Florida bans Flock license plate cameras after deputy's misuse scandal

Florida bans Flock cameras that can read license plates amid a major row over privacy.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday that he is removing Flock cameras from state roadways. The order said all Flock cameras were to be removed from what he calls the “state highway system” within the next 30 days, which would include interstates like I-10 and I-75. That order led to several sheriff’s departments like in Franklin, Liberty and Putnam Counties to announce they’re ending their own license plate reader programs. After 30 days, if there are Flock cameras still found on some roads, Florida's Department of Transportation will take them down. The memo also said that Flock cameras will not get permits in Florida in the future as well. Citing the cases of cops stalking their ex-girlfriends using the surveillance system, Ron DeSantis said his administration is pro-law enforcement. “But, you also have to say, okay, how could this be misused? And how could a private company misuse the data, but also law enforcement? We know there was an officer in Florida who was using the LPR data to track like an ex-girlfriend or something like that,” DeSantis said.

Deputy of the Year 2025 resigns over stalking ex-girlfriend using Flock, claim reports

The Florida Governor's order came days after a Florida sheriff's deputy who was named “2025 Deputy of the Year” had to resign after an internal investigation revealed “egregious misconduct”, including an improper search of his ex-girlfriend’s license plate, photos involving a firearm during a sex act and an apparent Nazi salute. Michael Fultz resigned from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office as the agency prepared to fire him, several local media outlets like News 6, WESH and 404 Media reported. Fultz’s ex-girlfriend contacted the sheriff’s office with numerous allegations on the same day he was formally honored as “2025 Deputy of the Year” in March 2026. “My intention in providing this information is not to pursue personal retaliation but to ensure the agency is aware of conduct that, in my understanding, may conflict with departmental policies or professional standards,” she said. The sheriff’s office subsequently audited its Flock Safety license-plate reader system and found that Fultz had searched his ex-girlfriend’s license plate once before the beginning of his shift. The search was categorized as an “investigation,” “Deputy Fultz denied checking her vehicle registration to spy on her or out of revenge but could not provide any reason as to why he queried her vehicle registration tag while off duty,” investigators wrote, according to News 6.