How to Offer Security Camera and CCTV Installation Services in Colombia: Regulations and Clients

Quick answer: if you charge for installing or selling cameras, you must register with the SuperVigilancia; if you also want to monitor or watch over premises, you need a different license. And every client who records people must comply with Law 1581 of 2012. An ad that states this clearly stands out right away.

The job is usually the same: a house with a gate, a shop or a residential complex wants cameras, a DVR or NVR (the video recorder), and the ability to see everything from their phone. The person calling has already asked two or three other technicians. Whoever explains coverage, the visit and what paperwork they can show wins. This guide is written for you, the independent installer or small business, who wants to publish your service without getting tangled up in the regulations.

Path 1: registration for those who install or sell equipment

Article 52 of Decree Law 356 of 1994 says that anyone who manufactures, imports, sells, installs or rents the equipment listed in Article 53 must register with the Superintendencia de Vigilancia y Seguridad Privada. Cameras fall under remote vision or listening equipment (Article 53, numeral 2).

According to the SuperVigilancia's information sheet, updated on 1 December 2022 and consulted on 31 October 2026, the permit applies to natural and legal persons, both domestic and foreign. It requires:

• a corporate purpose consistent with Article 52, if you are a company;
• facilities used exclusively for the activity;
• an annex describing each piece of equipment, including the camera, with model, features and origin, in Spanish, plus the catalogs.

The result is announced within fifteen business days, unless the entity requests clarifications (Article 17 of Law 1437 of 2011). In other words, that period runs if the file is complete; do not promise it to anyone as certain. The same information sheet says the procedure is free and warns against payments and intermediaries. Be careful with fixers who charge: always check the SuperVigilancia procedures page before filing.

An obligation that is easy to forget: Article 57 of the same decree requires reporting the characteristics of the equipment and reporting its use and location every quarter, so it is worth asking the buyer for that information from the quote stage.

Path 2: license for those who watch over or monitor

Installing is not watching over. Article 3 of Decree Law 356 says that surveillance and private security services may only be provided with an operating license from the SuperVigilancia. Registering an installation and selling equipment is a separate procedure from that license, and also from the license extension for technological means.

If a company already provides unarmed surveillance and uses technological means, Article 2.6.1.1.3.3.20 of Decree 1070 of 2015 requires it to list equipment, location, characteristics, risks, catalogs and origin, and to indicate the trained personnel who operate them.

My frank opinion: if you only know how to set up the app, do not offer "24-hour monitoring" or "we look after your complex." It is the most expensive mistake you can make. Sell the installation, hand over a working system, and leave the surveillance to someone with a license. Your client can check whether a company appears in authorized services; the list is informational and subject to verification with the entity.

What your ad should say so you are not asked too much

There is no national rate for installing a closed-circuit system. Each provider publishes its own "from" price and lists what it includes. That clarity filters out curious browsers better than any discount. A solid ad includes:

• coverage area and visit time;
• a "from" price, set by you, and the number of cameras in the package;
• what is included: cable, recorder, video surveillance notice, client training;
• a written warranty for the work;
• registration or license number, if you already have one;
• photos of finished installations, without faces or screens showing identifiable people.

The ad model that already turns readers into leads is in where to sell used items without commission; it applies here too, except you are selling a service. To see how another trade explains its pricing by area, look at surveying services. If you also resell used cameras or recorders, those go in the electronics section.

Law 1581: what your client needs to know

The image of an identifiable person is personal data. According to the SIC, capturing, recording, transmitting, storing or reproducing images, live or later, is processing subject to Law 1581 of 2012. The household exception in Article 2 is narrow: it applies to personal files that do not circulate and are kept by a natural person. If the video is handed to the installer, a monitoring center or another person, the data subject must be informed and consent must be requested.

In shops, residential buildings, apartment complexes, shopping centers and parking lots, the SIC guidance calls for a visible and legible notice, especially at entrances, stating the controller and contact details, the purpose of processing, the data subject's rights and where the policy is located. If there is audio, that is also disclosed. The notice does not replace the other obligations, and live images are viewed only by authorized personnel; recordings are reviewed in a restricted area. I do not state a legal retention period for video because the sources consulted do not support one.

In practice: leave the app account in the client's name, limit who can view the images, and do not keep master passwords. And do not confuse this with the register of excluded numbers; for that, read Law 2300 and the SIC.

Jobs your ad does not accept

Write it in the ad: no hidden cameras and no framing toward bathrooms, changing rooms or the interior of a neighboring property, and no continuous monitoring without a surveillance license. The SIC requires purpose, notice, consent and restricted access, so this refusal is a trust rule for your offer and saves you trouble with doubtful clients.

Monday 2 November 2026: moved holiday and camera check

1 November 2026 falls on a Sunday, and under Law 51 of 1983 the All Saints' Day rest moves to Monday 2 November, a holiday confirmed by the Ministry of Finance calendar. Anyone traveling that long weekend can request an check of the exterior cameras beforehand. Ask which area would be left unattended and what weather resistance the manufacturer declares for the equipment you install; do not present it as a legal requirement.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Who must register with the SuperVigilancia to install or sell cameras?

Anyone who manufactures, imports, sells, installs or rents remote vision equipment must register; the information sheet covers natural and legal persons. The fifteen-business-day period depends on the file being complete and on the entity not requesting clarifications (check the official source).

❓ Does installing the equipment allow you to offer monitoring of the complex?

No. Monitoring and surveillance are provided under an operating license, a procedure separate from installation registration. The client can check whether a company appears as authorized on the SuperVigilancia's authorized services page, which is informational (check the official source).

❓ How much does it cost to install a closed-circuit system?

There is no official national rate. Each provider publishes its from-price and the list of what it includes: cameras, cable, recorder, notice and warranty. Quote according to the visit and the area, and avoid promising figures you have not measured on site (check the official source).

❓ What should the notice say in a shop or a residential building?

It must be visible on entry and include the controller and contact details, the purpose, the data subject's rights and where the processing policy is located. Audio is announced separately. The notice does not close the other obligations of Law 1581 (check the official source).

❓ Does a camera at the family home fall outside Law 1581?

It can fall outside if the video is purely domestic, is kept by a natural person and does not circulate. If it is shared with the installer, a monitoring center or another third party, the data subject must be informed and consent requested (check the official source).

❓ How do I sell safely and avoid scams with clients or fixers?

Show your registration or license, leave the app account in the client's name, and put in writing what the package includes. The SuperVigilancia procedure is free according to its information sheet of 1 December 2022, so do not pay intermediaries (check the official source).

❓ Where do I publish my camera installation service?

In the services section of Colombia Move you can publish your offer with coverage area, from-price, photos of your work and direct contact. Add your registration or license once you have them to build more trust (check the official source).