Quick answer: Gas station security cameras fight light, not darkness: a bright canopy over a dark lot and headlights aimed straight at the lens. Quote 120dB WDR at every pump position, mount one camera low enough to see faces at the driver’s door and one high enough to see the plate and the pump number together, keep every standard camera outside the classified zone around the dispensers, and treat plate recognition at the entrance as a per-project item. For the car wash, specify IP67 and IK10 housings, mount out of the direct spray and record vehicle condition at the entry and exit for damage claims.
Canopy and pumps: how do you handle WDR, headlights and height?
At night the canopy is the brightest object for a block and the lot behind it is nearly black. A camera that exposes for the canopy turns the approach lane into a void; one that exposes for the lane turns the pump area white. The spec to quote is wide dynamic range, printed as 120dB on each fixed camera SKU scheduled in this article, and the installation rule is to place pump cameras at the canopy ends looking across the islands, never at the entrance looking into approaching headlights.
Two heights per island pair
Canopy soffits sit high, usually 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m), to clear delivery trucks. A camera up there records the roof of the car, the plate and the pump number, which is exactly what a drive-off report needs, but it records faces at a steep angle. Add a second camera at 9–10 ft (2.7–3 m) on the canopy column or the store facade looking toward the driver’s door of the nearest island. The CS-I8WS SD-2.8mm is the canopy unit: 8MP, 2.8 mm fixed lens, IR to 164 ft (50 m), white light to 49 ft (15 m), 120dB WDR, IP67, metal housing, operating range −31 to 149 °F (−35 to 65 °C), with Human and Vehicle Classification, Tripwire and Perimeter in its AI row. Where one camera must cover islands at different distances, the CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm varifocal dome (8MP, 2.7–13.5 mm, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 49 ft (15 m), IP67/IK10, audio and alarm 1/1) tightens the view on the far island without a ladder visit later.
Keep standard cameras out of the classified zone
The area around a motor-fuel dispenser is a classified hazardous location. In the US it is defined in NEC Article 514 (in Canada, CEC Section 20); the electrician of record marks the envelope on the drawing, and standard CASE cameras, junction boxes and cable are kept outside it, on the canopy structure, the columns above the envelope or the building. If a project requires a camera inside a classified zone, that is an explosion-proof conversation under the Project Series, quoted per project, not a standard SKU with a longer cable.
Entrances and plates: what counts as a readable plate, and when is LPR a project?
Drive-offs are settled by three things in one frame or two synchronized frames: the plate, the pump number and the time, matched to the POS transaction log. The canopy camera gives the pump number and the vehicle; a plate at a readable angle comes from a camera mounted low, 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m), on a column or bollard where every exiting vehicle passes at a predictable distance. Readable by a person is the target, a placement and lens question rather than an analytics one. Set NTP on the NVR and the POS so the timestamps agree.
Automated plate recognition is different. It needs a dedicated camera per lane, a small angle to the plate, consistent speed and distance, and lighting on the plate rather than the scene, which is why it is quoted per project after a lane review. The CASE LPR camera, CSP-I4LQ I-LPR-8-32mm (4MP, 8–32 mm as titled on its spec sheet), is a Project Series item: availability, lead time, certificates and warranty term are confirmed in writing per project before you promise any of them, and plate performance is stated only after the spec sheet is checked against speed, angle, distance, lighting and regional plate formats. The lane geometry is worked through in Parking Lot Security Cameras.
Car wash bays: which ratings matter, and where do the cameras go?
A car wash is the hardest environment on the property: high-pressure water, detergents, dryer blowers, vibration and, in the north, a nightly freeze-thaw cycle. Two ratings matter. IP67 means dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion; IK10 means the housing withstands a 20-joule impact. Note what IP67 does not say: it is not a test against sustained high-pressure jets, so even an IP67 camera is mounted outside the direct spray path, above the dryer outlets and under the roof line, with a drip loop and sealed gland on the cable entry. The ratings are explained in IP66 vs IP67 vs IK10.
The CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm fits the bays: 5MP, 2.8 mm, IR to 98 ft (30 m), white light to 33 ft (10 m), 120dB WDR, IP67 and IK10, Metal+Plastic housing, operating range −31 to 149 °F (−35 to 65 °C), Human and Vehicle Classification in its AI row. Where the distance to the vehicle changes along a tunnel, the CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm dome shares the IP67/IK10 rating and adds the varifocal lens.
Most car-wash footage is pulled for a damage claim, so record vehicle condition on the way in and out.
- Entry condition pair: two cameras at 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m), one each side of the entry, showing both flanks, mirrors and wheels before the wash. Continuous recording, not motion.
- Exit condition pair: the same arrangement at the tunnel exit, aimed to avoid the dryer spray.
- Pay station or kiosk: a face-height view, 7–8 ft (2.1–2.4 m), vandal-rated, with white light for the card reader at night.
- Vacuum and detail area: a wide view with EW from the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm (8MP, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 98 ft (30 m), mic and speaker) if after-hours loitering is the complaint.
Add a quarterly lens wipe and seal check to the service agreement; detergent film on a dome is the usual reason a wash camera stops producing evidence.
Store interior: what changes from a normal retail layout?
The store side follows the retail method in Retail Security Cameras: a frontal face at the door, two views per register, overview of the aisles and a camera on the back door. Three positions are specific to fuel retail. The lottery and tobacco counter needs its own register-style pair. The cooler door needs a view of who enters and what leaves. The air and water station, the propane cage and the dumpster corner are the darkest spots on the lot and the usual place for after-hours activity; the CS-I4SV S-2.8mm is the night unit there: 4MP PhotonX turret rated 0.0001 Lux, white light to 33 ft (10 m), IP67, metal housing, operating range −40 to 149 °F (−40 to 65 °C). Low-light and full-color behavior is stated per SKU on the specification sheet and should be confirmed for the site.
Audio at the registers stays off unless the owner has confirmed with counsel the recording-consent rules of the state (in Canada, the Criminal Code and PIPEDA or the provincial private-sector law). Set retention from the drive-off claim window and any requirement the lottery operator or insurer gives in writing; write it down before you size the drives.
Sample camera schedule: 8 pumps, a 2,400 sq ft (220 m²) store and two wash bays
Four islands under one canopy, a small-format store and a two-bay automatic wash work out to 16 cameras on one AI NVR. Copy the table into your own schedule and adjust heights on site.
| ID | Position | CASE SKU | Height | What it must show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C01–C02 | Canopy ends, across islands 1–2 and 3–4 | CS-I8WS SD-2.8mm | 15 ft (4.6 m) | Vehicle, plate, pump number, nozzle |
| C03–C04 | Canopy columns, driver-door side | CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm | 9.5 ft (2.9 m) | Faces at the pumps, tightened on the far island |
| C05 | Exit lane, low plate view | CS-I8WS SD-2.8mm | 5 ft (1.5 m) | Rear plate of every exiting vehicle |
| C06 | Store entrance, inbound | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 7.5 ft (2.3 m) | Frontal face |
| C07–C08 | Register pair | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) | Customer face; cashier hands and drawer |
| C09 | Lottery and tobacco counter | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) | Counter, tickets, cash |
| C10 | Cooler door and back room | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 9 ft (2.7 m) | Who enters, what leaves |
| C11–C12 | Wash entry condition pair | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 4.5 ft (1.4 m) | Both flanks and wheels before the wash |
| C13–C14 | Wash exit condition pair | CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm | 4.5 ft (1.4 m) | Both flanks after the wash, clear of dryer spray |
| C15 | Air and water station, propane cage | CS-I4SV S-2.8mm | 10 ft (3 m) | Color image at the dark edge of the lot |
| C16 | Vacuum area and dumpster corner | CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm | 12 ft (3.7 m) | After-hours deterrence with EW |
| NVR | Back office, locked | CS-N220 P16H-AI | Shelf or rack | 20 channels, 16 PoE; the 16 cameras use every PoE port |
The CS-N220 P16H-AI prints 20 channels, 16 PoE ports and 160 Mbps incoming (120 Mbps with AI on); the four spare channels need an external PoE switch, so plan one if an LPR lane is already being discussed. Sum the main-stream bitrates and stay under the printed figure.
What to tell your customer
“Every pump is covered from two heights, so a drive-off report shows the plate, the pump number and the driver, time-matched to your register. The car wash records every vehicle’s condition on the way in and out, which is what settles a damage claim. All cameras near the dispensers sit outside the classified zone your electrician marks, and the wash cameras are rated IP67 and IK10 and mounted clear of the spray. CASE cameras and CASE NVRs carry a 6-year warranty; support comes through us.”
FAQ
How do you stop headlights from washing out the pump cameras?
Quote 120dB WDR as printed on the SKU and place cameras at the canopy ends looking across the islands rather than at the entrance looking down the approach lane. Test the view at full dark with a vehicle idling at the nearest pump, and move the camera a few feet rather than fighting the exposure in software.
Can the canopy camera read license plates for drive-offs?
It can record a plate a person can read, if a low camera at 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m) sees the rear plate at a small angle as the vehicle leaves. Automated plate recognition is a per-project item with its own camera, lane and lighting review; the CSP-I4LQ I-LPR-8-32mm is quoted only after that review and confirmed in writing.
What rating does a car wash camera need?
IP67 for dust and temporary immersion and IK10 for impact, as printed on the CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm and the CS-I8MS SD-2.7-13.5mm. IP67 is not a sustained high-pressure jet test, so the camera is still mounted outside the direct spray and above the dryers, with a sealed gland and a drip loop on the cable.
Can a standard camera be mounted on the dispenser itself?
No. The area around a dispenser is a classified hazardous location under NEC Article 514 (CEC Section 20 in Canada), and standard cameras, boxes and cable stay outside the envelope the electrician marks. A camera required inside that zone is an explosion-proof Project Series item quoted per project. Verify the local code before you drill.
