diff --git a/frigate/analytics/state.py b/frigate/analytics/state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a321285ed5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frigate/analytics/state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+"""The install's analytics identity and last attempt time, kept under /config."""
+
+import json
+import logging
+import os
+import re
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from uuid import uuid4
+
+from frigate.const import CONFIG_DIR
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+STATE_PATH = os.path.join(CONFIG_DIR, ".analytics.json")
+INSTALL_ID_PATTERN = re.compile(r"[0-9a-f]{32}")
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class AnalyticsState:
+    install_id: str
+    last_attempt_at: float
+
+
+def new_state() -> AnalyticsState:
+    return AnalyticsState(install_id=uuid4().hex, last_attempt_at=0.0)
+
+
+def load_state(path: str = STATE_PATH) -> AnalyticsState | None:
+    """The saved state, or None when the file is missing or unusable."""
+    try:
+        with open(path) as f:
+            data = json.load(f)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        return None
+    except (OSError, ValueError):
+        logger.warning("Ignoring unreadable analytics state at %s", path)
+        return None
+
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        return None
+
+    install_id = data.get("install_id")
+    last_attempt_at = data.get("last_attempt_at")
+
+    if (
+        not isinstance(install_id, str)
+        or not INSTALL_ID_PATTERN.fullmatch(install_id)
+        or isinstance(last_attempt_at, bool)
+        or not isinstance(last_attempt_at, int | float)
+    ):
+        logger.warning("Ignoring invalid analytics state at %s", path)
+        return None
+
+    return AnalyticsState(install_id=install_id, last_attempt_at=float(last_attempt_at))
+
+
+def save_state(state: AnalyticsState, path: str = STATE_PATH) -> bool:
+    """Write the state atomically, returning False when it can't be written."""
+    temp_path = f"{path}.tmp"
+
+    try:
+        with open(temp_path, "w") as f:
+            json.dump(
+                {
+                    "install_id": state.install_id,
+                    "last_attempt_at": state.last_attempt_at,
+                },
+                f,
+            )
+
+        os.replace(temp_path, path)
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+
+    return True
+
+
+def delete_state(path: str = STATE_PATH) -> None:
+    """Forget the install ID, so a later opt-in starts a fresh identity."""
+    try:
+        os.remove(path)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+    except OSError:
+        logger.warning("Unable to delete analytics state at %s", path)
diff --git a/frigate/test/test_analytics_state.py b/frigate/test/test_analytics_state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24e45d3619
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frigate/test/test_analytics_state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+"""Tests for the analytics state file."""
+
+import os
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+
+from frigate.analytics.state import (
+    AnalyticsState,
+    delete_state,
+    load_state,
+    new_state,
+    save_state,
+)
+
+
+class TestAnalyticsState(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.dir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        self.addCleanup(self.dir.cleanup)
+        self.path = os.path.join(self.dir.name, ".analytics.json")
+
+    def write(self, content: str) -> None:
+        with open(self.path, "w") as f:
+            f.write(content)
+
+    def test_missing_file_loads_as_none(self):
+        self.assertIsNone(load_state(self.path))
+
+    def test_save_then_load_round_trips(self):
+        state = AnalyticsState(install_id="a" * 32, last_attempt_at=1790000000.5)
+
+        self.assertTrue(save_state(state, self.path))
+        self.assertEqual(load_state(self.path), state)
+
+    def test_unusable_files_load_as_none(self):
+        for content in (
+            "{not json",
+            '["a"]',
+            '{"install_id": "short", "last_attempt_at": 1}',
+            '{"install_id": "' + "a" * 32 + '"}',
+            '{"install_id": "' + "a" * 32 + '", "last_attempt_at": true}',
+        ):
+            with self.subTest(content=content):
+                self.write(content)
+                self.assertIsNone(load_state(self.path))
+
+    def test_save_reports_failure_instead_of_raising(self):
+        missing = os.path.join(self.dir.name, "missing", ".analytics.json")
+
+        self.assertFalse(save_state(new_state(), missing))
+
+    def test_new_state_has_a_hex_id_and_no_attempt(self):
+        state = new_state()
+
+        self.assertRegex(state.install_id, r"^[0-9a-f]{32}$")
+        self.assertEqual(state.last_attempt_at, 0.0)
+
+    def test_delete_removes_the_file_and_tolerates_a_missing_one(self):
+        save_state(new_state(), self.path)
+
+        delete_state(self.path)
+        delete_state(self.path)
+
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.path))