How do you get traffic camera footage in Houston?

Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.

What Houston TranStar cameras can and cannot give you

The freeway and street cameras most Houston drivers see online feed Houston TranStar, a center shared by the Texas Department of Transportation, Harris County, METRO and the City of Houston. Its FAQ answers the recording question in one line: “Houston TranStar does not record video or save images from these cameras.” A TranStar spokesman said the same to KPRC in 2021: “We don’t record video, but we do keep an eye on all of our cameras every single day.”

So a TranStar request will normally come back with an answer that no video exists. Ask anyway if the crash was on a freeway, and keep the reply. It documents that you looked, and it lets your lawyer focus on sources that actually record.

How to request records from Houston agencies

The Texas Public Information Act applies to the City of Houston, HPD, Harris County and METRO. Section 552.221 says the officer for public information must produce records promptly. If that cannot happen within 10 business days, the officer must say so in writing and set a date and hour when the records will be ready.

If the agency wants to hold something back, section 552.301 requires it to ask the Texas Attorney General for a decision within 10 business days after receiving your written request. Expect that step in any crash tied to a criminal case.

The city’s Public Information Act page says its online portal handles requests for most city departments, at the Public Information Request Center, and every request needs a return mailing address. HPD’s public information page sends requesters to the same center. It says HPD will send a cost estimate when the total will be over $40 and will ask for a deposit when it will be over $100.

HPD video, 911 calls and crash reports

HPD’s public information page has two details that change how fast you should move. First, 911 audio tapes are kept for six months and dispatch transcripts for one year. Requests for 911 tapes and dispatch records go to the Houston Emergency Center, at hecopenrecords@houstontx.gov. Second, HPD says criminal offense reports and associated items such as videos are not considered public information and will not be released unless the case was closed by conviction. In a DWI or hit-and-run crash, that can keep body camera video out of reach while the case is open. The law enforcement exception in section 552.108 covers information whose release would interfere with the detection, investigation or prosecution of crime.

Texas sets out what a body camera request must say. Under Code of Criminal Procedure article 2B.0112, which took the place of Occupations Code 1701.661 on January 1, 2025, a written request must give the date and approximate time of the recording, the specific location, and the name of one or more people known to be a subject of it. Leave one out and the request can stall. The same article generally keeps body camera video outside the Public Information Act unless it is or could be used as evidence in a criminal prosecution.

Crash reports are a separate track. HPD says accident reports need 5 to 8 days of processing before they are available. You can buy one online from TxDOT or send the city a $6 check or money order with a self-addressed stamped envelope. If police never wrote a report, see no police report after a car accident.

Red-light cameras in Houston

Houston used to have red-light cameras, but voters decided to turn them off, as Texas Public Radio noted in 2019. State law has since closed the door. According to TxDOT, since June 2, 2019, under HB 1631, local authorities are no longer permitted to install or operate photographic traffic signal enforcement systems, and use of evidence from them is prohibited. For a crash at a Houston intersection, plan on other sources for the light’s color, such as witnesses and business video.

METRO buses, businesses and doorbell cameras

If a METRO bus or train was near the crash, ask METRO directly. Its contact page names a public information coordinator for Public Information Act requests and lists OpenRecordsRequests@RideMETRO.org. Give the route number, direction and time so staff can find the right vehicle. If the bus caused the crash, our page on bus accident lawsuits explains who you can sue.

Shops along the feeder roads, tire shops and apartment complexes may have caught the impact. The Public Information Act covers governmental bodies, so with private owners you rely on asking. Go in person, ask the manager to copy the clip, and leave a short written note with the date, time and camera you mean, asking them not to record over it. A doorbell camera across the street is worth a knock on the door the same day.

Claims against the City of Houston

When a city vehicle or a city street played a part, the notice clock is short. The City of Houston Legal Department says Article IX, Section 11 of the City Charter requires notice of a personal injury claim within 90 days, and that missing the deadline or the required method can release the city from liability. Texas law ratifies city charter notice periods like this one (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.101). Sending the notice early also gives you a reason to ask the city, in writing, to keep its video and dispatch records.

Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.

What this means for your case

In Houston, start with the records that expire. Request the 911 audio and dispatch records within weeks, since HPD keeps 911 tapes for six months. Then go after METRO, business and doorbell video, and ask TranStar only to confirm nothing was saved. Our Texas injury attorneys can send these requests and the preservation letters for you. If your crash was in North Texas instead, read how to get traffic camera footage in Dallas.

Common questions

Related pages

Injury law FAQs

Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.