Traffic & Red‑Light Camera Footage in Riverside: How to Request Video for Your Accident Case

If you were involved in a crash, traffic and red–light camera footage in Riverside may help prove what happened. To request video for your accident case, you need to know which agency operates the camera, how long footage is stored, and what documentation is required. 

These recordings can show the sequence of events at an intersection, identify the vehicles involved, and support your injury claim. This guide explains how traffic and red-light cameras work in Riverside, how long footage is kept, and how to request copies. A Riverside car accident lawyer can help you obtain and preserve the video evidence for your case.

Where Traffic Cameras Are Located in Riverside and Who Operates Each Traffic Camera Type

Multiple agencies and entities may operate traffic or surveillance cameras in Riverside, depending on where the crash occurred.

• City traffic department or municipal government: For any city-owned intersection cameras or traffic-signal monitoring systems. The City of Riverside discontinued its automated red-light enforcement program in 2014. Before that, red-light cameras operated at several intersections, including the Tyler/91 Freeway on-ramp and Van Buren at Arlington. Footage for accident cases is unlikely unless captured by another agency.
• Police or sheriff’s departments: The Riverside Police Department or Riverside County Sheriff’s Department may operate their own vehicle-mounted (dashcam) or facility-based cameras. They also respond to traffic collisions and may retain video from in-vehicle systems or traffic-monitoring feeds. However, access to this footage depends on internal retention policies and may require a formal records request.
• State DOT (Caltrans): Caltrans operates traffic-monitoring cameras along major highways and freeways in California. These feeds are typically real-time only and not archived. According to Caltrans, the footage is not stored unless specific arrangements are made for retention at the time of an incident. Still, you can check your crash location on the Caltrans QuickMap to see if a live feed covers the area.
• Third-party vendors: Some cities have historically contracted with private companies to manage red-light enforcement systems. Riverside previously used RedFlex Traffic Systems before ending the program in 2014. These vendors do not operate cameras in Riverside currently, but similar vendors may still be active in other cities. Historical footage from these programs is no longer available.
• Private businesses or property owners: Cameras located in parking lots, apartment complexes, retail centers, or garages are privately owned. These are not public-agency systems. If your crash occurred near or within one of these properties, contact the property owner or business manager directly to request video footage. Retention policies vary, and footage may only be kept for a few days.

How Long Camera Footage Is Kept (Retention Windows)

Understanding how long traffic camera footage is stored can help you act quickly to preserve evidence after a crash in Riverside.

• For many state or local traffic-monitoring cameras in California, footage is typically stored for 30 to 90 days, unless it is flagged or preserved for investigation.
• Riverside County’s records-retention schedules require many public records, such as written reports, logs, and correspondence, to be preserved for at least two years. However, these rules generally apply to documents, not to traffic-camera footage, which often has much shorter retention periods unless specifically preserved.
• For cameras owned by private businesses or residents, retention periods vary. Some systems overwrite footage within days or even hours, depending on available storage.

Requesting Private Traffic Video Footage (Businesses, Apartments, Doorbells)

If you believe a business or residential camera captured your crash in Riverside, follow these steps to request and preserve the footage:

• Ask the property manager or business owner: Provide date, time, intersection, or lot location, and explain you believe the incident is captured on their surveillance system.
• Send a preservation letter immediately: State that you request preservation of the footage pending possible litigation.
• Provide necessary details: Date, time, vehicle description, direction of travel, incident report number (if you have it).
• Subpoena option: If the business declines, your attorney may issue a subpoena for the footage as part of discovery once litigation is underway.
• Time stamps: Request the full time block around the incident (e.g., 5 minutes before to 10 minutes after).

Act immediately, as many businesses overwrite recordings within days.

How to Request Traffic Camera Footage in Riverside

To request traffic camera footage in Riverside, follow these steps to identify the right agency, submit a valid request, and preserve the video:

1. Identify the appropriate public agency: If the crash occurred at a city intersection, contact the Riverside Police Department Records Division or City of Riverside Public Works.
2. Use a public‑records request (under the California Public Records Act, CPRA): Most agencies have a CPRA portal or email contact for submitting requests. For example, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office CPRA unit processes requests. 
3. Provide clear details: See the next section for what to include.
4. Submit request via email or mail: Some agencies charge a small fee for search and reproduction.
5. Fee ranges: Fees vary by agency; some waive for accident‑victim requests, others charge per page or per hour of staff time.
6. ID requirements: The agency may require your name, contact information, incident number, or case number.
7. Sample request language:  “Pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Gov. Code § 6250 et seq.), please provide any traffic‑camera or signal‑camera video for the intersection of [Street A] and [Street B] in the City of Riverside, California, on [Date] at approximately [Time]. This request is made in connection with a motor‑vehicle collision in which I was involved and for which I am the injured party. Please maintain any recordings under a legal hold until you respond.”
8. Mailing address/email: Verify on the agency’s website (e.g., Riverside Police Department Records Division, City of Riverside, CA).

It is helpful to state you are a victim or involved party and request notification if the footage is about to be overwritten.

What Details You Must Include

When you request video footage, include:

• Date of incident: The month, day, and year.
• Exact time range: For example, 3:45 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.
• Intersection or approach: Include specific street names and direction of travel, such as northbound on Magnolia Ave. approaching Arlington Ave. or eastbound on Mission Inn Ave. near Market St.
• Vehicle information: License plate number or VIN, vehicle make and model, if possible.
• Incident report number: If you have a police report, include the number so the agency can more easily locate the footage.
• Your contact information: Your name, mailing and email address, and phone number.
• Brief statement of interest: For example, “I was involved in a collision and I am the injured party.”

This level of specificity helps the custodian locate the correct video and avoids delays.

How to Prove Time and Location Accurately

Accurate time and location details help agencies verify whether relevant footage exists and ensure the correct video segment is preserved.

• Use your phone metadata: If you took photographs or videos at the scene, check the timestamp and GPS location embedded in the file.
• Use dash‑cam GPS logs: If your vehicle or a witness has a dash‑cam, extract the time and location details.
• Use map links or screenshots: Show nearby cross‑streets, landmarks, or signal poles to confirm exactly which camera view may have captured the incident.
• Sync to official time sources: Note any time‑zone, daylight‑savings, or signal‑clock discrepancies. Indicate how you determined the incident time (i.e., the responding officer’s dispatch time).

Providing this documentation strengthens your argument that the requested footage corresponds to your incident.

If Your Request Is Denied or Delayed

Here’s what to do if your request is denied or delayed:

• Appeal the denial: Under the CPRA (Gov. Code § 6250 et seq.), you may challenge an agency’s refusal by filing a petition for a writ of mandate in court. 
• Narrow your scope: If broad footage is refused (e.g., “all intersection cameras for the week”), limit the request to a shorter time window or single camera angle.
• Request still frames: If the video is denied, sometimes the agency will provide still photographs of the event.
• Attorney subpoena option: If litigation is anticipated, your attorney can issue a subpoena to the agency or property owner compelling production.
• Document delays: Keep records of all correspondence, phone calls, and emails to preserve your right to seek legal remedy.

Preserving Evidence Fast

Follow these steps to preserve traffic or surveillance footage before it’s deleted or becomes inaccessible:

• Send a preservation letter the same day you learn of the potential footage.
• Call the custodian (traffic operations unit, records division, property manager) and ask them to place the footage on hold.
• Document every contact: date, time, person spoken to, and summary of conversation.
• Encourage your attorney to issue a legal hold letter to ensure footage is not overwritten.
• The sooner you act, the more likely you will recover critical video that may otherwise be erased.

How a Riverside Car Accident Attorney Can Help Secure Video

An experienced Riverside personal injury attorney can:

• Handle formal records requests under the CPRA and follow up with the agency.
• Issue preservation letters and, if needed, subpoenas to private businesses or public agencies.
• Monitor retention deadlines and work quickly to confirm footage still exists.
• Provide the correct legal basis and clear case‑number linkage to request footage while protecting your rights.

If you were injured in Riverside, we encourage you to contact J&Y Law for a free consultation. We will evaluate whether traffic‑ or signal‑camera footage may exist, assist in obtaining it, and integrate it into your claim to maximize your recovery.