How long does a dashcam keep footage? How to save a clip

Most dashcams keep footage for hours of driving, not days. Once the memory card is full, the camera records over the oldest video. If you caught something you need, save it the same day.

Loop recording

Dashcams record in short files, often a few minutes each. When the card fills up, the camera deletes the oldest unlocked file to make room. This is called loop recording. It means the camera never stops recording, but it also means old clips disappear without warning. Footage that's been overwritten can't be recovered.

Locked event files

Most cameras have a G-sensor that detects a hard bump or sudden braking and locks the current clip. Many also have a button you can press to lock a clip yourself. Locked files sit in a separate folder and aren't overwritten in the normal loop.

Two catches. First, a close call with no impact won't trigger the sensor, so lock it yourself. Second, locked files have limited space. On many cameras, once that space fills, the oldest locked files get overwritten too, or the camera stops saving new ones. Check your camera's manual for how yours behaves.

How much a card holds

It depends on resolution, bitrate and how many cameras are recording. As a rough guide, Nextbase says a 32 GB card holds about 4 hours of Full HD video. A front and rear camera writing to the same card, or a higher resolution like 2K or 4K, fills it much faster. Your camera's manual usually has a recording time table for each card size.

If you drive an hour a day, a small card may loop within a few days. Parking mode, if you use it, fills the card faster.

How to save a clip

  1. Lock the clip on the camera as soon as you can safely do it.
  2. Back home, take the card out and copy the files to your computer with a card reader. Many cameras also have a phone app for downloading clips over Wi-Fi.
  3. Copy the whole original file, plus the files just before and after it. Don't screen-record it or export it through an editor.
  4. Keep a second copy somewhere else.
  5. Write down the date and time the camera shows, and whether the camera's clock was right.

Keep the original unedited

If police or an insurer ask for the video, they'll want the file as the camera recorded it. Trimming, adding text or converting it can make it harder to use. Make a separate copy for any edits, like blurring faces before you post.

Next steps: send the footage to police if the driving was serious, and post it on BadDriver.ca so other drivers can look up the plate. Read the posting rules first.