Louisville, KY Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Convenience stores open 10pm-5am
- Footage retention
- 7 days, tape or digital
- Register camera height
- Eye level, 5-6 ft up
- Door camera height
- 7.5-8 ft (or eye-level if covert)
- Penalty
- Up to $250/day, § 10.99(A)
Summary
Louisville Metro requires every convenience store to install and maintain a security camera system covering the cash registers and entry/exit doors, with specific camera height and image-quality standards, seven-day footage retention, and posted signage under Code of Ordinances § 115.402.
Every convenience store shall be equipped with a security camera system that is operational and capable of recording and storing a clear image of the inside of the store and more specifically the cash register area(s) and entry and exit doors to assist in the identification and apprehension of a robber or other criminal.
(B) The camera(s) for cash registers must be positioned and adjusted so that each cash register area is completely visible in a camera's field of view, and a whole adult person is no less than 40% of the field of view. Each camera shall be placed so that the captured image of customers in the store at the cash register(s) is at the customer's eye level, which for the purposes of this subchapter is between five and six feet above the floor of the convenience store.
(C) Additionally, the camera(s) must be positioned and adjusted so that each entry and exit door is completely visible in a camera's field of view and shall be placed so that any visible camera is located between seven and one- half and eight feet from the floor level to clearly capture images of customers exiting the store, or, if the camera is covert, the camera shall be located at eye level, which for the purposes of this subchapter is between five and six feet above the floor of the convenience store.
(D) The security camera system may consist of either a video tape recording system or a digital video recording system and it shall be stored in
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-47: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinances passed by the Council and approved by the Mayor as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Louisville Metro Code § 115.402 requires every convenience store, any grocery, gas, or package-liquor retailer open between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., to install a security camera system covering each cash register and entry/exit door. Cameras over registers must be set at eye level, five to six feet up, capturing a customer's face at 40% of frame; door cameras sit seven-and-a-half to eight feet high, or at eye level if covert. Footage, tape or digital, must be retained seven days in a locked spot away from the register, with a posted "all transactions are recorded" sign and entrance height markers. LMPD or Codes and Regulations enforces it.
Violations & Fines
No specific fine is set for this subchapter, so it falls under Metro's general penalty, § 10.99(A): up to $250, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover home security cameras?
How long must convenience stores keep footage?
Does this apply in Jeffersontown or St. Matthews?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Louisville
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