Videotape Rental and Sales Records Privacy

MN Video Privacy Law

Other · Marketing

Minnesota's video privacy law bars video rental and sales businesses from knowingly disclosing information identifying which video materials a customer requested or obtained, except to the customer, under subpoena, court order or warrant, in a transfer of the business, or with written informed consent given on a separate bold-type notice. Records must be destroyed within a year after they are no longer needed.

Where: Minnesota
Citation: Minn. Stat. 325I.01 to 325I.03
Status: In force
Enforced by: Minnesota Attorney General under 8.31; consumers by civil action (325I.03)
People can sue: Yes
Penalties: Public and private remedies of 8.31 apply; a consumer who prevails is entitled to at least $500 in damages regardless of actual damage, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees (325I.03).
Applies to: Businesses that rent or sell prerecorded videocassettes or similar audiovisual materials, and persons receiving disclosures from them (325I.01, subds. 4-5)

What a privacy notice must say

To share customer names and viewing subject matter with marketers, obtain a signed consent to a separate written notice in at least ten-point bold type that follows the statutory form.Minn. Stat. 325I.02, subd. 4

Practices it requires

Do not knowingly disclose personally identifiable information about the video materials a consumer requested or obtained, except as required or permitted by the statute.Minn. Stat. 325I.02, subds. 1-3
Destroy personally identifiable information within one year after it is no longer needed for the purpose collected, absent pending requests or orders.Minn. Stat. 325I.02, subd. 6

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: Whether the statute reaches streaming services is untested; its definitions refer to prerecorded videocassettes 'or similar audiovisual materials'. | Effective date of Laws 1994, ch. 618 not verified.

Research reference, not legal advice.