How Long Should Commercial Security Camera Footage Be Kept?

If you’ve had a commercial security camera system installed, or if you’re planning a future system for your business, you’ve likely spent time considering camera placement, resolution, and monitoring. What you might not have looked at as closely is retention, AKA how long footage is stored before being overwritten, which tends to be an afterthought by comparison.

Retention is worth thinking about. If your system deletes video too early, you might not have the footage you need if an incident is discovered later. If your system keeps video for too long, you end up paying for extra storage and may face compliance issues depending on your industry. This blog will cover what Canadian businesses need to know about keeping security camera footage to help you avoid retention-related headaches in the future.

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Key Takeaways

• Retention refers to the amount of time surveillance video footage is kept before it’s overwritten.
• Most businesses retain security camera footage for 30 to 90 days.
• Some industries in Canada must adhere to industry regulations for minimum retention periods.
• The resolution and number of cameras in your system directly affect how much storage you need to meet your desired video retention period.
• A commercial security camera system designed and installed by a professional team accounts for your retention requirements from the start.

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What Is Footage Retention and Why Is It Important?

Most systems use continuous loop recording, meaning older footage is automatically deleted to make room for new footage once the storage limit is reached. Retention refers to how long your commercial security cameras store video before new recordings overwrite older footage.

Your retention period is important for a few reasons. First, incidents aren’t always discovered or reported immediately. For example, a shoplifting incident might go unnoticed until the next inventory check, by which time the footage may already be gone if your retention period is too short.

Second, insurers, lawyers, and law enforcement commonly request security camera footage after incidents. Not being able to provide the required video can delay or complicate investigations.

Essentially, optimizing footage retention requires a balancing act between keeping footage for an appropriate length of time and avoiding exorbitant data storage costs.

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What Is the Standard Retention Period for Commercial Security Cameras?

For most businesses in Canada, the standard retention period is between 30 and 90 days. This range keeps footage available long enough to be useful while also keeping storage costs manageable.

Here’s a general overview of retention times for different types of businesses:

• Retail stores generally keep footage for 30 to 60 days, which covers the window during which most shoplifting incidents are investigated and insurance claims are filed.
• Offices and commercial properties generally keep footage for 30 to 60 days, but this can be longer for footage captured in areas with access to sensitive information or valuable assets.
• Warehouses, distribution centres, and industrial sites typically keep footage for 60 to 90 days because of higher asset values.
• Properties that are at a higher risk, particularly those that have experienced repeated incidents or handle regulated goods, may keep footage for 90 days or more.

The best retention period for your business depends on your industry, your risks, how you intend to use the footage, and your system’s storage capacity.

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Are There Legal Requirements for Footage Retention in Canada?

Canada has no single national rule for how long to keep security camera footage. That said, some industries have their own retention rules that businesses need to follow. These include:

• Federally regulated cannabis retailers in Canada must retain security video footage for at least 30 days under Health Canada regulations.
• Banks and other financial institutions are generally subject to longer retention requirements.
• Some commercial insurance policies specify minimum retention periods as a condition of coverage, particularly for high-value properties or those with a history of claims.

If your business is in a regulated industry, check your province’s rules before deciding how long to keep footage.

It’s important to note that the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal privacy legislation, and its provincial equivalents require that personal information (including security camera footage) not be kept longer than necessary. This means that businesses should have a documented reason for their chosen retention period.

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How Your System’s Specs Affect Retention

Your individual system’s specifications affect how long you can keep footage. These include:

• Your NVR’s storage capacity.
• The number of cameras you have.
• The video quality of your cameras.
• Continuous recording vs. recording only when motion is detected.

Higher-resolution security cameras create larger files, which use storage faster and reduce how long you can keep footage. For example, 20 cameras constantly recording in 4K will fill up storage much faster than cameras recording at lower quality or only when they detect motion.

It’s important to consider all of these factors together when planning a security camera system. That’s exactly what we do at Blackbird Tech. Before recommending hardware, we compare the number of cameras, desired resolution, recording mode, and target retention period to ensure the system’s storage capacity supports our clients from the beginning.

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Motion Detection vs. Continuous Recording

A helpful way to keep footage longer without paying for more storage is to use motion-activated recording. Instead of recording around the clock, cameras only capture video when they detect movement. This reduces the amount of footage that needs to be stored.

Many businesses use motion detection at night or during low-risk times, and switch to nonstop recording during business hours when there is more activity and a higher chance of incidents.

The downside is that motion detection can occasionally miss slow movements or the seconds leading up to motion that triggers the camera. A well-designed system will balance these choices based on your property’s risks and hours of operation.

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What Happens When Footage Needs to Be Preserved?

With loop recording, footage will be automatically erased unless you save it. If an incident occurs or someone requests footage for legal or insurance reasons, you should export and store it somewhere safe before it's deleted.

Best practices for commercial security camera footage preservation include:

• Exporting footage as soon as an incident occurs or is identified.
• Storing exported footage in a secure location separate from the main NVR.
• Documenting the exported footage with a record of the incident, the time it took place, and the person who requested it.
• Establishing an SOP for managing footage requests.

At Blackbird Tech, our systems allow authorized users to access and export footage remotely through our mobile and desktop platforms. This makes it easy and convenient to preserve recordings quickly when they need to be saved.

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Choose Blackbird Tech For Your Commercial Security Camera System

Don’t let your retention period be an afterthought. Deciding on the right retention period when you design your system, taking into account your property’s needs, risks, and any rules your business is required to follow, is the best way to ensure your business, customers, and team stay protected.

Not sure where to start? At Blackbird Tech, we begin all installations with a site assessment that accounts for retention requirements alongside camera placement, resolution, and monitoring integration.

Contact us today to book a site assessment and find out what the right commercial security camera system looks like for your property.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Security Camera Footage Retention

How long should commercial security camera footage be kept?

For most commercial properties in Canada, a retention period of 30 to 90 days is standard. Your business’s retention period will depend on your industry, risk profile, and how footage will be used. Higher-risk environments or those in regulated industries may need to retain footage for longer periods.

Are there legal requirements for security camera footage retention in Canada?

Canada doesn’t have a single national standard for footage retention, but several industries have specific requirements. PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws also require that footage not be kept longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected.

How does camera resolution affect footage retention?

Higher resolution cameras produce larger file sizes, which consume storage faster and shorten the retention period. When designing a system, you should consider the number of cameras, resolution, recording mode, and target retention period.

What is the difference between continuous recording and motion detection recording?

Continuous recording captures footage 24/7. This uses storage faster but prevents missed activity. Motion detection recording captures footage only when movement is detected, reducing storage use and extending how long footage can be retained. Commercial properties often use a combination of both capture methods depending on the time of day and risk levels.

What should I do if I need to preserve footage for a legal or insurance claim?

Export the relevant footage as soon as you identify the incident, before the footage is overwritten. Store the exported footage separately from the main NVR, and document the export with the incident details, the time range exported, and who requested it, if applicable.

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