What You Should Know About Ohio’s New Law on Body Camera Fees

Posted in Accident & Injury, Health & Wellness, In the news on February 12, 2025

Ohioans may now have to pay fees to access police videos like body cam, dash cam, and jail surveillance footage.

What Does the Law Say?

A new law signed by Governor Mike DeWine allows law enforcement agencies to charge up to $75 per hour for processing video requests, with a maximum fee of $750 per request.

The law, introduced as House Bill 315, permits state and local law enforcement agencies to charge fees for the time spent preparing body camera or dash camera videos for release. While agencies are not required to charge these fees, they now have the option to do so.

Agencies have five days to determine the cost of a request before processing. They are not required to start redacting the video until payment is received.

Why It’s Controversial

The law was passed during a late-night legislative session without public hearings or debates. Critics are concerned that the costs could deter individuals, journalists, and watchdog organizations from accessing records that promote accountability. They also point out that taxpayers already fund body cameras, making additional fees seem like a financial burden on the public.

Supporters believe that the fees are necessary to prevent system abuse and to help law enforcement manage limited resources.

Cleveland’s Approach to the Law

The City of Cleveland says it currently has no plans to charge for body camera video requests under the new Ohio law.

“We are reviewing the law and need to conduct research before making any decisions,” said city spokesperson Tyler Sinclair. “Freedom of the press is vital to democracy, and we value the role of traditional media in holding the government accountable. We have no plans to charge fees to the press.”