Who Holds 911 Call Recordings?
911 recordings are held by the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) — the dispatch center that received the call. This is typically one of the following:
- County emergency communications center (E-911) — the most common setup; most counties operate a consolidated dispatch center
- City emergency communications — some large cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) operate their own 911 centers separate from county dispatch
- State police dispatch — in some rural areas, state police dispatch centers handle 911 calls
To find the right agency: search "[your county] 911 dispatch" or "[your city] emergency communications center." The agency that answered the 911 call — not the police department that responded — is the one that holds the recording.
Retention Periods — Act Quickly
911 recordings are typically kept for a much shorter time than police reports. Once deleted, they are generally gone permanently.
| State/Jurisdiction | Typical Retention | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most states — standard calls | 30–180 days | Exact period set by agency policy, not always by statute |
| Calls related to major incidents | 1–5 years | Usually preserved once flagged to an investigation |
| Calls in active litigation | Until resolution + appeal | Litigation hold applies — request immediately |
| After a formal records request | Preserved pending response | Filing triggers preservation in most agencies |
What to Include in Your Request
Be as specific as possible:
- Date and time of the 911 call — as precise as possible
- Phone number that placed the call — if you know it
- Location — address the call was made from or about
- CAD or incident number — Computer-Aided Dispatch number if available
- Nature of the incident — what was reported
- Your relationship to the call — caller, victim, involved party, attorney
Are 911 Calls Public Records?
In most states, yes — 911 call recordings and transcripts are public records subject to the state's open records law. However, there are important state-by-state differences:
Generally Public (Most States)
In Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, and most other states, 911 recordings are public records and must be disclosed upon request unless a specific exemption applies — most commonly, that the recording is part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Restricted Access States
California: 911 recordings may be withheld if they relate to ongoing investigations or if disclosure would endanger witnesses. Recordings involving officer-involved shootings are subject to mandatory disclosure rules under separate statutes.
New York: 911 recordings are subject to FOIL but agencies frequently claim they are part of ongoing investigations. Persistence through the FOIL appeal process (to the agency's Records Access Appeals Officer, then to the Committee on Open Government) often resolves these disputes.
When an Exemption Is Claimed
If the agency claims an exemption, they must identify the specific statutory provision. "The investigation is ongoing" is a legitimate temporary exemption in many states — but once a case is closed, re-submit your request. See our guide to challenging a denial.