NH Remains Only State Banning License Plate Readers (Thank You Legislature!)

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January 16. 2014 12:20AM

Lawmakers kill bill to spy on motorists with license plate scanners

By GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau

CONCORD — Touting the privacy rights of New Hampshire citizens, House members Wednesday voted overwhelmingly — 250-97 — to kill a bill that would have allowed police to use license plate scanners, and then banned the issue for the rest of the session.

With the House vote, New Hampshire continues to be the only state in the country to prohibit the use of license plate scanners. Collecting license plate information at toll booths and bridges is allowed.

Recording license plate data is the same as Big Brother watching citizens in George Orwell's novel "1984" opponents said — or at least a big step down that slippery slope.

However, supporters of House Bill 675 said it would improve public safety and make police departments more efficient. And they said the bill protects privacy rights because police would destroy the data after holding it for three minutes to match data bases for wanted or missing people. Local communities would have had to vote to allow their police to use the readers.

After killing the bill, the House then voted 214-135 to prohibit the House from considering the issue again this session.

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