law enforcement; cameras; data storage

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not mention the impact on victims requesting copies of police reports, so it was removed from who_it_affects.

Law Enforcement Cameras; Data Storage

This bill requires law enforcement to delete camera footage after 30 days, except for certain exceptions like active cases or potential legal issues.

What This Bill Does

• Requires all video recorded by police body-worn and dash cameras to be deleted within 30 days unless it is needed for an ongoing case or legal issue.
• Specifies that this rule applies even if other laws say the footage should be kept longer.
• Exempts certain types of footage from being deleted, such as videos related to active criminal cases, potential civil lawsuits, and ongoing prosecutions.

Who It Names or Affects

• Law enforcement officers who use body-worn or dash cameras

Terms To Know

body-worn camera

A small video recorder worn by a police officer to record interactions and events during their duty.

dash camera

A video recording device installed in a police vehicle to capture footage of the road and surroundings while driving.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if the 30-day period ends before an exception applies.
• It is unclear how this will affect public access to video evidence for transparency or accountability purposes.

Official Summary Text

SB1804 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1804

law enforcement; cameras; data storage

Purpose

Requires all
footage captured by a law enforcement officer's body-worn or dash camera to be
deleted 30 days after the footage was first recorded, except as specified.

Background

All officers and
public bodies must maintain records to keep an accurate knowledge of their
official activities, including activities that are supported by public monies.
Public records and other matters in the custody of an officer of a public body
must be open to inspection by any person. Any entity that is subject to a
public records request must provide the name, telephone number and email address
of an employee or department that is authorized to provide the information
requested (
A.R.S. Title 39,
Chapter 1
).

A victim of a
criminal offense or a delinquent act has the right to request a copy of the
police report and transcript from the investigating law enforcement agency free
of charge (
A.R.S.
� 39-127
).

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Requires all camera footage captured by a law enforcement officer's
body-worn camera or dash camera to be deleted 30 days after the camera footage
was first recorded.

2.

Specifies that the requirement to delete the camera footage is
notwithstanding any other law.

3.

Exempts,
from the deletion requirement, any camera footage that is involved in or
necessary for:

a)

active criminal cases;

b)

potential civil liability; or

c)

active
criminal prosecutions.

4.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by
Senate Research

February 16,
2026

KJA/SDR/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1804 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
law enforcement; cameras; data
storage

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1804

Introduced by

Senator
Gowan

AN
ACT

Amending Title 38, chapter 8, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 38-1121; relating to law
enforcement officers.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 38, chapter 8, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 38-1121, to read:

START_STATUTE
38-1121.

Law enforcement officers; cameras; data storage; applicability

A. Notwithstanding any other law, All
camera footage that is captured by a law ENFORCEMENT officer's body-worn camera
or dash camera must be deleted thirty days after the camera footage was first
recorded.

B. This section does not apply to any
camera footage that is involved in or necessary for any of the following:

1. active criminal cases.

2. Potential civil liability.

3. Active criminal prosecutions.
END_STATUTE