ST. PAUL — They’re on police cars and street lights, and they track where you’re driving.

Across Minnesota, police have been using automated license plate readers for years to track down stolen cars and aid investigations, but there are no state regulations governing their use.

Lawmakers, police and privacy advocates will soon seek to set ground rules for how long police can keep the data and who can access it.

Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, a Lakeville Republican, said she plans to introduce a bill in the next few weeks.

Holberg said the law needs to balance the concerns of police, who say the readers are a powerful tool. Other lawmakers and advocates say tracking everyday Minnesotans is a violation of privacy and civil liberty.