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A security camera for a garage or driveway

Updated September 18, 2026

Inside a garage, a plug-in camera usually fits best: there is often an outlet, the camera stays out of the rain, and there is no sun for a solar panel. On a driveway, the big questions are distance and view. Mount the camera close to where cars and people stop, and pick one that can tell a car from a swaying branch.

Garage: power and WiFi

Garages are often the farthest room from the router, with a big metal door in the way. Reolink's support page on WiFi bands says 2.4GHz reaches farther and gets through walls better, while 5GHz is faster but shorter range. Stand in the garage with your phone before you buy. If the signal is weak there, add a mesh point or move the router first.

The WYZE Cam v4 plugs in and records nonstop to a card with no plan, per the listing and Wyze's support page, which is handy when you want to scroll back through the whole day. Caveat: owners report WiFi drops, so the signal check matters. The Tapo C500 also plugs in and turns to follow motion. Caveat: it records in 1080p, so faces far across a big garage will be soft.

Driveway: field of view and distance

A wide lens covers more driveway, but each car and face gets fewer pixels. Here is how wide each camera sees at one moment, per the listings.

For a long driveway, a narrower view pointed where cars slow down tells you more than a wide view of the whole yard. The REOLINK Argus PT can pan 355 degrees from the app, and the listing says person and vehicle detection work with no plan. Caveat: it does not follow motion on its own, so it records only where it is pointed. The eufy SoloCam S220 is wire-free with solar. Caveat: a driveway facing north or under trees may not give the panel enough sun.

License plates

Reading a plate from a home camera is hard, and at night it is harder. Plates are small, cars move, and headlights can wash out the frame. If plates matter to you, mount a camera near the spot where cars slow or stop, add a light, and check a few night clips before you rely on it. The night vision guide covers why.

Before you mount

1. Check the WiFi at the exact spot.
2. Set motion zones that leave out the street and the sidewalk. Passing cars cause many false alerts, and on a battery camera each one costs battery.
3. Pick a storage size with the storage calculator.
4. Compare all six in the roundup.

If you need a new outdoor outlet in the garage or on the house, hire a licensed electrician.

Privacy and the law: Aim cameras at your own property. Keep neighbors' windows, yards and other private areas out of the frame. Rules on recording audio differ by state, so check yours before you leave the microphone on. This is general information, not legal advice.