Why Do So Many Cars In Florida Have Barcodes On The Window?

If you've spent any time driving around Florida, you may have noticed something strange: barcodes stuck to the windows of a lot of vehicles. Your first thought might be that they're rental vehicles or dealership inventory, but in the Sunshine State, that's often not the case. Instead, they're tied to a very Florida-specific trend: gated communities. Florida is home to many gated communities, which isn't particularly surprising given the number of well-off residents in the state. According to data compiled by Rentech Digital, as of May 2025, there were 519 gated communities across Florida. Many of these communities use barcodes to automate entry at neighborhood gates. 

In other parts of the country, you might be used to seeing gated communities with guards or residents using key fobs or access codes to get in, but in Florida, barcode stickers have increasingly become the norm. You'll usually see these barcodes placed on the driver's side window, making them easy for the gate-mounted readers to scan. These barcodes are supposed to cut down on wait times and ensure that only authorized vehicles enter the premises. If a car has a barcode, it'll automatically open and close the gates. So, if you see a barcode affixed to the window of a luxury car or SUV (or, really, any vehicle on the streets in Florida) with a barcode on the window, it might just be someone heading home to their gated community.

While many of us use cheap home security cameras to protect our homes, those who live in a gated community have an additional layer of security: the gate that keeps unapproved vehicles from entering the neighborhood. At most gated communities in Florida, the homeowner's association (HOA) manages the barcode entry system. The HOA requires all residents to apply for a barcode sticker that's linked to their address and approved vehicle. The stickers are usually placed on the inside of the driver's side window or windshield, making it easy for the gate-mounted scanners to detect them.

These barcode systems use long-range infrared or laser-based readers to scan the sticker as the vehicle approaches and verify it against a resident database. Once the barcode has been scanned, the gate automatically opens, and the resident can drive through without stopping, rolling down their window, or talking to security staff. One example of a community that uses this system is the Moors in Miami, where every resident has to put a barcode sticker on their car so the gate can scan it and let them in automatically. In addition to keeping the traffic flowing, this setup saves on staffing costs and is often marketed as enhancing a community's security.