Records · practical playbook
Photos and dashcam files: preserve originals and a readable index
Keep what exists, identify its source and make working copies. Do not edit the only copy or assume a records request preserves footage.
Official pages reviewed November 8, 2026.
You find the useful dashcam clip just as the device is about to keep recording. The first job is to preserve what exists—not to make a polished highlight reel.
What you’ll get
- Put safety ahead of the perfect image
- Keep an untouched copy of each original
- Preserve context around a clip
General information only, not legal advice or medical advice. No case review, referrals or outcome predictions. For possible injury or immediate danger, call 911.
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Worked example · not a real claim
Six images do not require six edited originals
Suppose you have six original photographs and make two annotated copies. Keep the six originals intact and label the two working copies. Your index now describes eight files, not eight independent observations or eight separate pieces of original evidence.
1. Put safety ahead of the perfect image
If the scene is unsafe or someone may be injured, call 911 and follow responders’ instructions. Do not stand in a travel lane, enter a restricted area or chase a vehicle to obtain a photograph. This workflow starts with files you can safely preserve; it does not ask you to recreate the scene.
TDI recommends keeping photographs and videos of damage as part of claim records. That practical recommendation does not mean you must expose yourself to danger or that every missing angle defeats a claim. A web guide cannot assess the safety of a location or tell you a damaged vehicle is safe to enter.
2. Keep an untouched copy of each original
As a practical file-management choice, copy original files to a secure location you control and keep a second backup if available. Preserve the original filename and any available file information. Make a separate working copy for labels, arrows, cropping or conversion, and identify it clearly as edited.
Do not promise that a filename or timestamp proves when something happened. A device clock may be wrong, and a copied or exported file may display different dates. Record any known clock discrepancy instead of changing the only surviving file to make it appear correct. This guide does not provide forensic authentication.
3. Preserve context around a clip
If your own dashcam has a relevant recording, consult its current instructions about safely retaining and copying it before routine recording overwrites it. Keep the relevant original material and enough surrounding context to understand what the clip shows. Avoid deleting surrounding files merely to make a shorter presentation.
Record which device or person supplied a file and when you obtained it. If someone sends only a compressed clip or screenshot, describe it as that version rather than an original device file. Do not install unfamiliar recovery software or surrender account credentials to an unsolicited person promising to retrieve footage.
4. Keep third-party requests separate
TxDOT says on-scene dashcam video, photographs and field notes are not part of its crash-report custodial file. Ask the investigating agency about agency-held material. For a business or another person’s recording, ask the actual holder about its process; do not assume a particular retention period or a right to receive a copy.
HPD identifies different routes for crash reports and emergency-call or dispatch material. Its published retention descriptions are not a guarantee that a recording exists or a determination that your request preserves it. When preservation or access has legal significance, obtain individual advice promptly.
5. Build a source-aware index
For each item, privately record the original filename, source, date obtained, what it appears to show, any known uncertainty and the location of your preserved copy. Group images by subject without replacing the originals with a slideshow. A useful index can identify a damaged area without claiming the photograph proves a particular impact sequence.
If you share a working copy with an insurer, keep the exact copy and transmission record. Ask for a secure delivery route for sensitive material. Do not use a public link containing the whole crash file, plates, medical documents or unrelated images.
6. Check the limits before drawing conclusions
A camera angle, an incomplete clip or visible damage may leave important events outside the frame. Keep that limitation in the description. Do not label an image as conclusive proof of fault simply because it supports one part of your recollection. An organizer cannot determine authenticity, admissibility or liability.
Before the next handoff, check that each attachment can be connected to its source and that your annotations are distinguishable from original content. Retain records of requests and replies, even when the holder says no footage is available. The goal is a traceable collection of what actually exists, not a polished reconstruction of what you wish had been recorded.
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Checkmarks only are saved on this device—never your records or story. They do not certify legal compliance.
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Questions about this workflow
Should I annotate the original image?
Keep an untouched original and annotate a clearly labeled working copy. This preserves the distinction between source material and your explanation.
Does buying the crash report include dashcam footage?
No. TxDOT says dashcam video, on-scene photographs and field notes are outside its crash-report custodial files.