Decree Law No. 76 of 2026 amends key provisions of Law No. 61 of 2015 governing security cameras and monitoring devices, according to its publication in the Official Gazette Kuwait Alyoum. Establishments subject to the legislation must retain recordings for at least 120 consecutive days and are barred from altering, deleting, erasing or processing the footage by any means during that window. The explanatory memorandum tied to the decree-law explained that practical application of the prior statute had revealed the earlier retention period was frequently too brief, especially when victims postponed reporting incidents because of their specific nature or surrounding conditions.
The revised Article 5 extends the mandatory storage timeframe to guarantee that investigators and courts can obtain surveillance material as required, the memorandum stated. Article 6 compels these establishments to furnish the pertinent recordings upon directives from investigative authorities or a competent court. Such modifications aim to streamline evidence retrieval while maintaining storage obligations scaled to the operational scope of each facility.
Two fresh articles feature in the decree-law to reinforce regulatory tools. The new Article 8 bis grants the General Directorate of Security Systems authority to approve or deny settlement requests lodged by owners of non-compliant establishments, provided applications arrive within seven working days after issuance of a violation report. Those owners then receive 30 days to remedy the infringement, aside from breaches involving Articles 6 and 9, with an approved settlement resulting in closure of the associated criminal case.
Article 8 bis (1) further sets civil liability for establishment owners, obliging payment of the approved settlement sum to cover damages once the competent authority accepts the resolution, the decree-law detailed. The Ministry of Interior, which has enforced the underlying 2015 framework across commercial outlets, government buildings and public venues, will oversee application of the updated rules. Analyses from Kuwait-based legal practices indicate the original statute already mandated CCTV installation in designated locations, with the current changes addressing operational shortfalls identified over the ensuing decade.
The General Directorate of Security Systems maintains responsibility for evaluating settlement eligibility and ensuring uniform adherence to the retention standards. Establishments must also keep systems in working order and meet technical specifications outlined in the parent law, according to ministry guidance referenced in sector compliance reviews. These provisions arrive against a backdrop in which surveillance footage has increasingly served as critical evidence in criminal inquiries throughout the Gulf region.
Owners of affected premises are expected to align their procedures with the fresh requirements following the gazette release on July 29, 2026. The decree-law prohibits any interference with recordings during the extended period to preserve their integrity for potential use in probes or court proceedings.
