Tag:surveillance:type=ALPR
 surveillance:type = ALPR
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.jpg) |
| Description |
|---|
A camera designed to record license plate identifiers of passing vehicular traffic. 
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| Group: man made |
| Used on these elements |
    |
| Requires |
| Implies |
| Useful combination |
| See also |
| Status: de facto |
| Tools for this tag |
A surveillance camera known to be part of an 
automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system (also known as automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR), among other names). ALPR utilizes computer vision technology to scan images of vehicular traffic for license plates (and potentially other identifying characteristics of each vehicle, such as color, make, model, etc.). This information is typically stored in databases and used for law enforcement scenarios, such as vehicle theft. While in principle ALPR can use images from any camera, some camera models are sold for the specific purpose of capturing vehicle license plates, often including features that improve license plate capture such as infrared imaging capabilities for operation in low light conditions or at night. Some common manufacturers of ALPR cameras include Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, and Leonardo.
How to map
Place a node 
at the location of the camera.
Main tag combinations
These combinations serve as the baseline for describing the ALPR.
| Key | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
man_made=*
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surveillance
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ALPRs are always associated with man_made=surveillance.
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surveillance=*
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public
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Typically for ALPRs located on streets that are watching general traffic. |
outdoor
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Typically for ALPRs that are watching more specific areas, such as parking lots or entrances to places such as apartment complexes. | |
surveillance:zone=*
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traffic
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ALPRs watching street traffic that has no specific destination in mind. |
parking
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ALPRs watching parking destinations. | |
entrance
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ALPRs watching entrances to destinations (besides parking), principally to apartment complexes. | |
camera:type=*
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fixed
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ALPRs are traditionally fixed cameras, as they are always targeting specific areas of traffic to read license plates. In principle, ALPR software can transform Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras (OSM values panning or dome) into ALPRs; however, in this deployment, the typical behaviour is still fixed (and the ability to recognize when such a camera is deployed in such a configuration is limited).
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camera:mount=*
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pole
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The vast majority of ALPRs are mounted on poles of one sort or another. Whether or not the poles should be mapped separately is undecided as of now (2025-06-29). In general, one can assume one of two scenarios:
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direction=*
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Usually a positive integer, but see Key:direction | The direction that the camera is pointed toward; usually expressed as a number representing degrees clockwise from north, but see the key page for more details on acceptable values. But what about camera:direction=*? Seeing as this particular Key is only in "in use" status, as compared to direction=* which has "approved" status (and far greater usage), a preference for direction=* is given.
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electricity=*
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solar
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For use when the ALPR is powered by a battery that is, in turn, charged by a small solar panel. Most Flock Safety devices fall under this category. |
grid
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For use when the ALPR is powered by a grid connection of some kind. Axis Communications ALPRs are of this type. |
Additional tag combinations
Often times, the ALPR is visually distinctive enough to identify its specific manufacturer. As well, when ALPRs are identified in response to public records requests, the operator of the particular camera is often revealed (typically, a police department or a Home Owners Association/HOA).
| Key | Value | Wikidata | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
manufacturer=*
|
Flock Safety
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manufacturer:wikidata=*
|
![[W]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/24px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png){kind=logo} Q108485435
|
The largest vendor of ALPR devices in the United States. |
manufacturer=*
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Axis Communications
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manufacturer:wikidata=*
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Q2347731
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Another vendor of ALPRs (and other security devices), typically for high traffic flow scenarios. |
operator=*
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e.g., Ventana Homeowner's Association
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operator:wikidata=*
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Q125921230
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A Home Owner's Association (HOA) in far west Fort Worth, Texas. |
Example deployment mappings
Below are some example areas where ALPRs (and other surveillance devices like surveillance:type=gunshot_detector ) have been mapped out by surveyors.
Las Vegas Trail Improvement Area in Fort Worth, Texas
This area has a higher crime rate than surrounding areas. As such, it was targeted for deployment of ALPRs and gunshot detectors provided by Flock Safety in a contract between Flock Safety and the city of Fort Worth.
- Overpass Turbo Query (reproduced below): https://overpass-turbo.eu/s/26Xo
// @name surveillance-tarrant-county
[out:json][timeout:25];
area[admin_level=6]["name"="Tarrant County"]->.tarrant;
out body;
(
node
["man_made"="surveillance"]["surveillance:type"="ALPR"]
(area.tarrant);
node
["man_made"="surveillance"]["surveillance:type"="gunshot_detector"]
(area.tarrant);
node
["man_made"="surveillance"]["surveillance:type"="camera"]
(area.tarrant);
);
out body qt meta;
{{style:
node[surveillance:type=gunshot_detector] { fill-color: blue; color: blue, fill-opacity 1;}
node[surveillance:type=ALPR] { fill-color: red; fill-opacity 1; color: red, fill-opacity 1; }
}}
Another example
(This is where you come in, by the way.)
See also
surveillance:type=gunshot_detectormonitoring:traffic=*– for traffic counters that can look similar to ALPRsman_made=surveillancesurveillance:*=*- Approved features/Surveillance – Original proposal for
man_made=surveillance - Proposed features/Extended tags for Key:Surveillance – Proposal for
surveillance=*and other extended tagging - Relation:enforcement