Can I install a security camera at my home?
Yes, to protect your own home — provided you only film your own property. A camera set up by a private individual to protect the inside of the house, the garden or private access ways falls under the household exemption of the GDPR: no formality with the CNPD is required. But the exemption falls the moment the camera films beyond your home — the street, the pavement, the building entrance or the neighbour's land. In that case the processing falls fully under the GDPR and the Law of 1 August 2018, with a duty to minimise the field of view, to signpost the camera, to limit how long images are kept and to be able to justify it. Since the GDPR there is no prior authorisation from the CNPD, but a permanent responsibility. The myth: "I can point my camera at the street for my security" — false; filming public space or the neighbour is in principle disproportionate and can lead to a complaint.
📋 The rules
- Household exemption: filming strictly your own place (interior, garden, private access) escapes the GDPR and needs no step with the CNPD.
- As soon as it spills over: capturing the street, a pavement, a building entrance or the neighbour's land brings the setup within the GDPR and the Law of 1 August 2018.
- Minimisation: the camera's field of view must be reduced to what is strictly necessary; mask the areas that are not yours.
- Information: a video-surveillance covering an accessible area must be signposted with a visible sign.
- No prior authorisation: since the GDPR the CNPD issues no approval; it is up to you to ensure compliance and limited retention.
🔓 Exceptions
- Co-ownership: a camera in the common parts is a matter for the co-ownership (assembly decision, data controller), not for the household exemption alone.
- Dashcam: an on-board camera filming the public road does not fall under the household exemption and is deemed non-compliant by the CNPD.
- Video doorbell: a video intercom that only activates when the bell is pressed and keeps nothing stays, in principle, within the household setting.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
A camera that films too wide exposes you to several stacking risks. The filmed neighbour can lodge a complaint with the CNPD; if the images are kept or shared, the authority can order compliance, re-aiming or removal of the device, or even impose an administrative fine under the GDPR. Filming a person in a private place without consent also engages the Law of 11 August 1982 on privacy, punishable by 8 days to 1 year in prison and/or a fine of 251 to 5,000 euros. In civil law, the victim can claim damages for breach of privacy and image rights. Sharing the images (social media, neighbourhood group) worsens the fault. Finally, a neighbour dispute born of a badly aimed camera can drag on and cost far more than the equipment.
📎 Official sources
- CNPD · video-surveillance in a private home (official dossier) →
- Legilux · Law of 1 August 2018 (data protection) and GDPR →
- CNPD · guidelines on video-surveillance →
❓ Frequently asked
Am I allowed to film my own entrance and garden?
Yes: filming strictly the inside of your property, including the garden and your private access ways, falls under the GDPR household exemption. No step with the CNPD is needed, as long as the camera's field does not spill onto the street or the neighbour's land.
Can I point my camera at the street for more security?
In principle no: filming public space is deemed disproportionate for a private individual and takes the setup out of the household exemption. You must mask or restrict the part that captures the public road, on pain of a complaint before the CNPD.
What if my neighbour films me with their camera?
You can first ask them to re-aim the device, then lodge a complaint with the CNPD attaching proof of the surveillance. If the images are kept or shared, the authority has wider powers; failing that, the civil route for breach of privacy stays open.
Do I still have to declare my camera to the CNPD?
No: since the GDPR came into force there is no prior authorisation or declaration to the CNPD. In return, you are permanently responsible for compliance, which means minimising the field, informing people and limiting the retention period.
Is a "site under video-surveillance" sign mandatory?
As soon as the camera covers an area where other people may pass, informing them with a visible sign is required. This signage does not make lawful a camera that films the street or the neighbour, but its absence is a further breach.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “home security camera luxembourg”
- “camera filming street neighbour gdpr luxembourg”
- “private cctv cnpd luxembourg”
- “outdoor camera law luxembourg”
- “declare camera cnpd luxembourg”
- “cctv co-ownership luxembourg”