How to get police and traffic camera video of a crash in District of Columbia

The public records law that gets you the video

D.C. Freedom of Information Act of 1976, D.C. Code §§2-531 to 2-539

15 business days; MPD body cam: 25

“Any person has a right to inspect, and at his or her discretion, to copy any public record of a public body, except as otherwise expressly provided by § 2-534” (D.C. Code §2-532(a)), and the body must provide the record “in any form or format requested by the person,” at the person’s cost of reproducing it in that format (§2-532(a-1)). Deadline: a public body “shall within 15 days (except Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) of the receipt of any such request either make the requested public record accessible or notify the person making such request of its determination not to make the requested public record or any part thereof accessible and the reasons therefor” (§2-532(c)(1)). For “a body-worn camera recording recorded by the Metropolitan Police Department,” MPD has 25 days, again excluding weekends and legal public holidays, and “A request for a body-worn camera recording may only be submitted to the Metropolitan Police Department” (§2-532(c)(2)). In unusual circumstances the body may extend by written notice giving the reasons and an expected date, by no more than 10 more business days (15 for MPD body camera video); unusual circumstances are limited to voluminous records, consultation with another body, or, for body camera video, the inability to get a vendor to do the redactions within 25 days (§2-532(d)). Missing the deadline is a denial, and you may go to court or appeal to the Mayor (§2-532(e)). A denial must give the specific reasons and exemptions, the name of the official responsible, and your appeal rights (§2-533(a)). Fees may not exceed “the actual cost of searching for, reviewing, redacting, and making copies of records” and may be waived or reduced in the public interest (§2-532(b)); for a request that is not commercial, scholarly or from the news media, fees are limited to reasonable standard charges for search and duplication (§2-532(b-1)(3)); and an agency may not require advance payment unless you previously failed to pay on time or it has determined the fee will exceed $250 (§2-532(b-3)). The Mayor’s fee rule, 1 DCMR §408.1, charges search time after the first hour at $4.00, $7.00 or $10.00 per quarter hour depending on the employee’s grade, and $.25 per photocopied page; where no fee is set, the direct cost may be charged only after you are told the cost in advance (§408.2). We found no published MPD fee schedule for body camera video; fees paid for it go into a fund used to pay a redaction vendor (D.C. Code §5-116.51). Submit through the District’s FOIA portal, myfoia.dc.gov, which MPD calls “the quickest way”; MPD also takes mail to its FOIA Officer at 441 4th Street, NW, Suite 1100S, Washington, DC 20001, marked “FOIA Request.” MPD says the clock starts when the FOIA Officer of the body that holds the records actually receives the request.

Police body camera and dashcam video

On it? Ask to view (limited); copy: FOIA

MPD’s body-worn camera program is governed by D.C. Code §§5-116.31 to 5-116.33 and the rules the Mayor issued under §5-116.32, 24 DCMR chapter 39. Viewing without a copy: “Pursuant to policy directives adopted under the authority of § 3900.3, the Department shall schedule a time for the following individuals to view a BWC recording: Any subject of the BWC recording; The subject’s legal representative; If the subject is a minor, the subject’s parent or legal guardian; and If the subject is deceased, the subject’s parent, legal guardian, next of kin, and their respective legal representatives,” but none of them “may make a copy,” and MPD “may not schedule a time to view the BWC recording if access to the unredacted BWC recording would violate a recognized privacy right of another subject” (24 DCMR §3902.5). A subject is anyone recorded who is not an on-duty officer (24 DCMR §3999). MPD’s pages describe the rule as letting a subject view a recording “provided no other individual is identifiable using information included in the footage,” and say you request a viewing online or at the station of the police district where the incident happened, wait at least 48 hours after the incident, bring photo ID, and view it at that station; MPD’s FAQ says the subject must be present at the viewing, and the viewing process covers interactions that lead to a non-criminal misconduct allegation or incidents “non-criminal in nature,” that a subject who appears for more than 30 seconds without others nearby may be shown clips, and that an insurance company representative may not view recordings of auto accidents. A crash recording usually shows the other driver, so expect a viewing request to be refused and plan on FOIA. Copies: “An individual seeking to obtain a copy of a BWC recording not covered by § 3902.5 may submit a FOIA request to the Department” (24 DCMR §3902.6), and MPD says a person denied a viewing may ask under FOIA for a redacted version. MPD may withhold body camera video recorded “Inside a personal residence” or related to domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault (D.C. Code §2-534(a)(2A)), and it redacts other people under the privacy exemption (§2-534(a)(2)). In a 2023 advisory opinion on a pedestrian’s request for body camera video of the crash in which a driver hit her, the Office of Open Government concluded that MPD properly blurred bystanders’ faces and removed the driver’s recorded statement because the requester had not shown a public interest in them (Advisory Opinion OOG-2023-002_AO); advisory opinions are not court rulings. When MPD releases body camera video, officers’ likenesses “shall not be redacted or otherwise obscured,” except undercover officers (D.C. Code §5-116.33(f); 24 DCMR §3902.9). Retention: “a BWC recording shall be retained by the Department for not more than ninety (90) calendar days from the date the recording was created” unless it falls under §3901.2, which requires longer schedules for recordings related to a criminal investigation, a complaint, a death investigation, a civil litigation hold, “a FOIA request,” training, and any other category the Chief of Police sets (24 DCMR §§3901.1, 3901.2). MPD’s order sets those schedules: officers must record traffic crashes, and recordings are kept by category, for example 1 year for “Incident / No Criminal Offense” and “Traffic Stop,” 3 years for “All Other Misdemeanors,” and “Until manually deleted” for recordings tagged for FOIA or civil litigation, which are kept until related proceedings, claims, litigation holds and complaints are resolved; the schedule has no separate traffic crash category (GO-SPT-302.13, Attachments A and B, effective March 12, 2024). Public release without a request: within 5 business days after an officer-involved death or serious use of force, the Mayor must publicly release the involved officers’ names and body camera recordings, unless the decedent’s next of kin or the person against whom force was used says they do not consent, and the Mayor may release other recordings case by case in matters of significant public interest (D.C. Code §5-116.33(c)); the D.C. Law Library says the temporary changes made by D.C. Law 26-139 to these release rules will expire on January 22, 2027. The statute and 24 DCMR chapter 39 address body-worn cameras only; a search of the whole D.C. Code and a full-text search of the D.C. Municipal Regulations on DCRegs found no provision on police car dashboard cameras, so a request for any such video goes through FOIA like any other record.

When police can hold video back

May be withheld if it would interfere

Records “compiled for law-enforcement purposes” may be exempt, “but only to the extent that the production of such records would” interfere with enforcement proceedings, Council investigations or ongoing Office of Police Complaints investigations, “Deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication,” “Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,” disclose a confidential source, disclose investigative techniques not generally known, or endanger law enforcement personnel (D.C. Code §2-534(a)(3)). The exemptions are permissive (“may be exempt”), and “Any reasonably segregable portion of a public record shall be provided” after the exempt parts are removed, with each deletion explained in writing (§2-534(a), (b)). The statute sets no date on which a crash investigation file must be released; because the exemption applies only “to the extent” release would cause one of those harms, ask again once charges are resolved if you were refused while a case was open. Separately, MPD may not schedule a viewing of body camera video that would violate another subject’s privacy (24 DCMR §3902.5(b)(2)), and MPD’s FOIA page lists “Third Parties and/or Witnesses Oral Interviews or Written Statements” among records it does not make available to the public. For crash footage from District cameras in a Major Crash Unit case, where the footage “is evidence in a criminal proceeding, access to the photograph or video footage shall be handled through the existing discovery process for criminal cases” (D.C. Code §50-2209.04(a)(3)). MPD’s own CCTV recordings that hold evidence of criminal activity, or of an event that may expose MPD to civil liability, are kept “to final case disposition” (24 DCMR §2505.6).

Do traffic cameras in District of Columbia record?

DDOT CCTV deleted after 90 days

HSEMA says “DDOT CCTV camera footage is automatically deleted after 90 days, including weekends and holidays,” and DDOT says “DDOT CCTV traffic feeds are automatically deleted after 90 days, including weekends and holidays”; both recommend you submit your request “as soon as possible.” DDOT’s FOIA page tells you to request DDOT traffic camera footage through HSEMA: find the camera on HSEMA’s list and note the intersection name (for example “14th St & Pennsylvania Ave NW”), give the exact time window (for example “November 30, 2023, between 10 am and 11 am”), and email the request to hsema.foia@dc.gov. HSEMA says it has access to DDOT’s CCTV traffic feeds “for situational awareness during emergencies,” and its list is dated “current as of 8/6/2025,” so if your intersection is not on it, ask DDOT’s FOIA Officer, who can also be reached through myfoia.dc.gov. MPD runs its own CCTV cameras: under 24 DCMR §2505, MPD records a CCTV feed only with the Chief of Police’s written authorization (or in exigent circumstances or under a court order), and “Video recordings shall be maintained for ninety (90) calendar days after which time they will be recorded over or destroyed,” unless kept for evidence of a crime, possible civil liability to MPD, or training (24 DCMR §§2505.1, 2505.5, 2505.6); ask MPD’s FOIA Office for those. For a crash handled by MPD’s Major Crash Unit, D.C. Code §50-2209.04 also covers “other District-owned camera” footage, which excludes body-worn cameras (see the next section).

Red-light and speed cameras

Red-light, speed cams; crash access law

“The Mayor is authorized to use an automated traffic enforcement system to detect moving infractions,” violations it detects “shall constitute moving violations,” and recorded images “are prima facie evidence of an infraction and may be submitted without authentication” (D.C. Code §50-2209.01(a), (b)). The ticket goes to the registered owner by mail with the date, time and location, the violation, the plate and “a copy of the photo or digitized image of the violation,” and the owner is liable absent an intervening criminal or fraudulent act; you may ask for a hearing (§50-2209.02(a) to (c)). DDOT issues these tickets (D.C. Code §50-1501.02(l)(3) speaks of DDOT issuing them) and runs the program, which DDOT says covers red lights, speed, stop signs and oversized vehicles; its StreetSafe FAQ also lists bus lane and school bus violations. DDOT says the cameras “digitally capture and record violations including all of the relevant data images and video (if present) for the violation,” and that individuals may view their violation images and video clips online with the citation number and PIN on the mailed ticket, at the Photo Enforcement Moving Violations Public Inquiry Portal. These cameras capture violations, not continuous footage. The District-specific crash rule is D.C. Code §50-2209.04: “If an automated traffic enforcement camera or other District-owned camera captures a photograph or video footage of a collision handled by the Metropolitan Police Department Major Crash Unit, the Mayor shall: (1) Within 14 business days of the collision, inform the person or persons involved in the collision of the existence of the photograph or video footage; (2) Ensure the preservation of the photograph or video footage for 6 months from the date the photograph or video footage was created; and (3) Within 14 business days of the request of a person involved in the collision, provide access to the photograph or video footage; provided, that where the photograph or video footage is evidence in a criminal proceeding, access to the photograph or video footage shall be handled through the existing discovery process for criminal cases.” The section does not reduce your rights under FOIA, and “District-owned camera” does not include body-worn cameras (§50-2209.04(b), (d)). It is in force: the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Amendment Act of 2016 added it (D.C. Law 21-155, effective October 8, 2016, after congressional review), its funding condition was repealed by the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Act of 2017 (D.C. Law 22-33, effective December 13, 2017), and D.C. Law 22-77 (effective March 29, 2018) changed “all parties” and “a party” to the people involved in the collision. It applies only to collisions the Major Crash Unit handles; MPD’s crash order tells officers to notify the Major Crash Section of every crash with a serious injury where the person may die, or a death (GO-SPT-401.03, Part V.E). For other crashes, ask DDOT, HSEMA or MPD under FOIA.

If your request is denied

Mayor (MOLC) appeal or Superior Court

You may “petition the Mayor to review the public record to determine whether it may be withheld from public inspection,” and the Mayor must decide in writing, with reasons, “within 10 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) of the submission of the petition” (D.C. Code §2-537(a)). If the Mayor denies the petition or misses that deadline, or you are deemed to have exhausted your remedies because the agency missed its own deadline, you may sue for injunctive or declaratory relief in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; if the Mayor orders release and the agency still withholds, you may sue to compel it (§2-537(a)(1), (2)). The District’s rule also lets you skip the appeal: you “may appeal the denial to the Mayor or may seek immediate judicial review of the denial in the D.C. Superior Court” (1 DCMR §412.1). In court “The burden is on the public agency to sustain its action,” the court decides de novo and may review the records in camera, and a requester who prevails in whole or in part may be awarded reasonable attorney fees and costs (§2-537(b), (c)). Neither §2-537 nor 1 DCMR §412 sets a deadline for filing the appeal or the suit. The Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel decides appeals for the Mayor: send the appeal through the FOIA portal or to foia.appeals@dc.gov (preferred), or by mail to The Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel, FOIA Appeals, John A. Wilson Building, Suite 407, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004, with “FOIA Appeal” in the subject line, a copy of your request and the denial, and your reasons, and send a copy to the agency’s FOIA Officer (MOLC page; 1 DCMR §§412.3, 412.4, whose older mailing address differs). Under the rule, the agency answers the appeal within 5 business days and the decision is due within 10 business days of filing; if none issues, you may treat the appeal as denied and go to court (1 DCMR §§412.5, 412.7, 412.10). The Office of Open Government “may issue advisory opinions on the implementation of” FOIA (D.C. Code §1-1162.05c(d)); an advisory opinion is not an order to release. You may want to ask a lawyer whether a subpoena in a lawsuit is the better route to video another person’s privacy keeps out of a FOIA release.

What to do now

1. 1

   File FOIA requests the same week

   Ask MPD for all body camera video of the crash at myfoia.dc.gov, with the date, time, place and CCN. MPD’s rule makes a FOIA request a reason to keep a recording past 90 days.

2. 2

   Ask to view the body camera video

   If you were recorded, request a viewing at the station of the district where the crash happened, at least 48 hours after it. You will not get a copy this way.

3. 3

   Email HSEMA for DDOT traffic camera footage

   Send hsema.foia@dc.gov the intersection name from HSEMA’s camera list and the exact time window. DDOT says the footage is deleted after 90 days.

4. 4

   In a Major Crash case, ask for camera footage

   The District must give people involved access to District camera footage of the crash within 14 business days of a request; if it is evidence in a criminal case, access goes through criminal discovery instead (D.C. Code §50-2209.04).

5. 5

   Appeal a denial to the Mayor

   Email foia.appeals@dc.gov with "FOIA Appeal" in the subject, your request and the denial, or go straight to D.C. Superior Court. Post the crash on the bounty board too.

Frequently asked questions