Get every plate, every pass

Mount it right, and the plate reads itself.

License-plate recognition is 90% geometry. Get the camera's height, distance, and angle inside the target zone and the camera captures a clean, readable plate on every vehicle. This guide shows the exact numbers.

See the height & distance chart The 4 angle rules

≤45°Horizontal angle to plate

≤30°Downward tilt of camera

130pxIdeal plate width in frame

SIDE VIEW · H = mount height L = distance to capture point Bullet LPR camera

The non-negotiables

Four angles decide whether the plate is readable.

Stay inside every one of these and recognition sits above 95%. Break one and the read rate falls fast — the wider the angle, the worse it gets.

01 Horizontal angle

≤ 45° to plate center

Angle across the lane between the camera and the front of the plate. Beyond 45°, characters skew and the read rate drops to 80–85%.

02 Vertical angle

≤ 30° aim for ~20°

Downward tilt of the camera. Too steep and the plate foreshortens; keep it shallow so the plate faces the lens square-on.

03 Horizontal tilt

≤ ±15° roll / rotation

How level the plate sits in the picture. Keep the camera roll within 15° either way so the text stays horizontal for the reader.

04 Plate size in frame

90–300px ideal ~130px

Measured across the plate in the live image. Too small and detail is lost; too large and the plate blurs through frame. Use the zoom lens to land near 130px.

Pick the layout first

Where you mount depends on the traffic.

Two setups cover almost every job. Match the scene to your site before you touch the pole — it sets the height, distance, and where the camera goes.

Scene A

Entrance & exit / gates

Slow, controlled traffic through a gate, barrier, or parking entry. Mount to the side of the lane so the vehicle straightens out before the capture point.

Speed ≤ 30 km/h. Gate and barrier traffic only.
Lane width 3–4.5 m, capture point at least 3 m from the camera.
Mount to the side so the car adjusts and the plate is fully in view.

Scene B

Open road / driveway lane

Faster, free-flowing traffic. Mount over the center of the lane on a pole or gantry, facing oncoming vehicles head-on.

Speed ≤ 80 km/h. Suits driveways and internal roads.
Mount over the center of the lane, facing incoming vehicles.
For winding, uphill or steep-slope roads, confirm the layout first.

The numbers that matter

Height & distance, straight off the chart.

Pick your scene, read the row for your lane width, and set the pole to those measurements. H is the camera height; L is the distance from the pole to where the plate is captured.

Entrance / exit · wide-angle bullet LPR camera · speed ≤ 30 km/h · roadside offset 0–0.3 m
Lane width W	Camera height H	Capture distance L	Notes
≤ 4 m	1.5 m	4 m	Tight single lane / gate
4–5 m	2.0 m	5 m	Standard entry lane
5–6 m	2.5 m	7 m	Wide lane

Open road · motorized-zoom bullet LPR camera · speed ≤ 80 km/h · lane 6–7 m · offset 0–7 m
Camera height H	Capture distance L	Best for
3 m	8 m	Low pole, close capture
4 m	10 m	Standard roadside pole
5 m	13 m	Taller pole, longer reach
6 m	16 m	Gantry / high mount

Rule of thumb: the taller you mount, the further out you push the capture point — that keeps the downward angle under 30°. If your site is very different from these numbers, re-check the four angle rules before you drill.

Before you leave site

The quick pass / fail check.

Pull up a live plate on the monitor and run this list. If anything in the right column is true, adjust before you sign off.

Good capture

Plate fills 90–300px and characters are sharp and level.
Camera looks down ~20° and sits within 45° across the lane.
Clear line of sight — nothing between the lens and the plate.
Height and distance match the chart for the scene.

Fix before sign-off

Horizontal angle over 45° — read rate drops to 80–85%.
Camera tilted steeper than 30° or plate rolled past 15°.
Plate too small in frame — zoom in to hit ~130px.
Signs, guide rails, trees or a sentry box blocking the view.