used by campus police.

The text is UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], adopted Oct. 27, 2026. Carolina's safety office also records that Oct. 27 adoption and says the campus is reviewing the new requirements against the compliance deadline.

The rule takes effect Dec. 1, 2026. Campuses already running a system that day have until Jan. 1, 2027, to bring written directives, contracts and practices into line. Those dates are in the regulation itself.

Who it covers

It applies to each UNC System campus that owns, leases, subscribes to, operates or obtains access to an ALPR system through its police agency, or on that agency's behalf. It does not apply to technology that controls access to parking decks or lots.

Each covered campus's police chief has to name an ALPR administrator. That person is responsible for access, records, audits, retention, training and working with the vendor.

What is allowed, and what is not

The cameras and the data they collect may be used only for documented law-enforcement work, and only by trained, authorized users acting in their jobs. The regulation lists criminal investigations, missing or endangered people, lost or stolen vehicles or plates, people with outstanding felony warrants, and validated alerts.

It bars traffic enforcement. It also bars watching people or vehicles based only on protected characteristics or lawful speech; broad or speculative searches; and tracking who attends political, labor, religious or social events unless there is a documented law-enforcement reason.

How long the data is kept

Routine scans have to be deleted, automatically and for good, within 30 days. That is shorter than the 90 days state law allows. The only way to keep a clip longer is a written qualifying preservation request, a warrant, a court order or another authority the statute allows, logged before those 30 days run out.

Data kept that way must be destroyed within a year of the first request, unless the request is renewed in writing or another lawful hold applies.

What Chapel Hill already has

UNC-Chapel Hill has 23 Flock cameras. The campus safety FAQ says the contract began Feb. 21, 2024, that the department keeps that data for 30 days, and that the annual cost is $70,000.

This site is not the UNC System or campus police. The regulation PDF and Carolina's FAQ are the records to read. This is not an emergency notice. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No campus or outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

UNC-Chapel Hill already runs 23 Flock cameras. The new system rules set who may use that data, what they may use it for, and how long it can be kept, including a 30-day deletion clock that is shorter than state law allows.

Sources

  1. UNC Policy Manual 1300.7.4[R], Regulation on Automatic License Plate Recognition Systems (adopted Oct. 27, 2026: applies to campus law-enforcement ALPR systems, not parking-access technology; police chief designates an ALPR administrator; documented law-enforcement uses only; banned traffic enforcement, monitoring on protected characteristics or lawful expression, broad or speculative searches, and tracking attendance at political, labor, religious or social events without a documented purpose; routine data deleted within 30 days vs. 90 days allowed by statute; preserved data destroyed within one year unless renewed; effective Dec. 1, 2026; campus compliance by Jan. 1, 2027)

    Official sourcePublished by University of North Carolina System · Checked Oct 28, 2026, 8:20 PM

  2. How and Why Carolina Uses Flock Cameras (UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Safety FAQ: 23 Flock cameras; contract began Feb. 21, 2024; data kept 30 days; $70,000 a year; notes the UNC System adopted new ALPR regulations on Oct. 27, 2026, and that the campus is reviewing them for the set deadline)

    Official sourcePublished by UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Safety · Checked Oct 28, 2026, 8:20 PM

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