Home Depot adds license plate reader cameras to parking lots
Home Depot has added license plate reader cameras to some parking lots, a move tied to theft cases that also raises privacy and worker-safety questions.
Home Depot has started putting license plate reader cameras in some store parking lots, joining Lowe’s in a move meant to deter theft and help law enforcement identify suspects. The cameras extend the fight against retail crime beyond the sales floor and into the lot, where associates, contractors and customers often come and go with little scrutiny.
Home Depot describes organized retail crime as a large-scale, multi-jurisdictional operation in which criminals steal merchandise to resell it. In a statement to Congress in December 2025, the company said it operated 2,356 retail stores across North America, employed more than 470,000 associates and saw an organized retail crime event reported in a Home Depot store every five minutes during operating hours. U.S. Chamber of Commerce figures put ORC at more than $125 billion in lost economic activity and more than 685,000 lost jobs.
At some stores, and when allowed by law, Lowe’s uses cameras with automated license plate reader technology near and around parking areas, capturing vehicle images, plate numbers, dates, times and general locations. Home Depot uses license-plate reader cameras in some parking lots to detect and prevent theft and protect customers and associates. A 2026 report found the company does not grant access to federal law enforcement. Civil liberties advocates warn that plate readers can map where ordinary shoppers travel and create searchable surveillance records. A proposed class action filed in California in May 2026 accuses Home Depot of secretly tracking vehicles in parking lots and sharing data with law enforcement.
In June 2025, a coordinated anti-retail-crime crackdown led to hundreds of arrests in 28 states. In August 2025, 14 people were arrested in what officials called the largest Home Depot theft ring ever, with more than $10 million in losses across dozens of stores. In September 2025, Home Depot said years of investigation helped uncover what it called the largest alleged retail theft in its history.
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