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Texas Traffic Camera Archive and TxDOT Cameras: Live Views, What Gets Recorded, and What to Do After a Crash

This page covers three things: where to find live Texas traffic cameras, what those cameras actually record (and what they don’t), and what your options are if you need video after a crash. We’ve included links to the official TxDOT and regional tools, plus a clear explanation of how RoadProof works for attorneys, law enforcement, and insurance professionals who need archived footage.

Jump to what you need:

• View live traffic cameras now
• Understand what is recorded in Texas
• Need recorded crash video? Find out who can help

What Texas Traffic Cameras Are (and What They’re Not)

Most Texas traffic cameras exist for one purpose: helping transportation operators monitor road conditions in real time. They’re not recording everything and storing it for later. TxDOT runs these cameras to watch for incidents, congestion, and weather events so dispatchers can respond. Once the live feed moves on, there’s typically nothing saved.

It’s also worth knowing the difference between traffic monitoring cameras and enforcement cameras. Traffic monitoring cameras (the kind you see on DriveTexas and TxDOT feeds) are managed by transportation agencies and are not recording for enforcement purposes. Red light cameras are a separate category entirely. Texas actually banned red light cameras statewide in 2019, so those are no longer a factor at intersections across the state.

Where to Find TxDOT Cameras for Live Traffic

The TxDOT Statewide Directory

TxDOT maintains a directory of live camera views organized by metro area. You can access cameras for Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Lubbock, Amarillo, and other regions. Each regional page takes you to live feeds from cameras along major highways and corridors in that area.

To get there, go to the TxDOT website and look for the “See live traffic cameras” section. The cameras are static image feeds that refresh periodically, not continuous streaming video in the traditional sense.

DriveTexas for Map-Based Browsing

DriveTexas (drivetexas.org) is TxDOT’s public-facing road conditions tool. If you want to see camera locations on a map rather than browsing by region, this is a better option.

A few things to know before you use it:

• Zoom in first. Camera icons don’t appear until you zoom into a specific area on the map. If you’re looking at the whole state, you won’t see individual cameras.
• The data is verified, not instant. DriveTexas notes that road condition information is verified before it’s posted, which means there can be a delay between what’s happening on the road and what you see on the site. Don’t treat it as a second-by-second update.
• Camera availability varies. Some cameras may show as offline. This is normal. Camera networks go down for maintenance, weather events, or equipment issues, and not every corridor has coverage.

When to Use a Metro-Specific Portal

For major Texas cities, the metro-specific traffic management systems often have denser camera coverage and faster updates than the statewide tools. If you’re specifically trying to watch traffic in Houston, for example, the regional portal gives you more options than you’d find by starting with the statewide directory.

Houston Area Cameras: Houston TranStar

Houston TranStar is the joint transportation management center for the Houston region, operated by TxDOT, Harris County, the City of Houston, and METRO. Their camera system is one of the most extensive in the state.

On the Houston TranStar website, you can browse cameras by freeway corridor or by street-level view. The site is also accessible on mobile, which makes it useful for checking conditions before you leave.
Important note: Houston TranStar explicitly states that camera video is not archived. You can watch the live feed, but there is no stored footage to retrieve after the fact through their system.

A note on content usage: RoadProof does not frame, hotlink, or mirror Houston TranStar camera images or graphics. Their posted terms prohibit external framing and linking to specific images or graphics without express written permission. If you want to view Houston TranStar feeds, go directly to their site.

If You Need Footage After a Crash in Texas

First, Set the Right Expectations

TxDOT and DriveTexas are both clear that their traffic camera footage is not recorded or stored for later retrieval. The official feeds you see on those platforms are live only. If you were in a crash and you’re hoping to pull archived video from a TxDOT camera, that footage generally does not exist to be retrieved.

Houston TranStar says the same thing on their end: camera video is not archived through their system.

This is frustrating to hear after an accident, but it’s the reality of how most public traffic camera infrastructure works in Texas. The cameras serve traffic management, not evidence preservation.

What to Look for Instead

When official traffic cameras aren’t the answer, other sources sometimes are:

• Business security cameras. Gas stations, restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses near the crash site often have exterior cameras pointed at the parking lot, the entrance, or the road. These are privately owned and operated, but they do record and store footage, at least for a period of time.
• Dash cameras. If other drivers near the scene had dash cams running, they may have captured the crash or the moments leading up to it. Witnesses sometimes come forward on their own, but it’s worth asking at the scene.
• Private building systems. Office buildings, warehouses, and apartment complexes sometimes have cameras covering nearby roads. These aren’t always obvious, but an investigator who knows what to look for can identify them.
• Specialized camera networks. Some infrastructure and private networks record video that isn’t accessible through public portals. This is where a tool like RoadProof becomes relevant.

How RoadProof Fits Into This

RoadProof is a platform that gives authorized professionals access to millions of hours of archived traffic camera footage across the country, including Texas. It combines archived video with real-time and historical weather data and a running incident feed, which lets investigators look at a crash from multiple angles: what the cameras saw, what the weather was doing, and what official incidents were logged nearby.

The platform is built for professional use. RoadProof provides access to law enforcement agencies (for free), licensed attorneys, insurance companies, and accident reconstruction firms. It does not provide footage directly to individuals looking for traffic camera video for personal use, ticket disputes, or non-injury situations.

If you were injured in a crash and don’t have an attorney yet, RoadProof can refer your information to a licensed personal injury attorney in your area who can access footage on your behalf. If you already have an attorney, point them toward RoadProof. They can get access to whatever footage exists much faster than going through public records requests with individual agencies.

• For law enforcement agencies: RoadProof is completely free for state and local law enforcement. Agencies can sign up directly at roadproof.com.
• For law firms and insurance professionals: RoadProof offers membership access with a demo available to walk through the platform before committing.

Find out if RoadProof can help your case at roadproof.com

A Quick Word on Safety

If you’re checking traffic cameras to plan your route, do it before you leave or have a passenger handle it. NHTSA data shows that taking your eyes off the road for even two seconds at highway speeds means you’ve traveled the length of a basketball court without seeing anything. Looking at a camera feed on your phone while driving isn’t worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do TxDOT cameras record video?

Generally, no. TxDOT operates its traffic cameras for live monitoring, and the agency has stated that footage is not recorded or stored for later retrieval. The cameras feed into traffic management centers so operators can watch road conditions in real time, but there is no archive of past footage accessible through TxDOT channels.

How often does DriveTexas update?

DriveTexas verifies road condition information before posting it, which introduces a delay. The site is not a second-by-second live feed.

Conditions on the map may lag behind actual road conditions by some margin, and camera images refresh periodically rather than streaming continuously. Use it for general situational awareness, not precise real-time updates.

Why do some cameras show as offline?

Camera networks go down for a variety of reasons: equipment failures, maintenance windows, power issues, and weather events. A camera showing offline on TxDOT or DriveTexas doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the road, just with that particular piece of equipment. Coverage is uneven across the state, and rural areas have far fewer cameras than urban corridors.

Are Houston traffic cameras archived?

No. Houston TranStar explicitly states that camera video is not archived. The feeds are live only. If you need video from a crash in the Houston area, you’ll need to look at other sources: business cameras, private systems, or a platform like RoadProof that aggregates footage from non-public camera networks.

Are red light cameras legal in Texas?

No. Texas banned red light cameras in 2019. Existing programs were shut down, and new ones cannot be installed. Any red light camera tickets issued after that ban went into effect were unenforceable. If you were cited by a red light camera system in Texas, it’s worth verifying the date of the alleged violation against the date when your local program was required to shut down.

Sources consulted:

• TxDOT live camera directory (txdot.gov)
• DriveTexas road conditions tool (drivetexas.org)
• Houston TranStar camera and content usage information (houstontranstar.org)
• NHTSA distracted driving data (nhtsa.gov)