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License Plate Recognition for Camera-to-Cloud (Limited Release)

Overview

License Plate Recognition (LPR) on Camera-to-Cloud (C2C) lets you automatically detect and search for vehicle license plates using Axis on-camera analytics, without an on-site gateway. 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 article covers LPR for Camera-to-Cloud (C2C) devices. For gateway-managed deployments, see License Plate Recognition for Gateway-connected Devices.

Limited Release Scope

During the Limited Release, License Plate Recognition for C2C supports:

  • Searching detected license plates via Forensic Search.

The following capabilities are not included in the Limited Release:

  • Rules or alerts based on license plates

  • Automated actions

Feature availability and coverage may expand in future releases.

Requirements

To use Axis LPR on a C2C device, ensure the following:

  1. The camera must support the Axis License Plate Verifier ACAP, be a supported C2C device, and have at least 2 GB of RAM. The Axis Support for LPR page shows which cameras support LPR, but always confirm at least 2 GB of RAM.

  2. Each camera has a unique Axis LPR license.

  3. The Axis License Plate Verifier ACAP is installed and configured on the camera.

  4. The Axis LPR application requires AXIS OS 11.11 or later and is available only in selected countries (currently Americas and Europe).

  5. An SD card is installed for edge storage.

  6. This feature is enabled for your organization.

Note: LPR is not supported on 1 GB RAM C2C devices.

Why 2 GB RAM? On C2C, everything runs on the camera itself, so the camera needs enough memory to run the LPR application alongside the Arcules C2C software. Cameras with 1 GB of RAM do not have the headroom for both, which is why the portal blocks the feature on those devices.

LPR Enablement

  1. After acquiring the Axis LPR license, activate the license key. Log in to the Axis website and follow the License key registration steps.

  2. Install the AXIS License Plate Verifier application on the camera.

  3. Access the Arcules Web Portal.

  4. On the left menu, select Devices, then click All Devices.

  5. Select the corresponding C2C device from the list.

  6. On the right panel (the Device Drawer), review the device details.

  7. Go to the Analytics section.

  8. Scroll down to the License Plate Recognition section and enable the toggle.

Note: The toggle appears only if the Axis License Plate Verifier ACAP is installed and running on the device.

If the device has only 1 GB of RAM, the toggle will be disabled and the portal displays the message: "License Plate Recognition is not supported for 1GB RAM Camera-to-Cloud devices." To use LPR, select a supported C2C camera with at least 2 GB of RAM.

Searching License Plates

  1. Access the Arcules Web Portal.

  2. On the left menu, select Forensic Search.

  3. Define the Location, Views, or Devices to search, then click Search.

  4. The thumbnails view appears.

  5. Select the Vehicles detection button. Note: Adjust the time and date to refine the search results.

  6. The results display the detected vehicles.

  7. To search for a specific license plate, click the filter button next to the Vehicles text.

  8. In the dialog, you have two options:

    • Color: Search for vehicles that match a specific color.

    • License Plate: Search for a specific license plate.

  9. The License Plate option supports:

    • Complete license plates: the full license plate text.

    • Partial license plates: prefix matching. For example, for BLUE1234 you can search BL, BLU, BLUE, BLUE1, and so on.

Note: Suffix matching and fuzzy searches (approximate searches allowing typos, misspellings, or similar character variations) are not currently supported.

Additional Considerations

The following factors typically determine whether an Axis LPR deployment works reliably. For more detail, see 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

FAQ

Q: Why isn't LPR available on my 1 GB RAM C2C camera?

A: LPR requires the camera to run both the Axis License Plate Verifier application and the Arcules C2C software simultaneously. 1 GB of RAM is not sufficient for both, so the feature is not supported on those devices. Use a supported camera with at least 2 GB of RAM.

Q: Which cameras are supported for LPR on C2C?

A: The camera must support the Axis License Plate Verifier ACAP, be a supported C2C device, and have at least 2 GB of RAM. The Axis Support for LPR page shows which cameras support LPR, but always confirm at least 2 GB of RAM.

Q: What languages are supported in the Arcules portal for LPR?

A: Currently, license plate recognition results in the Arcules portal are supported in English only.

  • LPR search and display (plate text, filters, metadata) are available in English.

  • Other languages are not supported in this limited release.

Q: What is the difference between country support and language support?

A: These are two different concepts:

  • Country support (Axis LPR ACAP)

    • Determines where the LPR analytics works.

    • Axis LPR is available only in selected countries (currently only available in Americas and Europe).

  • Language support (for Forensics Search)

    • Currently English-only.

Q: Why don't I see the LPR toggle in the portal?

A: The LPR toggle appears only when all prerequisites are met:

  • The Axis License Plate Verifier ACAP is installed and running.

  • Each camera has a unique LPR license.

  • The camera meets the 2 GB RAM requirement.

  • The feature is enabled for your organization.

Q: Does each camera require a license?

A: Yes, each camera requires a separate Axis LPR license.

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