Security Camera System for a Gas Station
Gas stations are open late, handle cash and see hundreds of cars a day. Cameras need to catch drive-offs at the pumps, protect the register, and record the plate of every vehicle on the lot.
Where the cameras go
| Spot | Cameras | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pump islands | 1 panoramic per 2 islands | Every car, driver and drive-off at the pumps. |
| Lot entrance | 1 plate camera | Reads license plates for drive-offs and incidents. |
| Register | 1 to 2 | Cash, card and lottery transactions. |
| Store entrance | 1 | A clear face of every customer. |
| Store aisles and cooler | 2 | Shoplifting and slip-and-fall claims. |
| Back and dumpster area | 1 | Deliveries and after-hours activity. |
Example system: 9 cameras
A station with four pump islands, one register area, a store with two aisles and a back door. Prices load live from silarius.com.
| Hardware total | … |
Cable, mounts and installation are extra. Large stations may need one panoramic per pump island.
Plan your own station. Type the address, place cameras on the satellite map over the pumps and the store, and get the exact parts list, priced live. Free.
Plan my stationRecording and storage
Keep at least 30 days; police and card companies often ask for video weeks after a drive-off or a disputed charge. The storage calculator sizes the drive for longer.
Worth adding
- Live monitoring overnight: Silarius Live Monitoring watches the lot and talks to loiterers through speakers.
- Off-site copy: Silarius Cloud from $6.99 per camera per month.
Questions
How many cameras does a gas station need?
Most stations need 8 to 16: panoramic cameras over the pumps, a plate camera at the entrance, one or two at the register, the store entrance, the aisles and the back.
Can a camera read license plates at the pumps?
Plates are best read by a dedicated plate camera aimed at the lot entrance, where every car passes slowly in the same direction.