A new public database allows drivers to check whether a license plate appears in audit logs released by agencies that use Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader network, offering a limited view into searches conducted through a system used by police and other organizations across the country.
The website, called Have I Been Flocked?, said Monday that its collection included about 235 million recorded searches involving more than 4.6 million unique plates. The project compiles audit logs obtained through government transparency portals and public records requests. It is independent of Flock Safety and says it does not save, store or log the plate numbers entered by visitors.
A search result can include the date, the agency, the operator and the reason entered for a query, although fields may be incomplete or redacted. The records document database searches, not every time a roadside camera photographed a vehicle. A match also does not establish that a driver committed a crime, was stopped by police or was the subject of a formal investigation.
The distinction matters because Flock customers can include law enforcement agencies as well as businesses, schools, homeowners associations and other private organizations. The stated reason in an audit record is supplied by the system operator and should not be treated as an independently verified account of why a plate was searched.
The database is incomplete. Records can take months to obtain, some agencies redact plate numbers, and a search that produces no match does not prove that a plate was never queried. The project also cautions that operator names may be shortened and that any attempt to identify a person from an abbreviated name should be verified through official records.
Automated plate readers photograph vehicles and convert plate numbers and other vehicle details into searchable data. Supporters say the systems help investigators locate stolen cars and pursue suspects. Civil-liberties advocates have raised concerns about broad information sharing, retention policies and searches unrelated to serious crimes. Those policy questions have intensified as local systems have become connected to larger networks.
People who find a concerning record can request the underlying audit logs and related policies from the agency that produced it. Have I Been Flocked? says its material is general information, not legal advice, and recommends consulting a lawyer when a record may have legal consequences.
Sources: Mashable and Have I Been Flocked?. Original report published Aug. 17, 2026.
