LPR / ALPR (license plate recognition)

License plate recognition (LPR) is software that reads a vehicle’s plate from a camera image and turns it into text. ALPR (automated license plate recognition) and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition, the usual term in the UK) mean the same technology, though “ALPR” is often used for fixed or vehicle-mounted cameras that read every passing plate, while “LPR” also covers an officer scanning plates one at a time with a phone. In parking, the plate becomes the key for checking permits, paid sessions, and prior citations.

Also called: ALPR, ANPR, Plate OCR