How Long Should Camera Footage Be Stored?

How long should security camera footage be stored?

Thirty days is the practical commercial standard, because most incidents surface within a few weeks. Retail and hospitality commonly keep 30 to 60 days, healthcare and financial sites 90 days or more where policy or insurers require it. Retention is set by camera count, resolution, frame rate and recorder drive capacity.

Why 30 days is the baseline

Theft, injury claims and employee disputes rarely reach management the same week. A 7 or 14 day retention window sounds acceptable until the claim arrives on day 20 and the footage is gone. Sizing for 30 days at the outset costs far less than adding storage after an incident.

How to control storage cost

Use motion or event-based recording on low-traffic cameras, keep continuous recording on choke points, and choose H.265 compression. These three choices routinely cut required storage by half without sacrificing the footage that matters.

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Last reviewed 2026-08-12 by the InCTRL Technology Team.