Getting The Footage
Wis. Stat. 165.87 — body camera data kept for a minimum of 120 days, and longer for force, injury or arrest
120 days. All data from a body camera used on a law enforcement officer is retained for a minimum of 120 days after the date of recording.
Longer. Data recording an encounter that resulted in a death or an actual or alleged injury, a custodial arrest, a search during a temporary questioning, or a use of force is kept until final disposition of the investigation, case or complaint.
A preservation directive. An officer, agency, prosecutor, defendant or court may direct longer retention where the data have evidentiary value, by submitting the directive to the agency within 120 days after the recording.
Privacy, weighed. Access to body camera data recording a victim of a sensitive or violent crime, a minor, or a person in a place with a reasonable expectation of privacy is provided only if the public interest in access is so great as to outweigh the state's policy of protecting that privacy.
How a records request is made, the fees, and the other exemptions in the public records law are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular recording must be released is a question for a licensed Wisconsin attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Wis. Stat. 165.87 — Body cameras: retention and access
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.