Can I install CCTV cameras at my home?
Conditional: you can film your space, but only that. A home camera is lawful under the household exception of the GDPR if it captures only your exclusive space. When it films the public road, neighbours or common areas, the GDPR and Law 58/2019 apply, with the CNPD as authority. Rules: film only what's yours, never the public road or neighbours' building/doors; no audio (except in narrow cases); mandatory visible signage; and a maximum 30-day retention. In a condominium, cameras may only cover common areas (never individual doors or the road) and need assembly approval (the CNPD recommends unanimity). In short: yes, only your space and with rules.
📋 The rules
- Film only your exclusive space
- Never the public road or neighbours' building
- No audio (except narrow cases) and with signage
- Retention maximum 30 days
- Condominium: only common areas, with assembly approval
🔓 Exceptions
- Household exception: a camera filming only your space is outside the GDPR
- If some public space is unavoidable, the CNPD requires digital masking
- Condominium approval: unanimity (prudent) or, for some, 2/3
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Fines follow the GDPR / Law 58/2019, set by the CNPD. Very serious breaches run, for individuals, from €1,000 to €500,000 (and up to €20 million or 4% of turnover for companies); serious ones (typical of unlawful CCTV or no signage), from €500 to €250,000 for individuals. Fines are split 60% State / 40% CNPD. Beware a myth: "it's my house, I can point at the street for security" — false, private filming of the public road is prohibited. And don't import Brazil's LGPD (authority ANPD, fines in reais) — in Portugal it's the GDPR + Law 58/2019, with the CNPD and euro figures. To stay compliant: point the camera only at your space, put up signage, don't film the street or neighbours, and in a condominium take it to the assembly.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I install cameras at my home?
Yes, as long as they film only your exclusive space, like the home interior or your own perimeter. In that case, the household exception applies and the camera falls outside the GDPR's stricter rules. The problem arises when the camera captures the public road, neighbours or the building's common areas.
Can I film the street in front of my house?
No. Filming the public road by private individuals is prohibited, being reserved to the authorities. Your camera can only capture the strict minimum of your access, and if it's unavoidable to catch some public space, the CNPD requires that area to be digitally masked. Pointing the camera at the street, even for security, isn't allowed.
Can I film my neighbour's entrance?
No. You can't point the camera at your neighbour's door, window, balcony, garden or corridor, nor at common areas you don't own exclusively. The camera must capture only your own space. Filming third parties' space breaches the GDPR and can lead to a fine applied by the CNPD.
Can the condominium install cameras?
Yes, but only in common areas, like entrances and garages, never at individual doors, exclusive terraces or the public road. The installation must be approved at the owners' assembly. The CNPD recommends, prudently, the consent of all co-owners, though some accept a two-thirds majority.
How long can I keep the footage?
CCTV footage can generally be kept for a maximum of 30 days, then must be destroyed. Access to the recordings must be restricted. Keeping the footage longer, without justification, or allowing improper access, are breaches that can be subject to a fine by the CNPD.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “cctv cameras home legal”
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- “cctv signage mandatory”
- “cnpd neighbour cameras”
- “keep footage 30 days”