Getting The Footage
ORC 149.43 — public records and body cam
Body camera and dash camera recordings are public records in Ohio, handled under the same section as everything else an agency holds. You can ask for the video of your own stop, and you do not have to say why you want it or give your name to make the request.
- Ask the agency that made the recording, not a court. Departments and sheriffs each handle their own.
- Be specific. A date, a time, a location, a case or incident number, and the officer if you know them.
- Video can be withheld or blurred under the exemptions in the statute, including material tied to an ongoing investigation.
- Video is treated differently from paper on cost, because reviewing and redacting it takes real time.
Video can carry a bill that paper does not. For law enforcement video Ohio allows an agency to charge for the work of reviewing and redacting it, capped per hour and capped overall, and the agency has to give you an estimate within a few business days before running up the cost. Ask for the estimate in writing first so nothing surprises you.
“I am making a public records request under ORC 149.43 for all body worn and dash camera video from this incident, and I would like a written cost estimate before any work begins.”
Ask early. Agencies keep video only for a set retention period, and once it ages out it is gone.
Sources for this section (1)
- ORC 149.43 — Availability of public records, including law enforcement video
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Talk to a licensed Ohio attorney about your situation.