An n-lane automatic license plate recognition system (where n is an integer greater than one) and a method for dropping video frames in this system is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at an input of a first stage of a two-stage restrictor, a plurality of video frames. In the first stage of the two-stage restrictor, a subset of the plurality of video frames is dropped. An output of the first stage is coupled to an input of a second stage of the two-stage restrictor such that receiving and non-receiving of individual ones the plurality of video frames by the second stage is controlled by the first stage. In the second stage after the first stage, a further subset of the plurality of video frames is dropped to effect controlled frame input into a processor that performs at least one recognition analytic on remaining video frames of the plurality of video frames. The dropping of the further subset is based on at least one drop condition including a lane-specific drop condition.