Axis License Plate Recognition (LPR) for Gateway‑Managed Devices Only
Overview
The License Plate Recognition (LPR) integration with Axis cameras allows users to automatically detect and search for vehicle license plates using Axis on‑camera analytics. LPR is designed to simplify forensic investigations by enabling fast searches across recorded video, reducing manual review time, and linking license plate data directly to video evidence.
Note: This feature is supported only for gateway‑managed deployments in the current phase.
Requirements
To use Axis LPR with gateway‑managed devices, ensure the following:
The Axis camera you are using supports LPR.
Each camera requires a unique license for LPR.
ARTPEC-8 or later is required.
Axis LPR ACAP is installed and configured on the camera.
The Axis LPR application runs on Axis cameras with AXIS OS 11.11 or later and is available in selected countries.
Camera is connected to and managed by a gateway.
LPR Enablement
1. After you have acquired the Axis LPR license. It's required to activate the license key. Log in to the Axis website and follow the License key registration steps.
2. Once the license has been added to your device. Install the AXIS License Plate Verifier application on the device.
3. Access the Arcules Web Portal.
4. On the left menu, select Devices. Then click on the All Devices menu.
3. A list of devices will be displayed on the right section. Select the corresponding device.
4. On the right panel (also known as Device Drawer) you will see the device details.
5. Go to the Analytics section.
6. Scroll down to the License Plate Recognition section at the bottom and enable the toggle.
Note: The toggle appears only if the Axis License Plate Verifier ACAP is installed and running on the device.
Searching License Plates
1. Access to the Arcules web portal.
2. On the left menu, select Forensic Search
3. Define the Location, Views, or Devices for which the search will be performed. Then click the Search button.
4. You will see the thumbnails view.
5. Select the Vehicles detection button.
Note: Also consider adjusting the time and date to refine the search results.
6. You will see multiple results including the vehicles detected
7. To search for a specific license plate, click the filter button next to the Vehicles text.
8. In the new dialog, there are two options:
Color: Allows you to search for vehicles that match a specific color.
License Plate: Allows you to search for a specific license plate.
9. The License Plate option allows you to search in the following way:
Complete license plates: That is the complete license plate text.
Partial license plates: The license plate search supports prefix matching. For example, if the license plate is BLUE1234, users can search using BL, BLU, BLUE, BLUE1, and so on.
Note: Suffix matching and fuzzy searches (approximate searches that allow typos, misspellings, or similar character variations) are not currently supported.
Additional Considerations
Below are the most critical factors that typically determine whether an Axis LPR deployment works reliably. You can find more information in the Axis documentation.
1. Correct Use Case Mode (Free-flow vs Access Control)
Axis LPR must be configured for the correct operational scenario.
Free-flow mode: Used for traffic monitoring and forensic search in roads, campuses, or city areas.
Access control mode: Used for gates, parking, or barriers where plates are checked against allow/block lists.
Choosing the wrong mode can significantly affect detection accuracy and system behavior.
2. Camera Placement and Field of View
Proper camera positioning is one of the most critical success factors.
Important considerations include:
Correct image rotation based on camera mounting
Correct distance and angle to the vehicle
Defining areas of interest where plates are expected to appear
If placement is poor, even the best LPR software will struggle.
3. Image Quality and Camera Settings
LPR accuracy depends heavily on image quality and motion handling.
Key tuning aspects include:
Adjusting gain and exposure settings
Avoiding motion blur
Ensuring plates are not overexposed in bright conditions
Testing the setup during low-light conditions to verify night performance
Lighting conditions (headlights, sunlight, reflections) are often the biggest challenge.
4. Region and Plate Format Configuration
The system must know which country or region’s license plates it should recognize.
This is configured in the application settings:
Selecting the correct region
Ensuring the system is trained for that plate format
Incorrect region settings can lead to poor recognition accuracy.
5. Capture Type and Evidence Storage
Axis allows several capture modes depending on how the images should be stored:
License plate crop (plate only)
Vehicle crop
Downsized frame
Full frame image
Choosing the right capture type affects:
Storage usage
Evidence quality
Forensic investigation capability
Note: For the Arcules integration select the Full frame image option.