CCTV signs: what the ICO expects them to say, and where they go

If your CCTV records people, data protection law expects you to tell them, and a clear sign is how almost every business does it. A good CCTV sign is easy to see before someone walks into camera view, says who runs the cameras and why, and gives a way to get in touch if that is not obvious. This guide covers what the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) looks for, where to put the signs and which wording to choose.

Why a CCTV sign is needed #

Recorded images of people who can be identified are personal data under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. One of the basic rules is transparency: people have a right to know their information is being collected, by whom and what for. The ICO’s guidance on video surveillance says signs are the usual way to do this, and that they should be clearly visible and readable.

This applies to businesses, charities, landlords and clubs. Home cameras that only cover your own property are outside data protection law, but once a home camera captures the street or a neighbour’s garden, the same rules apply, and a sign is a sensible start.

What to put on the sign #

• That CCTV is in operation, ideally with a camera symbol so it is understood at a glance.
• Who operates it, if that is not obvious. Inside your own shop it usually is; in a shared car park or a block of flats it often is not.
• Why, for example crime prevention or public safety.
• How to get in touch, a phone number or email, so people can ask questions or request footage of themselves.

This is why write-on signs are popular: the standard warning is printed, with a panel to fill in the operator and contact number. “This scheme is controlled by” signs are made for exactly that.

Where to put CCTV signs #

• At every entrance to the area covered, so people see the sign before they are on camera.
• Inside, where people move between covered areas, such as the door from a shop floor into a stockroom.
• At a height and size that can be read from where people approach. A car park entrance seen from a moving car needs a much bigger sign than a reception desk; see sign letter height and viewing distance.

Signs are one part of using CCTV properly #

A sign does not make every camera position acceptable. The ICO also expects you to have a clear reason for the cameras, to avoid pointing them where people expect privacy such as toilets, to keep footage only as long as you need it, to keep it secure, and to deal with requests from people asking for footage of themselves. If you record sound, say so on the sign too, as audio recording is harder to justify.

CCTV signs we print #

• Plain warnings such as CCTV in operation and warning, 24 hour CCTV in operation.
• Write-on signs with space for the operator and contact details, including this scheme is controlled by and 24 hour CCTV, images are recorded.
• CCTV in operation site banners from 1200 × 800 mm for building sites, yards and fences.

Signs come in A4 (210 × 297 mm), A3, A2 and A1, on 3 mm Foamex for indoors, 3 mm Dibond for outdoors, or self-adhesive vinyl for glass doors. Not sure which board? Read indoor or outdoor sign material. Want your company name or logo printed on instead of written? Ask through get a quote.

Questions people ask #