# License plate recognition in Salto KS
> This page covers license plate recognition in Salto KS, including setup, credential assignment, subscription limits, and offline access.


## What is license plate recognition in Salto KS? {#what-is-license-plate-recognition-in-salto-ks}

License plate recognition in Salto KS is a way to use a vehicle's license plate number as a form of access credential.
Through an integration with smart camera service provider [AVUTEC](https://avutec.com/), license plate numbers can be recognized in the Salto KS ecosystem and used to automatically open a parking barrier, like how tags and Digital Keys are used to open doors.

License plate recognition enhances the experience for vehicle entries, contributing to a fully digital, seamless and automated smart building experience, with car barriers automatically opening as soon as an authorized car's license plate number is detected by the camera, with no further lock interaction needed.

## What is required for license plate recognition in Salto KS to work? {#what-is-required-for-license-plate-recognition-in-salto-ks-to-work}

License plate recognition in Salto KS relies on three main components:

- Salto KS cloud platform (Pro subscription).
- AVUTEC automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
- Salto BlueConn solution, acting as a middleware between the two systems.

Together, these components allow license plate data to be recognized and validated in the Salto KS platform, triggering access automatically.

## How do I get license plate recognition set up on my site? {#how-do-i-get-license-plate-recognition-set-up-on-my-site}

License plate recognition is included in Salto KS Pro subscriptions, but it requires AVUTEC cameras to be installed and the system to be commissioned before use.
Salto KS provides the integration and credential management, while AVUTEC cameras, their licenses and subscriptions, installation support, and service levels are provided separately by AVUTEC or their local partners.

To get started, contact your local Salto team, who will coordinate the setup with you.
Availability depends on AVUTEC's camera coverage and support in your region.
Check with the [AVUTEC team](https://avutec.com/contact/) before planning a deployment.

## How does license plate recognition work? {#how-does-license-plate-recognition-work}

When a car approaches a parking barrier:

1. The AVUTEC camera reads the license plate number.
2. The camera sends a request via BlueConn to the Salto KS platform, which must contain the unique license plate number and Lock ID of the parking barrier.
3. Salto KS checks if the license plate is assigned to a user with access rights.
4. If access is granted, the barrier opens automatically.

If the plate is not authorized, the barrier remains closed.

## Can a license plate be treated like a regular credential in Salto KS? {#can-a-license-plate-be-treated-like-a-regular-credential-in-salto-ks}

Yes.
A license plate is treated as a regular access credential in Salto KS, just like Tags, Digital Keys, and PINs.
License plate numbers can be assigned to users and linked to access rights in the same way as other credentials.

## Can multiple users share the same license plate? {#can-multiple-users-share-the-same-license-plate}

No.
Each license plate number works as a unique access credential in Salto KS, which can only be attached to one user.
In other words, the same license plate number cannot be attached to two users, even if the users belong to different sites.

## Can one user have multiple license plates? {#can-one-user-have-multiple-license-plates}

Yes.
A user can have multiple license plates assigned, that is, if they use more than one vehicle.

## How is access controlled for license plates in Salto KS? {#how-is-access-controlled-for-license-plates-in-salto-ks}

Access for license plates is controlled through two components:

- The access group that the user is assigned to.
- The specific Lock ID that has been associated to a single parking barrier.

With these two pieces of information, the Salto KS system checks whether the user linked to a license plate has permission to access that specific barrier.

## What components are involved in commissioning license plate recognition in Salto KS? {#what-components-are-involved-in-commissioning-license-plate-recognition-in-salto-ks}

The commissioning of license plate recognition in Salto KS requires connecting the parking barrier to two main components:

1. A Salto KS access point.
2. An AVUTEC camera.

Both components must be installed and configured correctly for the system to function.

{{% info-panel %}}
A Salto KS access point consists of a BLUEnet Door Controller (also known as a Control Unit, or CU), a Wall Reader, and a connection to a Salto IQ via Bluetooth connection.
This setup allows the parking barrier to be recognized in KS as a lock with a unique Lock ID.
{{% /info-panel %}}

## How should the AVUTEC camera be installed? {#how-should-the-avutec-camera-be-installed}

To ensure accurate license plate detection, the AVUTEC camera should be:

- Installed close to the barrier.
- Positioned facing the front of the vehicle.
- Placed within a 2—5 meter reading range.

## Can a single AVUTEC camera control multiple barriers? {#can-a-single-avutec-camera-control-multiple-barriers}

No.
Each AVUTEC camera is wired to a single parking barrier via a relay output and linked to one Lock ID.

## Does the AVUTEC camera need internet connectivity? {#does-the-avutec-camera-need-internet-connectivity}

Yes.
Each AVUTEC camera must have internet access, ideally via Power over Ethernet (PoE) to communicate with the Salto KS platform.

## How are AVUTEC cameras configured in Salto KS? {#how-are-avutec-cameras-configured-in-salto-ks}

During the commissioning phase, each camera will be associated with a singular Lock ID, which represents the parking barrier.
In addition, each camera needs to be configured with a Client ID and a Client Secret, which are generated in BlueConn and used during setup.
These values are used to authenticate a request sent by the camera to the Salto KS platform.

## What is the role of Salto BlueConn in license plate recognition in Salto KS? {#what-is-the-role-of-blueconn-in-license-plate-recognition-in-salto-ks}

[Salto BlueConn](https://www.saltoidentitysolutions.com/solutions/blueconn) acts as a middleware solution connecting the Salto KS platform with the AVUTEC cameras, to enable secure communication between both systems.

## How do I assign a license plate number as an access credential in Salto KS? {#how-do-i-assign-a-license-plate-number-as-an-access-credential-in-salto-ks}

Assigning license plate numbers as access credentials can be done via the Salto KS web application, by users with a site admin role.
There are two possible ways to assign a license plate.
The first one is during the user creation flow:

1. Go to **Users** and click **Add user**.
2. Follow the steps until you arrive at the **Role & Rights** step.
3. Select **License Plate Recognition** as a way of opening.
4. Enter the license plate number, which must not contain spaces or special characters.

The second way to assign a license plate is from a user's profile page:

1. Go to **Users** and click on a user.
2. Go to the **Keys** tab.
3. Click **Add +** next to **License Plate Recognition**.
4. Enter the license plate number, which must not contain spaces or special characters.

## What are the hardware and software requirements for commissioning license plate recognition in Salto KS? {#what-are-the-hardware-and-software-requirements-for-commissioning-license-plate-recognition-in-salto-ks}

For hardware, commissioning license plate recognition in Salto KS requires:

- Salto IQ (firmware version 24.x or higher).
- Salto BLUEnet Door Controller (CU).
- Salto Wall Reader.
- AVUTEC X-Series cameras (Module-X, Gatekeeper 410X, and Gatekeeper 1250X), with an AVUTEC connector device.

For more information, contact the [AVUTEC support team](https://avutec.com/contact/).

For software, commissioning license plate recognition in Salto KS requires:

- An active Salto KS Pro subscription.
- Salto BlueConn access, configured by the Salto team.

## What is the license plate limit in a Salto KS Pro subscription? {#what-is-the-license-plate-limit-in-a-salto-ks-pro-subscription}

License plate recognition is available to Salto KS customers with an active Pro subscription.
The number of license plates that can be registered in a site will depend on the capacity of the KS voucher size that has been purchased for that site.
The maximum number of license plates registered on a site equals the voucher's user limit.
For example, a Pro voucher supporting 15 users allows for 15 license plates.
If more are required, additional license plates can be added to the subscription.

## What happens for license plate access if the system goes offline? {#what-happens-for-license-plate-access-if-the-system-goes-offline}

As with other Salto KS credentials, offline access is also available for license plate recognition.
When the AVUTEC camera is online, it periodically retrieves a list of license plate numbers that have access to the parking barrier it is attached to for the next 24 hours, storing that list locally until the next update.
If the camera loses connectivity, it uses the most recent locally stored list to authorize or reject access of incoming cars.
Should the camera remain offline for longer than 24 hours, it continues operating with the same stored list until connectivity is restored and a new list can be retrieved.