A retention policy answers one question in writing: how long do we keep camera footage, and what happens to it afterward? Without one, businesses drift into two bad habits. Some keep everything for years because nobody dares delete it, which creates a pile of sensitive data. Others discover during a dispute that the footage overwrote itself last week. A one-page policy fixes both. This guide gives you a template, explains how to pick a number of days and shows how storage size follows from the choice.
This is general information, not legal advice. If your business is regulated, or a claim or investigation is underway, ask an attorney before deleting anything.
1. The Short Version
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| How long should I keep footage? | Thirty days is a common planning figure. Choose based on how long problems take to surface. |
| What if there is an incident? | Save the relevant clips and stop them from being overwritten. |
| Who decides? | The owner or general manager, in writing. |
| Who can export? | A few named people, logged. |
| What happens at the end? | The recorder overwrites the oldest video automatically. |
| What about legal requests? | Preserve first, then ask counsel. |
2. Why Write It Down
A written policy shows that you handle footage consistently. If someone asks why a clip no longer exists, you can point to the policy and the date the system overwrote it in the ordinary course. If someone asks why you still have a clip, the policy and the incident log explain that too. It also lets your staff know the rules, which prevents ad hoc decisions like a manager saving clips of a coworker "just in case."
3. Choosing a Number of Days
Think about how long it takes for problems to show up in your business.
- Retail and quick-service: shoplifting and cash discrepancies often surface within days, but chargebacks and customer claims can arrive weeks later.
- Offices: break-ins are noticed fast, but disputes with vendors or clients may come up after a month.
- Warehouses and delivery: missing shipments can be discovered at the next inventory count.
- Restaurants: slip-and-fall claims and employee disputes can surface after a month or more.
- Multifamily buildings: package and damage complaints arrive within days, but insurance claims take longer.
Thirty days is a common planning figure, forty-five or sixty gives more cushion, and fourteen is thin for most businesses. Ask your insurer whether it has a preference or a requirement.
4. How Retention Drives Storage
Storage needs follow from days, number of cameras and bitrate. A rough rule: one camera recording continuously at 4 Mbps uses about 43 GB per day (4 × 10.8). Total GB equals cameras times Mbps times 10.8 times days. Eight cameras at 4 Mbps for 30 days: 8 × 4 × 10.8 × 30 = about 10,368 GB, or roughly 10 TB. Motion-based recording can lower this considerably, and efficient compression helps. See our guides on sizing NVR storage and on H.265 vs. H.264. Ask your installer to show the calculation for your actual cameras.
5. The Template
Copy, fill in and have counsel review.
Video Surveillance Retention Policy – [Business name]
Purpose. We use cameras to protect people, property and cash and to document incidents.
Retention. Video is kept for [30] days on the recorder and then overwritten automatically. [Cash-area cameras are kept for [45] days.]
Incident holds. When an incident occurs, such as theft, injury, damage, a threat or a complaint, the manager on duty will notify [name] the same day. [Name] will export the relevant clips and store them securely until the matter is resolved and counsel advises that they may be deleted.
Access. Only [roles] may view or export video. Each person uses a unique login. Access is reviewed every [quarter].
Requests. Requests from police, insurers, attorneys or others go to [name]. We verify the requester, record the request, export only what is needed and keep a copy.
Security. The recorder is kept in a locked location. Passwords are strong and not shared. Firmware is updated.
Employees. Employees are told where cameras are and why. Cameras are not placed in restrooms, locker rooms or changing areas. [Audio is not recorded.]
Review. This policy is reviewed once a year and when cameras or vendors change.
Approved by: __ Date: ____
6. Legal Holds in Plain Language
A legal hold means you stop normal deletion for material that may matter to a claim, investigation or lawsuit. In practice: if you know about a dispute or receive a letter, subpoena or request, preserve the relevant footage immediately. Do not wait for the recorder to overwrite it. Export the clips and note the date, cameras and times. Then ask your attorney how long to keep them. Our guide on subpoenas for security footage covers first steps. Deleting footage you know is relevant can create serious problems, so preserve first and ask questions second.
7. Exports, Logs and Chain of Custody
Keep a simple log with the date, requester, reason, cameras, time range, who exported it and where copies went. Store exported clips on a separate encrypted drive or secure folder, not on a manager's personal phone. Keep the original export file unedited and work from a copy. Our guide on chain of custody for footage explains a simple routine.
8. Cloud Copies and Backups
If you use cloud storage or an offsite backup, your policy should cover that copy too. Check how long the provider keeps data, whether deletion in your account also deletes backups and where the servers are. See our guide on cloud vs. local storage. A policy that says thirty days is not accurate if a cloud copy lives for a year.
9. Data Security Matters
Footage can show employees, customers and your layout. New York's SHIELD Act, General Business Law section 899-bb, requires businesses that own or license computerized data including private information of New York residents to maintain reasonable safeguards, with a scaled standard for small businesses; the text is at nysenate.gov. Video alone is not always private information under that law, but account details and customer data stored near it may be. Ask counsel how it applies to you. See our guide on protecting footage as business data.
10. News Context
Retention matters because incidents are discovered late. In August 2026, ABC7 New York reported that thieves broke into several Bay Ridge restaurants overnight, with surveillance cameras capturing a hooded figure with a flashlight. In May 2026, News 12 Long Island reported on a proposed Suffolk County law that would require businesses to turn over security footage to aid police investigations. I have not verified the proposal's final status, so check with the county. Either way, having a clear policy makes responding to a request much easier.
11. Costs
Longer retention means more storage. Planning ranges in 2026: adding or upgrading a recorder drive often costs $150 to $900 depending on capacity; a new recorder with RAID may run $800 to $3,500; an eight-camera small business system with 30 days of storage commonly lands between $2,800 and $6,800 installed. A policy review by an attorney is a separate cost. These are planning ranges, not quotes.
12. Questions to Ask Your Installer
- How many days of footage will my system hold at the settings you propose?
- Can you show the storage calculation?
- Can the recorder keep longer for specific cameras, such as the register?
- How do I save a clip so it is not overwritten?
- Can you set up named accounts and export logs?
- How easy is it to add storage later?
See our local pages for commercial camera installation in Staten Island, business installation in Brooklyn, commercial installation in the Bronx and our services page.
Not sure how many days your current recorder holds? Revolvis will walk the property with you and mark the spots.
13. A Quick Test
Pick a Tuesday two weeks ago and ask your system to play back 2:00 p.m. from the front-door camera. If it plays, your retention is at least that long. If it does not, your system is not keeping what you think. Repeat the test every few months and write down the result. That one habit catches full drives, misconfigured cameras and recorders that quietly stopped recording.
More From Revolvis
Cameras are one layer of a secure property. The same in-house crew also handles the rest:
- Keyless entry installation and smart lock installation
- Access control systems and commercial access control
- Video doorbells and intercoms
- Alarm system installation
- Complete unified security
Learn more about Revolvis, meet the team, see all services, browse the blog or contact us.
Areas We Serve
Revolvis installs residential and commercial camera systems across the New York metro area. Every borough and county has its own building stock, rules and wiring challenges, so the plan for a Queens two-family is not the plan for a Manhattan co-op.
- Staten Island: houses, detached garages and shop fronts. See security camera installation in Staten Island.
- Brooklyn: brownstones, row houses and storefronts. See security camera installation in Brooklyn.
- Queens: attached brick homes, two-families and busy commercial strips. See security camera installation in Queens.
- The Bronx: pre-war buildings, bodegas and warehouses. See security camera installation in the Bronx.
- Manhattan: co-ops, condos, offices and retail. See security camera installation in Manhattan.
- Long Island: Nassau County and Suffolk County.
- New Jersey: Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken and nearby towns.
The full list is on the service areas page.
Get a Custom Quote After a Site Visit
Revolvis prices every job after a site visit, because the building sets the cost as much as the equipment does. A few things make the estimate faster and more accurate:
- The address and property type: house, apartment, co-op, condo, storefront or warehouse.
- Which doors, sides and areas you want covered, and what worries you most.
- Photos of those spots and any spots where you already have cabling or power.
- How many days of footage you want to keep and whether you want to watch on your phone.
- Any landlord, board, lender or insurer requirement.
Call 347-258-9165 or use the contact page to book a site visit. The quote you receive is written and itemized, so you can compare it line by line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a small business keep security camera footage? Thirty days is a common planning figure. Choose a period that matches how long problems take to surface in your business.
What is a legal hold? Stopping normal deletion for footage that may matter to a claim, investigation or lawsuit. Preserve it and ask an attorney how long to keep it.
Can I keep footage forever? You can, but it increases storage cost and data risk. Keep what you need and delete the rest on schedule.
Who should be able to export footage? A few named people, each with a unique login, with exports logged.
Does cloud storage change my policy? Yes. Your policy should cover every copy, including cloud and backups.
How do I know my recorder is keeping enough days? Play back a specific time from weeks ago and see whether it exists.
Ready for a custom quote? Call Revolvis at 347-258-9165 for a site visit and a written, itemized estimate.
Safety note: A camera system supports, but does not replace, good locks, lighting, alarms and everyday habits. If you are in danger or witnessing a crime, call 911. Prices and legal summaries in this guide are general information for the New York metro area, not an offer or legal advice. A written quote after a site visit governs your actual price, and for legal questions you should confirm with the agencies linked in the article or a licensed attorney.