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Licence Plate Recognition

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) Parking Enforcement

The City of Brampton uses Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to support parking enforcement, improve compliance and help keep neighbourhoods safe and accessible.

ALPR-equipped enforcement vehicles use cameras and software to scan licence plates and identify potential parking violations more efficiently. The technology helps Enforcement and By-law Services respond to resident concerns, conduct proactive patrols and keep streets clear for emergency vehicles, transit, snow clearing operations and everyday traffic.

The City currently operates seven ALPR-equipped enforcement vehicles across Brampton.

How ALPR Works

ALPR technology automatically scans licence plates and compares them against parking regulations and parking permissions.

When a potential violation is identified, the information is reviewed by an Enforcement Officer. If a violation is confirmed, a Penalty Notice may be issued.

ALPR technology supports enforcement of common parking violations, including:

  • Parking longer than three hours on a city street.
  • Overnight parking between 2 and 6 a.m. without a valid parking consideration.
  • Parking violations in municipal parking facilities.
  • Other parking-related by-law violations.

Supporting Safer and More Accessible Neighbourhoods

ALPR technology supports safer and more accessible neighbourhoods by:

  • Improving access to on-street parking.
  • Keeping roads clear for emergency vehicles and snow clearing equipment.
  • Increasing compliance with parking regulations.
  • Addressing parking concerns more efficiently.
  • Supporting proactive enforcement in areas with recurring parking concerns.
  • Allowing officers to focus on community safety priorities.
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ALPR technology helps the City respond to parking concerns more efficiently, improve compliance with parking regulations and support safer, more accessible neighbourhoods.​

The City currently operates seven ALPR-equipped enforcement vehicles. ​

The system captures licence plate information and vehicle images necessary to identify potential parking violations and administer enforcement activities. ​

The City is committed to protecting personal privacy. ALPR technology is designed with privacy safeguards and captures only the information necessary to identify potential parking violations and issue penalty notices.​

When a parking violation is confirmed, a Penalty Notice may be placed on the vehicle or mailed to the registered owner.​

  • Follow all posted parking regulations.
  • Do not park on a city street for longer than three hours unless permitted.
  • Do not park on a city street between 2 and 6 a.m. without a valid parking consideration.
  • Apply for a parking consideration when temporary overnight or extended parking is required.
  • Ensure your vehicle is parked legally and safely at all times.

Learn more about payment and dispute options by visiting brampton.ca/APS.​​

The ALPR vehicles will enforce on road municipal by-law violations related to illegal parking. These violations include parking in excess of 3-hours, parking between 2am-6am, prohibited parking, prohibited stopping, and parking interfering with winter maintenance or snow removal.​

The system will only be used to enforce municipal parking violations. Traffic violations such as speeding and other violations under the Highway Traffic Act will not be enforced. ​

‭(Hidden)‬ FAQs

This system consists of cameras affixed to a vehicle and an in-vehicle display connected to the parking enforcement network. The vehicle will patrol City streets and record the licence plate and location of vehicles parked on the street. The system will alert the officer to vehicles which remain parked on the street in excess of three hours without a parking consideration. The system will also alert officers to vehicles which are parked on the street between 2am – 6am without a parking consideration, without having the officer stop to enter the licence plate of the vehicle.​

Each year, the City responds to over 20,000 public complaints of vehicles parked illegally for more than three hoursor during the prohibited time of 2 am to 6 am. Responding to such complaints is resource intensive and time-consuming. With the new ALPR vehicle, the City can engage in more proactive and reactive patrolling at a faster rate.​

This technology will allow Enforcement staff to more efficiently respond to public requests, and to conduct patrols in areas where the City frequently receives reports of vehicles parking on the street for extended periods of time. It will improve parking spot availability, support the safe passage of plows and emergency vehicles on our streets, and over the long term, work to reduce congestion.​

Mid January 2020.​

The City takes privacy protection seriously. Access to photographs captured by the ALPR cameras, which include images of licence plate numbers, is strictly controlled and subject to audit. Where photographs are not used to issue a Penalty Notice, they are not retained (these photographs are automatically deleted after 48 hours). Where photographs are used to issue a Penalty Notice, they are retained in accordance with the City’s Record Retention By-Law (these photographs are retained for 6 years after the matter has been resolved).
When parking penalties are not paid within the due date, the City will reach out to Service Ontario to obtain ownership details of licence plates. The City will also disclose unpaid fines associated with a licence plate number to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Cameras may capture pedestrians while photographing vehicles parked on the street. This may also occur currently when officers photograph illegally parked vehicles with handheld digital cameras. Photographs that are not required as part of investigation are deleted after 48 hours. Photographs that form evidence as part of a Penalty Notice are retained for 6 years after the matter has been resolved. 

The vehicle could be used anywhere in Brampton, however will frequently patrol areas that experience a large volume of public complaints, as well as municipal parking garages.​

Not necessarily. The ALPR vehicle when passing through a street first, marks the location and licence plate number of all the existing vehicles that are street parked. This data is available online to all Enforcement Officers. After three hours, any Enforcement Officer in that area will be able to review the online details provided by the ALPR vehicle and issue a penalty for those cars that have overstayed.

Currently, there are two Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) vehicles in service.

Based on ongoing research and the capability to efficiently address complaints utilizing this technology, there is potential for the implementation​ of more ALPR vehicles in the future.

The real-time availability of ALPR data to all Enforcement Officers digitally is expected to enhance their ability to promptly and effectively address complaints.​

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Current process will be followed i.e. the Notice will be affixed to the vehicle.​

  • In municipal garages or where parking meters exist, be sure to display the valid parking ticket on the dashboard and remove your car before the parking ticket expires.
  • In residential areas, if you are parked on the street, remove the car before the three hours to avoid receiving a Penalty Notice. Alternatively, move the car to another location after three hours. Others in the community may require street parking as well, so be mindful of your neighbours.
  • If you or your guests need to park for more than three hours or between 2 am to 6 am, you can apply to the City for a free parking consideration​. This is offered for a maximum of 14 days in a year for each licence plate. If you are hosting for the holidays or having overnight guests, apply for a parking consideration.
  • If you have a boulevard on your private property, your car can be parked horizontally on the paved area between the sidewalk and street.

During a snowfall, vehicles should not be parked on the street in order to provide easy access for snow plows and emergency vehicles. If the ALPR vehicle is not able to read the licence plate, it can be addressed manually by an Enforcement Officer. Any complaints can be sent to the City by emailing 311@brampton.ca​ or calling 311.​

For details on how to pay or dispute the parking Penalty Notice, visit the City website.​ Dispute process is managed by the City of Brampton and not the courthouse.​