Cameras / MT
License plate readers in Montana
87 cameras have been documented in Montana. That is the 46th-largest documented total of the 52 states and territories with any readers on record, and under 0.1% of the 143,301 documented nationwide. Coverage is concentrated: Billings alone holds 59% of the state's documented readers. Flock Safety accounts for the largest share of the 61 readers counted in the state's indexed cities, at 84%. 61 of them stand in the 2 cities listed below. 26 more are outside those city limits — along highways, in smaller towns, and in unincorporated areas.
Checked against OpenStreetMap September 29, 2026 · figures last changed September 20, 2026.
87
cameras documented statewide
46th
most-documented of 52 states and territories
61
in listed cities
26
outside city limits
ALPR law in Montana
Montana regulates automated license plate readers under Mont. Code Ann. §§ 46-5-117 to 46-5-119. The statute caps retention at 90 days. Montana prohibits agencies from operating readers on public highways except for listed purposes, including stolen vehicles, outstanding warrants, and case-specific investigations of serious crimes. Captured data may not be preserved beyond 90 days without a written preservation request or a search warrant, may not be sold, and is exempt from public disclosure except to the registered owner.
ALPR laws in all 21 states with a statute →
Statute last verified September 26, 2026.
Who makes them
Manufacturer, where volunteers recorded it, for cameras in the listed cities.
- Flock Safety51
- Motorola Solutions3
- Genetec4
- Other vendors3
By city
| City | Cameras | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | 51 | 1.10 |
| Missoula | 10 | 0.29 |
Camera locations: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). City boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files. Counts reflect volunteer documentation, not an official census; cities appear once ten cameras are documented.
Explore this data further
- Who operates Montana’s cameras — police, HOAs, and retailers →
- Every ALPR manufacturer compared nationally →
- Download this data as CSV or GeoJSON →
- How the national count is measured →
- What a Flock camera is and how it works →
- What the cameras look like, and how to spot one →
- What residents can and cannot opt out of →
Montana ranks 46th of 52 by documented cameras. District of Columbia (103) ranks just above, and Hawaii (85) just below.