Raceway Car Wash and Sierra Car Wash — Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Usage and Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 10/5/2026
Part 1 — About This Policy
Raceway Car Wash and Sierra Car Wash are two names for the same company (we’ll just call ourselves “RCW,” “we,” or “us” throughout). This policy explains how the license plate cameras at our wash locations work, what they collect, who can see it, how we protect it, and how long we keep it.
It applies to the Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems at our physical wash locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas. This is our ALPR usage and privacy policy under California Civil Code §1798.90.51, and it is available to everyone, whether or not you are a member. Our Privacy Policy covers everything else we collect, such as information from our websites and membership portal.
Part 2 — Information We Collect
2.1 What the cameras collect
- A picture of the license plate
- The plate number
- The wash location and the time of the read
We operate the ALPR system ourselves.
2.2 Retail washes
At a retail wash, a team member may type in your plate number by hand. That information is handled under our Privacy Policy rather than this one.
Part 3 — How We Use ALPR Information
3.1 Why we use it
If you’re an RCW member, the cameras read your plate so you can drive through and get washed without needing a tag, pass, or card.
As part of membership, we also use your contact information to send you offers and updates about RCW. Text messages need your own separate sign-up (see Part 5 of our Privacy Policy).
3.2 What we don’t do
- We don’t use ALPR information for law enforcement purposes.
- We don’t use it to build advertising profiles for other companies, and we never share it for their marketing.
- We don’t use it for anything beyond what’s described in this policy.
Part 4 — Who Can Access ALPR Information
4.1 Who can see it
Only a small group of RCW team members can access ALPR information, and only for specific reasons:
- Site team members, to manage membership at the wash
- Administration team members, to manage accounts and answer member questions
- Data and IT support team members, to keep the system running and secure
No other RCW employee, contractor, or outside party has access, other than the service providers described in Part 5. Everyone who has access signs in with their own individual credentials (no shared logins) and is trained on this policy and on the security requirements in California law before they are given access.
4.2 Who is responsible
The official custodian responsible for our ALPR program is RCW’s Vice President of Information Technology, or a formally designated alternate. You can reach them through the contact information in Part 10.
Part 5 — How We Share ALPR Information
We don’t sell ALPR information. We share it only where it’s genuinely needed to run the business:
- With service providers who support our membership program, under contracts that limit them to that work and prohibit any other use
- With law enforcement, only with valid legal process (a warrant, subpoena, or court order), or when the law otherwise requires it
- With another company in connection with a merger, sale, acquisition, or other change of ownership of RCW, under the same protections described here
Part 6 — How We Protect and Maintain ALPR Information
6.1 How we protect it
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to keep ALPR information secure. That includes logging who accesses it and reviewing that access periodically.
6.2 Keeping it accurate
We periodically check that plate reads match up correctly with membership accounts. If a plate was misread or something doesn’t look right on your account, contact us (Part 10) and we’ll look into it and fix it.
Part 7 — How Long We Keep ALPR Information
We keep ALPR information only as long as it’s reasonably needed for the purposes described in this policy, or as long as the law requires. Plate images and reads are removed on an automated basis: they are deleted or permanently anonymized, either by us or by the service provider that runs the system for us. If a read is tied to an open dispute, billing issue, or investigation, we may keep it until that matter is resolved.
The plate number saved on your membership account is part of your customer record. We keep it only as long as we need it to provide our services and meet our legal obligations.
Part 8 — Your Privacy Choices and Rights
Wherever you live, you can ask what ALPR information we have about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, subject to the limits of applicable law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights relating to your personal information. Our Privacy Policy explains your full set of privacy rights and how to use them.
Consumer Privacy Disclosures
Here’s what the ALPR system collects and who we share it with:
| Category | Examples | Collected? | Who we share it with |
|---|---|---|---|
| License plate / vehicle information | Plate number, camera-captured plate image, wash location and time of the read | Yes | Service providers (membership program); law enforcement only with valid legal process. Never sold. |
Part 9 — Updates to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll change the “Last Updated” date at the top and post the current version on our websites. If we change how our license plate cameras work, we’ll update this policy to match.
Part 10 — Contact Us
Questions about this policy or want to make a privacy request? Reach us at the phone number or email below — for a privacy request, please write “Privacy Request” in the subject line or say so when you call.
- Phone
- 602-900-1731
- privacy@racewaycarwash.com