Hackensack, NJ Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)

The Community Sharecam registry, created by § 32-15, exists so the Hackensack Police Department can quickly identify nearby cameras when investigating criminal activity. Any owner of a private outdoor camera in the City, residential or commercial, may register, but nothing in the article compels registration. A. 7b: the camera owner's name; current contact information including street address and phone number; the street address where the camera is installed; the number of cameras at that address; the outdoor areas each camera records; how and how long footage is saved or stored; and any additional information the Police Department deems necessary.

Under § 32-17, only law enforcement can use the registry, and only to investigate criminal activity occurring near a registered camera's location. A state, county, or municipal agency may contact a registered owner to request footage, but registering does not obligate the owner to hand over footage unless another law otherwise requires it. A. ) or common law, and cannot be obtained by any person, entity, or agency except under a grand jury subpoena or a court order in a criminal matter. Section 32-18 confirms that registering does not waive any constitutional or other legal rights the owner holds.

The article defines a covered camera broadly, as any device installed outside a residence or business that captures footage of the area outside it for security purposes.