Santa Barbara CA
License-plate cameras reported in and around Santa Barbara, CA, local decisions with a source for every item, and what you can do. We haven't independently verified these reports. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.
Snapshot · 2026-10-12
15
reported cameras within 3 mi of the city center
Active ALPR nodes on OpenStreetMap, from our daily snapshot. Radius sized to the city's land area.
Population
87,291
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimate.
Per 10,000 residents
1.7
A rough ratio: the camera radius doesn't match city limits, and cameras near the center can sit in neighboring towns.
Trend: our daily history for Santa Barbara, CA starts 2026-10-12. A chart appears after the second daily snapshot.
Live map & nearest cameras
Documented actions
Aug 2026 · CONTRACT CANCELED
Reported by DeFlock The USA Cancellation Tracker: Santa Barbara’s Flock contract expired August 23, 2026 after staff opted not to renew. The city had 12 cameras. On August 25 council delayed a Verkada replacement and ordered an ALPR policy review. Coverage said the city currently has no ALPRs operating. County sheriff Flock cameras are a separate contract.
Nearby communities that acted
Solvang, CA
Proposal rejected · Oct 2020 · 28 mi away
Oxnard, CA
Cameras deactivated · Feb 2026 · 32 mi away
As reported by DeFlock The USA Cancellation Tracker.
Contract, renewal & spending
- Vendor contract on file
- Unknown
- Renewal date
- Unknown
- Spending
- Unknown
We haven't reviewed a primary source (contract, invoice, or council record) for these. A records request is the way to get them, and we'll add what you send us.
California ALPR law
Veh. Code § 2413 Civil Code § 1798.90.5 et seq.
Provides that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) may retain data from an ALPR for no more than 60 days, unless the data is being used as evidence in felony cases. Prohibits selling or making available ALPR data to non-law enforcement officers or agencies. Requires CHP to monitor internal use to prevent unauthorized use. Requires CHP to report to the legislature annually about how ALPR data is being used, including disclosures, which agencies’ data was disclosed to and why, and policy changes that affect privacy concerns.
Summary quoted from NCSL, Automated License Plate Readers: State Statutes, updated September 28, 2026. Not legal advice; read the statute.
What you can do in Santa Barbara
- Request the records from your local police department or sheriff: contracts, policies, sharing lists, audit logs. (Prefilled for California.)
- Check upcoming council or commission agendas for ALPR or Flock items, then prepare a public comment (prefilled for Santa Barbara).
- Track a drive from Santa Barbara to see how many reported cameras your commute passes.
- Fix the map: report missing cameras, or use "Report a fix" on a wrong pin.
Look it up elsewhere
Other independent projects hold records we don't. We link to them rather than copy their data.
EFF Atlas of Surveillance ↗
Agency-level records of surveillance tech near Santa Barbara, CA. Search runs on EFF's site.
Have I Been Flocked? ↗
Search published Flock audit logs (who searched, and why) by plate or agency.
Eyes On Flock ↗
Aggregated data from agencies’ public Flock transparency portals. Look for agencies in California.
DeFlock map ↗
The crowdsourced camera map our counts come from. Add or fix cameras here.
Nearby city files
Solvang, CA
0 reported within 3 mi · 28 mi away
Ventura, CA
35 reported within 4 mi · 28 mi away
Oxnard, CA
60 reported within 4 mi · 32 mi away
Thousand Oaks, CA
77 reported within 5 mi · 50 mi away
Santa Maria, CA
166 reported within 4 mi · 55 mi away
Simi Valley, CA
39 reported within 5 mi · 56 mi away
Santa Clarita, CA
80 reported within 6 mi · 69 mi away
Oceano, CA
45 reported within 3 mi · 70 mi away