How long do police keep dash cam footage?
Based on our analysis of data from over 200 police departments across the United States, South Africa, and Australia, dash cam footage retention is typically categorized into three levels, each with a distinct storage policy:
1. General Footage (Routine Recordings)
Retention Period: Approximately 7 days
These are standard recordings not associated with any incident or complaint. Most departments automatically overwrite or delete this footage after a short period to conserve storage.
2. Marked as Important
Retention Period: Approximately 9 months
This includes recordings manually flagged by officers or supervisors for review, training, or internal documentation purposes. These files are not tied directly to active cases but are considered potentially relevant.
3. Evidence Footage
Retention Period: Indefinitely (Permanent storage)
Any dash cam video associated with criminal investigations, use-of-force incidents, arrests, or court proceedings is preserved without expiration until the case is fully closed, including appeals.
Additional Influencing Factors
Video Resolution: Storage capacity affects retention policies.
Departments using lower resolutions such as 720p often extend storage durations by up to 50%, as the smaller file sizes enable longer archiving on the same infrastructure.
Storage Type: Agencies using cloud-based or hybrid Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS) can flexibly scale storage and set automatic retention policies based on footage classification.
Summary Table
| Category | Example Use | Retention Time |
|---|---|---|
| General | Routine patrol recordings | Approximately 7 days |
| Marked Important | Supervisor-flagged or unusual cases | Approximately 9 months |
| Evidence | Arrests, investigations, use-of-force | Permanent |