Tuscaloosa, AL Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)

Sec. 3-53(a) requires every alcohol licensee of the city to install, maintain and operate a security camera system capable of producing retrievable, identifiable images for law enforcement to use in offender identification, apprehension and conviction. The cameras must cover the interior of the premises, with a carve-out for private areas such as bathrooms, and must also cover the exterior, including the entrance, exits and the parking area. The ordinance sets hard technical specifications rather than leaving them to the licensee's discretion: cameras must record at a minimum of 720p resolution, the recording device must likewise capture at 720p with infrared capability for nighttime use, and the system must retain footage for a minimum of thirty days.

25 foot-candles measured on the parking area, sidewalk or other ground surface. Both requirements were added by Ord. No. 8820, Sec. m. (Sec. 3-52) and an annual fire, police and building inspection for every alcohol-licensed premises before October 1 of each year, during which any 'security camera' violation identified in writing must be fixed before the license can be renewed on January 1. This is a business-licensing camera requirement, not a residential ordinance: it applies only to premises holding a city alcohol license, and the code does not separately regulate cameras on private homes or describe a police department Ring-style camera registry.