Before selecting an HOA ALPR system, document its purpose, camera locations, collected data, retention, users, search rules, outside access, security, resident notice, costs and exit terms. Require written answers and acceptance evidence. Use a complete procurement record to distinguish promised capabilities from controls demonstrated in the proposed deployment, including when evaluating Placa.
How to use this checklist
Assign an owner to every group below. For each requirement record the vendor’s answer, the supporting document, whether it was demonstrated, any open issue and the person accepting the result. Keep unsupported promises marked “unverified.” A proposal is ready for a decision when the board understands both the operational fit and the unresolved risks.
This is the full due-diligence checklist. Use the existing procurement scope checklist to define included and excluded features, and the audit-log checklist for a detailed renewal review.
1. Purpose and success criteria
- State the property problem and the workflow the system must complete.
- Define the expected users and the person accountable for operation.
- List excluded uses and the approval required to expand the scope.
- Choose measurable acceptance criteria and a manual fallback.
Use the public-safety versus private-property guide to select an appropriate system scope.
2. Camera placement and field performance
- Document entrances, lanes, field of view and incidental capture.
- Identify the proposed camera model, mounting, power and connectivity.
- Check existing-camera compatibility rather than relying on a protocol label alone.
- Test representative day and night passages, false positives and missed reads.
- Agree on connectivity-loss behavior, recovery and field support.
Use the HOA alternatives site-test guidance to compare the same conditions across suppliers.
3. Collected data and excluded analytics
- List plate text, images, timestamps, location and any vehicle attributes.
- Identify extra video, audio or identity-related analytics and whether they are needed.
- Document whether additional features can be activated without a new approval.
- Request a data-flow diagram showing services that receive the records.
4. Retention and deletion
- Specify routine retention for every relevant record type.
- Require incident-hold ownership, justification, review and release.
- Document export retention, backup expiration and restoration behavior.
- Verify which settings are enforced automatically and how deletion is evidenced.
- Confirm cancellation, final exports and the deletion-completion process.
Read the retention lifecycle guide before accepting a single advertised number.
5. Users, searches and audit logs
- List named accounts and distinguish view, search, export and administration.
- Ask how least-privilege roles and authentication are implemented.
- Check whether searches require a purpose and what the system actually records.
- Review logs for searches, exports, settings changes and support access.
- Assign responsibility for review, staff offboarding and misuse response.
6. Police, federal, partner and vendor access
- Identify direct recipients and possible onward disclosure.
- Verify default sharing and the currently configured state separately.
- Require the approval, duration, logging and revocation process.
- Document employee and support access, including exceptional access.
- Identify who reviews preservation or disclosure requests and handles notice where permitted.
Use the data-access map and the Axon/Motorola privacy comparison to test claims about a replacement.
7. Security and incident response
- Request current documentation of hosting, encryption and account security.
- Identify responsibilities for patching cameras and connected software.
- Review incident-notification commitments and customer response contacts.
- Check the scope and dates of any claimed independent security assessments.
- Demonstrate recovery and account revocation with non-sensitive test data.
8. Resident notice and oversight
- Prepare plain-language notice of purpose, collection, retention and access.
- Identify the contact and process for privacy questions or complaints.
- Review applicable requirements and governing documents with the responsible adviser.
- Decide what aggregate governance information residents can receive.
- Schedule review after material changes to features, recipients or policy.
9. Ownership, integrations and termination
- Separate hardware ownership from software access and licensing.
- List each integration, its owner, permissions and support responsibility.
- Verify export format and whether exports remain usable after cancellation.
- Document removal, return, account closure and deletion obligations.
- Plan the transition and put an end date on any duplicate collection.
Read the ALPR vendor-transition guide before retiring an existing system.
10. Total cost, renewals and acceptance
- Request hardware, installation, connectivity and recurring fees separately.
- Include required integrations, storage, training and support.
- Check renewal notice, price-change provisions and termination costs.
- Tie final acceptance to the agreed site test and required controls.
- Record exclusions, limitations and unresolved items in the board decision.
Compare current Placa pricing with like-for-like written proposals, using the LPR comparison hub for shortlisting.
Record evidence before the vote
| Decision area | Evidence to attach | Completion status |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and site design | Approved scope and camera map. | Verified / open / not applicable |
| Data governance | Roles, sharing, retention and deletion terms. | Verified / open / not applicable |
| Security and support | Current assurance documents and response commitments. | Verified / open / not applicable |
| Commercial terms | Itemized quote, renewal and exit obligations. | Verified / open / not applicable |
| Acceptance | Field-test results and documented limitations. | Verified / open / not applicable |
A checked box means the board has evidence for that requirement. It is not a certification of legal compliance or a guarantee of future performance. Keep the packet available to the people responsible for oversight.
Source and policy references
The ACLU’s ALPR background explains why accumulated location records deserve scrutiny. Vendor policies and the signed agreement establish the proposed service commitments. When evaluating Placa, include its privacy policy and deployment-specific written terms.
Frequently asked questions
Is this checklist only for Flock replacements?
No. Use it for a new installation, a renewal or any supplier change, including a Placa proposal.
What if a vendor cannot demonstrate a control?
Record whether an operator procedure can meet the requirement and whether the remaining gap is acceptable. Do not mark an unverified control as implemented.
Should the board upload plate histories with its sales inquiry?
No. A non-sensitive description of the property, requirements and existing quote is enough to begin a scope discussion.
Can we print this page for a board packet?
Yes. Print or save the web page as a PDF and attach the vendor-specific evidence separately.