If you’re planning to install a security camera system in Texas—whether for your home or business—it’s crucial to understand the state laws governing surveillance. While cameras are a powerful security tool, misuse can result in legal consequences, especially if they violate privacy rights.
In this blog, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Texas security camera laws, including where you can and cannot install cameras, audio recording rules, and tips to stay compliant.
📜 Are Security Cameras Legal in Texas?
Yes, security cameras are legal in Texas. But like most states, Texas law draws a clear line between security and privacy. You’re allowed to install cameras in most public or common areas—but you must not record where there is a “reasonable expectation of privacy.”
✅ Legal to Record In:
- Entrances and exits
- Front yards or driveways
- Store interiors (with signage)
- Office buildings (common areas)
- Parking lots
❌ Illegal to Record In:
- Bathrooms
- Bedrooms (if tenants or guests are unaware)
- Dressing rooms
- Inside someone else’s private property without consent
🔈 Audio Recording: Know the One-Party Consent Rule
Texas is a one-party consent state under the Texas Penal Code §16.02. This means:
You can legally record audio if you are part of the conversation or have consent from at least one person involved.
However, covertly recording private conversations without consent—especially when combined with video—can result in felony wiretapping charges.
🏢 Commercial Security Cameras: What Businesses Must Know
If you’re a business installing CCTV in Texas, you must adhere to the following:
📋 Key Rules:
- Place cameras only in non-private areas
- Inform employees and customers with visible signage (highly recommended)
- Avoid audio recording unless proper consent is obtained
- Follow HIPAA guidelines if recording in medical or patient areas
- Use licensed installers if your system is complex or integrated with alarms
Texas Private Security Bureau License is required for companies installing or servicing electronic security systems (e.g., License #B19875 like Ighty Support holds).
👮 Can You Record Trespassers or Package Thieves?
Yes. Recording from your own property is legal, including people approaching your door or property line. However:
- Avoid pointing cameras directly into a neighbor’s window
- Use motion-activated or AI-based systems to avoid continuous unnecessary recording
- Do not post recordings online without blurring faces or license plates
🔧 How to Stay Compliant When Installing Cameras
Here are some best practices to stay legal:
✅ Do:
- Mount cameras facing your own property
- Use visible signs stating “Security Cameras in Use”
- Hire licensed, insured professionals for business systems
- Regularly check privacy settings and permissions in your software
❌ Don’t:
- Record audio conversations without consent
- Place hidden cameras in areas of expected privacy
- Ignore complaints from neighbors or employees
📞 Need Professional Help? Contact Ighty Support
At Ighty Support, we’re a licensed electronic access provider (Texas License #B19875) offering legal and compliant camera installation across the DFW Metroplex.
We help you:
- Choose the right placement for cameras
- Comply with state surveillance laws
- Install and maintain high-quality systems
- Provide signage and user training
📍 Serving Plano, Fort Worth, Dallas, Southlake, and beyond.
Texas Security Camera Laws: FAQs
Is it legal to have security cameras on your property in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires no permit for home or business security cameras, and you can record video of your own property and anything visible from a public place, such as your yard, driveway, porch, parking lot or store floor. The limit is privacy: you cannot record people where they reasonably expect privacy, such as bathrooms, bedrooms or changing rooms (Texas Penal Code § 21.15).
Where is it illegal to put a security camera in Texas?
Bathrooms, bedrooms and changing rooms are off-limits. Under Texas Penal Code § 21.15, recording someone without consent, with intent to invade their privacy, in a place where they reasonably expect privacy is a state jail felony. The law lists bathrooms, bedrooms and changing rooms, including dressing rooms and locker rooms. A sign saying people are being recorded does not by itself count as consent in these places.
Can security cameras record audio in Texas?
Only with consent from someone in the conversation. Texas is a one-party consent state (Penal Code § 16.02): you can record a conversation you take part in, or one where a participant agrees. A camera that captures other people’s conversations without consent can be illegal interception, generally a second-degree felony, and can also bring civil damages of $10,000 per violation under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 123.
Can my neighbor point a security camera at my house or backyard in Texas?
Generally yes, as long as it only captures what can be seen from their property or a public place. Texas has no specific law against a neighbor’s camera facing your home or yard. It becomes illegal if the camera records inside private spaces, such as through a bedroom or bathroom window, which can be invasive visual recording (Penal Code § 21.15) or voyeurism (§ 21.17).
What can I do if a neighbor’s security camera is pointed into my home?
Start by asking your neighbor to change the angle or turn on a privacy mask, a setting most modern cameras have that blacks out part of the view. Curtains, window film, landscaping or a fence can also block it. If the camera records into private areas like a bedroom or bathroom, report it to local police. Repeated conduct meant to harass or frighten you may also fall under Texas harassment or stalking laws (Penal Code §§ 42.07, 42.072).
Can my HOA stop me from installing security cameras in Texas?
No. Texas Property Code § 202.023 says a property owners’ association generally cannot stop an owner from installing security measures, including security cameras, on their own property. The HOA can still bar cameras placed anywhere other than your property, such as common areas. The rule does not apply to condominiums, which follow their own declarations.
Do you need a license to install security cameras in Texas?
Yes, if you install them for someone else as a business. Companies that install, service or monitor security camera systems for clients must be licensed through the Texas DPS Private Security Program under Occupations Code Chapter 1702. DPS has said that network video system installers meet the definition of an alarm systems company. Homeowners and businesses installing cameras on their own property do not need this license. Ighty Support is licensed under License #B19875.
Do Texas businesses have to post signs about security cameras?
No Texas law requires a sign for video-only cameras in areas open to the public. The Texas Workforce Commission still recommends posting a notice at entrances and telling employees in writing where cameras are, and visible signs also deter theft. Cameras that record audio need consent, so post notice and get written consent. A sign never makes it legal to record bathrooms or changing rooms.
Can employers put security cameras in the workplace in Texas?
Yes. Texas employers can use video cameras in work areas, and the Texas Workforce Commission says notice and consent are not legally required for video, though it recommends both. Employers must never record restrooms or dressing rooms, need consent before recording audio, and should limit access to footage to authorized staff to reduce the risk of privacy or defamation claims.
Is facial recognition on security cameras legal in Texas?
Only with notice and consent. Texas’s biometric privacy law (Business & Commerce Code § 503.001, known as CUBI) treats a record of face geometry as a biometric identifier. A business that captures it for a commercial purpose must tell people and get their consent first, and must destroy it within a reasonable time, no later than one year after its purpose ends. The Texas Attorney General can seek up to $25,000 per violation.
Can I record trespassers or package thieves in Texas?
Yes. People on your porch, driveway, yard or business premises have no reasonable expectation of privacy there, so recording them on video is legal, and you can give the footage to police or your insurance company. Be careful when posting it online: publicly naming someone as a thief who turns out to be innocent can lead to a defamation claim. Audio of their conversations still follows the one-party consent rule.
Can landlords install security cameras at rental properties in Texas?
Yes, in exterior and shared areas such as entrances, parking lots, hallways, laundry rooms and leasing offices. Landlords cannot place cameras inside a tenant’s unit where the tenant expects privacy, especially bedrooms and bathrooms, which can be invasive visual recording under Penal Code § 21.15. Tenants can generally install their own cameras inside their unit; check the lease before mounting anything outside.
How long should a business keep security camera footage in Texas?
Texas has no general law setting how long a private business must keep security footage, so most businesses keep it 30 to 90 days, based on storage capacity and risk. Once you know of an incident, injury, claim or police investigation, save the relevant footage right away. Deleting evidence you know may be needed in a lawsuit can lead to penalties for destroying evidence.
Need licensed security camera installation in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Ighty Support designs and installs commercial security camera and access control systems that follow Texas law, from camera placement and signage to audio settings and footage storage. We are a Texas-licensed security installer (License #B19875) with local technicians serving businesses, schools, offices, warehouses and property managers across DFW since 2011.
Contact Ighty Support for a free security assessment:
- Call (24/7): (972) 200-3219
- Email: support@ightysupport.com
- Book online: Schedule a free consultation
- Offices: 1509 W Hebron Pkwy, Suite 120, Carrollton, TX 75010 and 2001 N Lamar St, Suite 270, Dallas, TX 75202
We serve Dallas, Carrollton, Plano, Frisco, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Denton, Southlake and 100+ cities across the Metroplex.
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