Philadelphia, PA Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Code Ch. 10-1700, added 2000
- Retention period
- 30 days minimum, unrecycled
- Enforcing agency
- Philadelphia Police Department
- Minimum fine
- $25 per violation
- Repeat violations
- Each day is a separate offense
- Covered parties
- Businesses with video surveillance systems
Summary
Philadelphia requires any business running a video surveillance system to retain its footage unrecycled for at least thirty days, or longer if the Police Department sets a longer period by regulation, so investigators can pull tape after a crime. The Department can also dictate the tape quality businesses must use. Violations carry a minimum $25 fine per day under Code Chapter 10-1700.
§ 10-1703. Requirements.
(1) All businesses utilizing video surveillance systems shall maintain and not recycle surveillance videotapes from that system for a period of thirty days after their initial use or for a period determined by the department.
(2) The department may through regulation require businesses to use a type or quality of videotape for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this Ordinance.
§ 10-1704. Penalties.
(1) The penalty for violating the provisions of 10-1703(1) and 10-1703(2) shall be a minimum fine of twenty-five dollars ($25).
(2) Each day a violation continues or is allowed to continue shall constitute a separate offense for which a separate penalty may be imposed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 Code: Electronic version of The Philadelphia Code and Home Rule Charter is current through August 19, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 10-1700, added by Bill No. " Section 10-1702 defines "Department" as the Philadelphia Police Department and "Video Surveillance System" as any video recording system a business uses for monitoring and maintaining security or for preventing theft or criminal activity within the store; "Business" borrows the definition used for the Business Income and Receipts Tax in Title 19, Chapter 19-2600, added by a 2011 amendment (Bill No. 110758, effective May 1, 2012). The operative rule, Section 10-1703, has two parts: businesses must maintain and not recycle surveillance videotapes for thirty days after initial use, or for whatever longer period the Police Department sets by regulation, and the Department may separately require businesses to use a specific type or quality of videotape to meet that retention duty.
Section 10-1705 is a standard severability clause protecting the rest of the chapter if any one provision is struck down. The chapter targets commercial video surveillance equipment kept on business premises; it does not create a residential camera registry or reference any doorbell-camera sharing partnership, and no such program appears anywhere in this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-1704 sets the penalty for violating either the retention duty (10-1703(1)) or the Department's videotape-quality directive (10-1703(2)) at a minimum fine of $25. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, so a business that never comes into compliance accumulates a new $25-minimum penalty daily until it fixes its retention practices or tape quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Philadelphia business keep security camera footage?
Can Philadelphia dictate what kind of camera or tape a business uses?
What happens if a business does not comply?
Does Philadelphia require home security cameras or run a Ring-style registry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Philadelphia
Compare Philadelphia to another location·View the Pennsylvania privacy & surveillance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.