What Is ANPR? – Cameras That Read Licence Plates (For Real)

A Short Explanation: How ANPR Works in Three Steps

1. Camera capture – A vehicle passes a trigger (loop, radar or AI motion detection).
   
2. Image processing (OCR) – The system isolates the plate area and reads the characters (e.g. “ABC123”).
   
3. Backend validation – The system checks: is there a valid permit? Should a payment session start? Should the barrier open?
   

Think of ANPR as “eyes + brain” for parking: the camera sees, the system understands — and acts.

ANPR vs Regular OCR – What’s the Difference?

• OCR = Optical Character Recognition — generic technology for reading text from images.
  
• ANPR = OCR specialised for licence plates, combined with logic for vehicles, regional formats, false-positive handling and entry/exit pairing.
  

In short:

All ANPR uses OCR — but not all OCR is good enough for ANPR.

Accuracy – What to Expect

• Under good conditions: 95–99% accuracy
  
• Challenges: dirty plates, glare, high speed, rain/snow, or non-standard formats
  
• Solutions: IR illumination, proper angle and height, fast shutter speed, “dual capture” (overview + close-up), and strong software calibration
  

When properly installed, ANPR outperforms human observation in both speed and reliability.

How ANPR Is Used in Parking

• Digital permits: automatic validation at entry and exit
  
• Barrier control: white-listed vehicles open automatically; guests receive temporary access
  
• Ticketless payment: start/stop sessions based on arrival and departure
  
• Reporting & security: occupancy stats, stay duration, usage peaks
  
• Abuse prevention: no more “borrowed permits” — the system matches licence plates, not stickers
  

GDPR, Privacy and Data Protection

ANPR processes personal data (licence plate + time + location).
To comply with the GDPR, operators must follow key principles:

• Legal basis: legitimate interest or contract (e.g. parking terms on site)
  
• Data minimisation: store only what’s necessary, for as short a time as possible
  
• Transparency: clear signage about camera use and purpose
  
• Access control & encryption: log who can see what — and why
  
• Automatic deletion: remove data after a set retention period unless legally required
  

At Parkit, we design ANPR systems with privacy by default — less data, shorter storage, stronger trust.

Technical Factors That Matter Most

• Camera placement: 10–15° angle to traffic flow, stable height, avoid glare
  
• Lighting: IR illumination for night and low light
  
• Trigger: induction loop or radar reduces motion blur
  
• Whitelists/blacklists: edge-based decision with cloud confirmation
  
• Failover: store events locally if the network drops — sync later
  
• Dual reads: pairing entry/exit events reduces “ghost” captures
  

These details often decide whether your system works perfectly — or frustrates users daily.

Common Myths (and the Truth)

<div class="knowledge-table"><div class="knowledge-table_header"><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Myth</div><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Truth</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">“ANPR is surveillance.”</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">It’s access and permit control. With proper privacy safeguards, it’s proportionate and legal.</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">“It doesn't work if the plate is dirty.”</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Good systems take multiple IR-lit frames — accuracy remains high.</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">“Paper permits are just as good.”</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Manual systems create errors and misuse. ANPR is faster, fairer, and traceable.</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">“ANPR needs expensive cameras.”</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Quality helps, but placement, lighting, and software matter more.</div></div></div>

ANPR + Digital Parking Permits = Magic

Combine ANPR with Parkit’s digital permit management and you get:

• Automatic gate control
  
• Ticketless, accurate payments
  
• Less admin for BRFs and property owners
  
• Fewer disputes – every entry and exit is timestamped
  

Result: a parking facility that practically runs itself.

Example: Reducing Manual Work

<div class="knowledge-table"><div class="knowledge-table_header"><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">System</div><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Admin Time</div><div class="knowledge-table_header-cell">Notes</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Manual list (100-space BRF)</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">~10–15 hrs/month</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Error-prone, outdated lists</div></div><div class="knowledge-table_row"><div class="knowledge-table_cell">ANPR + digital permits</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">< 2 hrs/month</div><div class="knowledge-table_cell">Only exceptions handled manually</div></div></div>

Fewer violations, cleaner data, fairer usage. The pattern is consistent — less manual work, more precision.

Parkit’s Perspective

We see ANPR as a tool for fairness — the right car in the right place, for the right time and price.
Technology should be invisible when it works and explainable when questioned.

That’s why we build systems where technology, transparency, and integrity go hand in hand.
Our philosophy: less friction, more trust.