Body-Cams increase the safety of emergency services and ensure transparency and traceability of police measures. Their use requires clear legal regulations to protect the rights of all parties involved and to meet data protection requirements. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Police and Public Order Act (POG) serves as the legal basis for the use of body-cams. In particular, Section 31 POG specifies the specific situations in which the use of body cameras is permitted. A new amendment to the law has been in force since February 2025, which has significantly expanded the scope of application. Would you like to use a body cam in Rhineland-Palatinate? Let us advise you!
When is the use of body-cams permitted in Rhineland-Palatinate? If there is a “danger to life and limb” for police officers or third parties, body-cams may openly record personal data in publicly accessible areas. Body-Cam recordings may also be made if third parties are “unavoidably affected”, but the data collection by a body-cam must be indicated.
A significant step forward is the approval of pre-recording functions for body-cams in Rhineland-Palatinate. This function allows recording to start automatically a few seconds before the actual recording begins. This makes it easier to document sudden escalations – a decisive advantage for securing evidence in police operations.
New since 2025: The use of body-cams is now also permitted in homes, for example in cases of domestic violence. This strengthens the personal safety of emergency services personnel even when operating in private spaces.
Direct link to the legal basis: §32NPOG ## When must body-cam recordings be deleted?
If a body-cam recording is not used as evidence for criminal prosecution, hazard prevention or lawful verification, the image and audio material must be deleted after 30 days. The deletion process must be documented. ## What does the new law on the expansion of body-cam powers in Rhineland-Palatinate say?
In February 2025, the state parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate passed a comprehensive expansion of body-cam powers. The aim of the new law is to further improve the protection of police officers and municipal emergency services and to facilitate the documentation of dangerous situations. ### Body-Cams now also permitted in homes
A key point of the amendment concerns the use of body-cams in homes. Since the amendment came into force, police officers have been allowed to activate body-cams in private spaces under certain conditions – for example, during operations related to domestic violence. This represents a significant expansion of previous powers, which were previously limited exclusively to publicly accessible spaces.
Pre-recording of body-cam footage now legally permissible The previously prohibited pre-recording function of body-cams has been approved under the new law. This means that body-cams can now automatically record a period of time before the actual recording begins. This technology makes it easier to document situations that suddenly escalate and ensures greater legal certainty during operations.
Local law enforcement agencies may use body-cams Another new feature is that local law enforcement officers in Rhineland-Palatinate are now permitted to carry and use body-cams in public spaces. This measure serves to improve the protection of local law enforcement officers, who are increasingly exposed to verbal and physical attacks. As with the police, the use of body-cams is subject to clear legal requirements and data protection rules.
Go directly to the legal basis: §32NPOG
Would you like to use a body camera in Rhineland-Palatinate? Let us advise you! To our guide for the GDPR-compliant use of body cameras