South Dakota’s current Attorney General says he plans to propose legislation for the 2027 state legislature to consider that would ensure License Plate Reader (LPR) technology is used only for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Marty Jackley, who is on the November General Election ballot as the Republican candidate for South Dakota’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, says there needs to be strong protections for the public’s privacy. He says limiting License Plate Reader use to legitimate investigative purposes and requiring the destruction of data within an established period of time “ensures that this technology enhances public safety without compromising individual rights.”
The Attorney General’s Office says law enforcement has used the readers, with the approval of local authorities, in several major investigations. Among those were the recovery a 9-year-old girl abducted in Clark County in 2023, and the investigation into the disappearance and death of 14-year-old McKenna Wendel from Sioux Falls.
LPRs have proven valuable in helping investigators solve serious crimes and for public safety, however, the Attorney General’s Office says their use must be balanced with clear, responsible limits. The goal of the legislation is to ensure LPR data may only be collected, accessed, or used for legitimate law enforcement investigations into criminal activity. To further protect individual privacy, Jackley’s Office says any information gathered through LPR technology must be protected and deleted within an established period of time– unless it is directly relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation.
Jackley and Democrat Nikki Gronli are the two candidates on the November General Election ballot for South Dakota’s U.S. House seat. Republican Lance Russell is unchallenged and will become the state’s next attorney general in January.
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