What you need to know
The Department of Education’s FERPA video FAQ says a surveillance clip that a school uses to discipline students becomes an education record of each student involved. Parents may inspect it, other students must be redacted where reasonable, and police access usually needs consent or an exception.
Potentially affected
K-12 schools, districts, colleges and universities that record video, their school resource officers or campus police units, and the integrators who configure video retention, export and user roles.
DSE recommendation
DSE recommends deciding, in writing, which school office maintains surveillance video and how clips are exported, redacted and released before an incident requires it.
The Department of Education’s FERPA video FAQ says a surveillance clip that a school uses to discipline students becomes an education record of each student involved. Parents may inspect it, other students must be redacted where reasonable, and police access usually needs consent or an exception.
Source facts
The Department of Education’s FERPA photo and video FAQ says a video is an education record when it is directly related to a student and maintained by the school or a party acting for it. Its example: a school surveillance video of two students fighting in a hallway, used in disciplinary action, is directly related to the students fighting, and the same video can be the education record of more than one student.
Records created and maintained by a school’s law enforcement unit for a law enforcement purpose are excluded, so surveillance video kept that way is not an education record. If the unit gives a copy to another part of the school, for example for discipline, that copy may become an education record.
Parents or eligible students may inspect and review, or be informed of, a video that is their education record, but FERPA generally does not require copies. Where the portions related to other students can reasonably be redacted or segregated, the school must do so, and it may not charge for that work. Video that is an education record may not be given to police on request without consent unless an exception applies, such as a health or safety emergency or a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
Applicability
Use this for any school or district that records video. The FAQ explains federal FERPA obligations only; state open-records laws, state student-privacy laws and district policy may add requirements, so final decisions belong with district counsel.
DSE recommendation
DSE recommends deciding, in writing, which school office maintains surveillance video and how clips are exported, redacted and released before an incident requires it. Configure the video system so routine footage stays with its designated custodian, exports are logged with the requester and purpose, and staff have a tested way to blur or crop other students before a parent review. Route every police request through the designated official so the consent, emergency or subpoena basis is recorded.
Verification
Test an export-and-redaction run on sample footage each school year, confirm the export log captures who, what and why, and review a sample of released clips against the documented basis for release.
Official reference
U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office — FAQs on Photos and Videos under FERPA. Reviewed October 18, 2026.
Review the official source
U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office — FAQs on Photos and Videos under FERPA · Verified October 18, 2026
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