Pacifica driver's lawsuit could hit California parking garages hard

Appeals court ruling revives class-action lawsuit over undisclosed license plate scanning

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A Pacifica resident has won an important appeals court ruling that revives his class-action lawsuit over undisclosed license plate scanning at a San Francisco parking garage. The decision clarifies that California's ALPR law gives drivers a 'right to know' when and how their plate data is collected, potentially exposing garages statewide to major financial penalties and encouraging similar suits.

Why it matters

This case could have significant implications for parking garages across California, as it establishes that drivers have a legal right to be informed about the collection of their license plate data. The ruling could open the door to more class-action lawsuits and financial penalties for garages that fail to properly disclose their use of automated license plate readers.

The details

The lawsuit was filed by a Pacifica resident who alleged that a San Francisco parking garage failed to properly notify drivers that it was scanning and collecting their license plate information. An appeals court has now revived the class-action lawsuit, ruling that California's ALPR law gives drivers the right to know when and how their plate data is being collected.

  • On February 13, 2026, a Pacifica resident won an important appeals court ruling that revives his class-action lawsuit.

The players

Pacifica resident

A Pacifica resident who filed a class-action lawsuit against a San Francisco parking garage over undisclosed license plate scanning.

San Francisco parking garage

The parking garage that was sued by the Pacifica resident for failing to properly notify drivers about its use of automated license plate readers.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the class-action lawsuit to proceed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing concerns over the use of automated license plate readers and the lack of transparency around how driver data is collected and used. The ruling could prompt parking garages across California to re-evaluate their practices and ensure they are properly disclosing their use of this technology to customers.