Openai/68f06de6-6abc-8010-a92a-c57aa8b04896

Posting license plate photos

Generated: 2025-11-07 23:56:29

Prompt: Is it illegal to take a picture of a car's license plate and post it on the Internet?

ChatGPT: Short answer: usually no — it’s not automatically illegal to photograph a car’s license plate in public and post that photo online. In the U.S. license plates are publicly visible information, and photographing things you can see from public places is generally protected. First Amendment Coalition

Important caveats (when posting can get you in trouble)

• If the photo is used to harass, stalk, threaten, or dox someone, you can face civil or criminal liability. Publishing a plate together with other personal details (home address, phone, photos of the owner, etc.) that enable abuse is the risky scenario. blgwins.com
• Context matters — calling people out, encouraging harassment, or implying criminality without evidence can lead to defamation, harassment, or cyberstalking claims. blgwins.com
• Different countries/regions have stronger data-privacy rules. In the EU/UK, a license plate can be “personal data” under GDPR if it identifies a person or is published beyond private/family use — publicly posting dashcam footage or photo galleries may trigger data-protection rules. ICO
• Local/state laws and platform rules vary. Some states have anti-doxxing or harassment statutes; social platforms may remove images that encourage abuse. There are also separate laws against obscuring plates to avoid enforcement (not directly about photographing them, but relevant to plate-related disputes). New York Post

Practical advice

• If you want to be safe, blur or crop the plate before posting.
• Don’t combine the plate with other identifying details (home address, license-holder name, photos of the person inside the car).
• If you’re posting to report a crime to police or a news outlet, stick to verifiable facts and consider contacting authorities instead of publishing it widely.
• If you want a jurisdiction-specific answer (e.g., Idaho, California, UK, EU), tell me which state/country and I’ll pull the exact laws and guidance for that place.

Would you like me to check the rules for a particular state or country?

Prompt: Idaho

ChatGPT: In Idaho, there’s no law that I found which makes it per se illegal to take a photograph of a car’s license plate (in a public place) or to post it on the Internet, so long as you’re not using it for an unlawful purpose.

Here’s a breakdown of how this works, the limits, and what to watch out for under Idaho law and general U.S. principles:

What Idaho law / related policy say

• The ACLU of Idaho states that taking photographs of things visible from public space is a constitutional right. This includes vehicles and their license plates. ACLU of Idaho
• Idaho does impose rules on how license plates must be displayed (for example, must be legible and visible) under Idaho Code (e.g. Idaho Code § 49-428) for use while driving. Mix 106
• A recent Idaho law change (or proposal) deals with automated license plate readers (ALPRs) for law enforcement use—i.e. police using cameras to scan and record plate data. Idaho Freedom
• Also, Idaho’s “Know Your Rights: Photographers” guide says that police officers may not delete your photographs or videos under any circumstances. ACLU of Idaho

So Idaho law supports that photographing publicly visible things (including license plates) is allowed, and that taking those photos is protected under free speech / public activity principles.

When it could be legally problematic

Even though it’s generally allowed, there are situations or legal doctrines where posting a photo could be harmful or cross a line. These include:

1. Harassment / stalking / doxxing If someone takes a plate photo and pairs it with identifying personal information (where the person lives, works, etc.) to harass, threaten, or track someone, that could fall into civil or criminal liability under Idaho’s stalking, harassment, or privacy laws (depending on circumstances).
2. Defamation / false accusation If you accompany the photo with false statements or accusations (e.g. implying wrongdoing with no evidence), that can open you to a defamation claim.
3. Privacy expectations in non-public places If the subject is in a space where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy (e.g. inside their home, behind closed gates) and you trespass or intrude, that could be illegal.
4. Use of the data There might be limits on using license-plate data to access DMV or registration information. Just because you see the plate doesn’t mean you’re allowed to demand or publish someone’s private registration or personal data linked to it.
5. Platform / other rules Social media platforms or websites might remove content or penalize users if images are used for harassment or violate their terms.

Practical conclusion for Idaho

• You’re generally safe to photograph a vehicle and its license plate if it’s in public view (on a street, in a parking lot, etc.).
• Posting it online is likewise generally lawful, provided you’re not using it for an illegal or harassing purpose.
• To reduce risk, avoid pairing the plate with identifying personal info (address, phone, etc.), and avoid using it in a way that targets or harasses someone.
• If you want, I can check Idaho’s statutes for harassment or privacy that specifically reference license-plate publication (to see exactly what your risk might be) — do you want me to dig into that?