Wondering, “Do parking garages have cameras?” Whether you’re worried about break-ins, trying to track down damage to your car, or just want to feel safer walking to your vehicle at night, it’s a fair question. The short answer? Most parking garages do have cameras, but not always where or how you’d expect.
In this guide, we’ll walk through why parking garages use surveillance, where cameras are usually placed, what types are commonly installed, and which security systems work best for parking lots.
Why Do Parking Garages Have Cameras?
The answer to “Are there cameras in parking garages?” is mostly yes, mainly to protect people and property. Whether you’re a driver or a garage operator, surveillance helps make the space safer and more secure.
Crime Prevention
One of the biggest reasons why parking lots have cameras is deterrence. Just seeing a visible camera is often enough to stop someone from breaking into a car or vandalizing property. In fact, studies have shown that crime in parking areas can drop by nearly 50% when surveillance is clearly in place.
Incident Documentation
When something does happen—like a car accident, hit-and-run, theft, or a slip-and-fall—having footage can make a huge difference. Security video helps identify suspects, verify events, and provide clear evidence for police reports or insurance claims. For drivers, this can mean faster resolutions. For garage operators, it reduces the risk of false claims or costly legal disputes.
Insurance and Liability Protection
Many insurance providers view surveillance as a sign of lower risk. That means property owners who install and maintain a reliable parking lot surveillance camera system may qualify for reduced premiums. More importantly, cameras help limit liability by providing documentation that shows whether the garage took reasonable steps to provide a safe environment.
Operational Efficiency
Security footage also helps improve how a parking facility runs. By reviewing recordings, garage managers can identify traffic bottlenecks, unsafe driving behavior, or maintenance issues. Many modern camera systems now use AI and video analytics to automatically detect loitering, tailgating, or abandoned vehicles, alerting staff without the need for constant monitoring.
Where Are Parking Garage Cameras Placed?
To be effective, security cameras in parking garages need to cover more than just entrances. A well-planned system watches over the key areas where incidents are most likely to happen. If you’re wondering how to tell if a parking lot has cameras, check these areas:
- Entrances and Exits: These are top priority. Every vehicle comes through these points, so placing cameras here helps capture license plates and driver faces as cars enter or exit, especially near ticket readers or gate arms.
- Payment Stations and Access Lanes: Anywhere there’s a card reader or payment kiosk is a common target for tampering or fraud. Cameras focused on these areas help catch suspicious activity and provide proof when a gate malfunctions or someone claims they paid but couldn’t enter.
- Driving Aisles and Busy Corners: Interior drive lanes, especially where cars make sharp turns or cross pedestrian paths, are common spots for fender benders and close calls. Having parking garage cameras here makes it easier to resolve disputes and see exactly what happened.
- Stairwells, Elevators, and Entryways: These are some of the more isolated spots in a garage, which can make people feel unsafe. Cameras placed here help discourage assaults or theft and give people peace of mind when moving between levels.
- Blind Spots and Along Perimeter Walls: Installing cameras on exterior walls or between structural columns helps eliminate hiding spots and monitor anyone lingering or circling the area.
- Rooftops and Upper Levels: Even open-air decks need surveillance. Rooftop levels are frequent targets for catalytic converter theft and vandalism. Parking lot security cameras mounted on tall poles can provide broad coverage without blocking drivers’ views.
What Types of Cameras Are Typically Installed in Parking Garages
A good parking garage security camera system uses a mix of designs, features, and technology setups to cover different needs. Some cameras are better suited for high-traffic areas, others for dark corners. Let’s break down the common types of security cameras for parking lots:
Camera Designs (Form Factors)
- Dome Cameras: These are compact, rounded cameras often mounted on ceilings or walls. Their discreet design makes it hard to tell which direction the lens is pointing, and they’re built to resist tampering, great for stairwells, elevators, and indoor areas where people might walk close to the camera.
- Bullet Cameras: Shaped like a small cylinder or “bullet,” these are typically mounted on walls or poles and are easy to spot. That visibility acts as a deterrent, especially in open areas like drive lanes, entrances, or rooftop levels.
- PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) Cameras: These cameras can rotate, tilt, and zoom in to follow movement or focus on specific areas. One PTZ camera can cover multiple zones, track a suspicious person or vehicle, or zoom in on a license plate—all with remote control. They’re often placed where wide coverage and flexibility are needed.
Camera Features (What They Can Do)
- Infrared (IR) Night Vision: IR-equipped cameras can see in total darkness by using invisible infrared light. They typically produce black-and-white images but are essential for low-lit areas, corners, or overnight monitoring.
- Color Night Vision / Starlight Sensors: These advanced sensors allow cameras to stay in color even in very low light, helpful when you need to identify vehicle colors, clothing, or other key visual details.
- License Plate Recognition (LPR): These cameras are designed to capture and read license plates, usually at entrances or exits. They work with software that can log plate numbers for access control, tracking, or after-incident review.
Network, Power & Storage (How They Work)
- Analog CCTV with DVR: These older systems use coaxial cables and record footage on a DVR. They’re still found in some garages because they’re affordable and reliable over long cable runs, but they usually lack HD video and remote access features.
- IP Cameras with NVR or Cloud Storage: IP (internet protocol) cameras send digital video over a network—either through Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi. They support high-definition video, encryption, remote access, and smart features. The footage is typically stored on a network video recorder (NVR) or in the cloud.
- PoE (Power over Ethernet) Cameras: PoE cameras receive both power and data through a single Ethernet cable, which makes installation easier. Many systems come with NVRs that include PoE switches, making it easy to add or move cameras without running separate power lines.
Putting It Together
A typical multi-level garage might mount dome cameras in stairwells, bullet cameras on drive aisles, a PTZ overlooking the entrance/exit lanes, and an LPR unit aimed squarely at the gate arm.
Those feeds flow to a PoE-powered NVR, which stores footage for 30–90 days and runs AI analytics to ping security if someone loiters too long or piggybacks through the gate.
Best Security Camera Systems for Parking Lots
The best systems for parking lots combine long-range visibility, smart motion tracking, and around-the-clock reliability even in low light. That’s why most businesses now rely on PoE NVR camera systems.
These setups allow you to power and connect each camera with a single cable, making installation straightforward while supporting high-resolution footage, AI detection, and 24/7 local recording.
Below are two standout PoE security systems from eufy well worth checking out:
eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max
This eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max is built for large, open spaces like parking lots. It includes an 8-channel NVR with 2 TB of built-in storage and four powerful 16MP eufy PoE Cam S4 units. Each camera combines a fixed 4K ultra-wide lens (122°) for broad coverage with dual 2K PTZ cameras that offer 360° tracking and 8× auto-zoom.
What makes it perfect for parking lots is the auto-framing feature: when the upper wide-angle lens detects a moving subject—like a car pulling in—the lower PTZ lens zooms in automatically and keeps tracking it clearly up to 164 feet away. AI-powered object recognition can tell the difference between a car and a personand even trigger flashing red/blue warning lights for active deterrence.
Color night vision ensures visibility even in low-light conditions, while the IP65 weatherproofing makes each unit reliable in rain, heat, or snow.
What makes it ideal for parking lots:
- Triple-lens 16MP Bullet-PTZ cameras offer both wide-area and zoomed-in tracking
- AI auto-framing locks on and tracks people or cars from up to 164 ft away, then hands-off to the next camera with cross-cam tracking
- Red and blue flashing lights for visual deterrence
- Local 8-core AI engine on the NVR enables smart analytics and footage keyword search
- 24/7 recording with expandable storage (up to 16 TB) on the NVR
- Built to scale: start with 4 cams, expand up to 16 channels
eufy PoE NVR Security System S4
This eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 offers the same 8-channel NVR and powerful AI features but includes two S4 triple-lens cameras and two 4K PoE Bullet Cam E40 units. This more affordable mix is ideal for covering different zones of a parking lot—PTZs for tracking motion near entry points or lanes, and E40s for static surveillance over rows of parked vehicles.
The E40 bullet cams provide sharp 4K resolution, a 122° field of view, and IP67-rated durability. They’re great for fixed-position monitoring and deliver crisp footage day and night, thanks to color night vision and smart AI detection.
What makes it ideal for parking lots:
- Combines mobile 16MP Bullet-PTZ cams with fixed 4K bullet cams for mixed coverage
- E40s deliver sharp, weatherproof surveillance in key static zones
- Live cross-cam AI tracking works across the two S4 units
- 2 TB of local storage on the NVR, expandable to 16 TB
- PoE installation simplifies setup over large outdoor areas
Conclusion
So, do parking garages have cameras? In most cases, absolutely and for good reason. Cameras help deter theft, monitor activity, and provide crucial evidence when something goes wrong. From dome and bullet cameras to license plate readers and night vision, the right setup can make a big difference in keeping both vehicles and people safe. Whether you’re a driver wondering about your surroundings or a property owner planning a system, understanding where cameras are placed and what types are used can help you stay informed and protected.
FAQs
How to tell if a parking garage has cameras?
You can often spot cameras by looking for surveillance signs (e.g., “Under CCTV surveillance”) posted near the entrance or throughout the garage. Also, watch for visible camera hardware—like dome, bullet, or pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) units—mounted on walls, ceilings, or poles. Maps or apps for larger garages may mark camera locations. If you’re unsure, a quick ask to management or attendants will usually clarify.
How often are parking garage cameras checked?
Parking garage cameras are usually not monitored 24/7. Instead, footage is often reviewed only when there’s an incident, complaint, or reason to investigate. Most systems store recordings for a set time—commonly around 30 days—before the footage is automatically overwritten. Routine checks may also be done to ensure the cameras are working properly, but live monitoring is rare unless the facility has dedicated security staff.
Can parking garage cameras see into cars?
In some cases, yes. With high-resolution cameras, good lighting, and clear windows, it’s possible to glimpse inside vehicles. However, tinted glass, poor lighting, and distance often limit visibility. Infrared or thermal night modes generally can’t see through car windows clearly.
Does your parking space have cameras?
That depends on your parking garage—most do, but not all. Larger or more secure facilities typically use surveillance systems to deter crime and monitor liability risks. To find out whether your specific parking space is covered, you can check for signs, look for visible cameras, consult parking maps or apps, or simply ask facility staff or management.