Radar Detector Laws by State
We all know that in today’s world, one of the bitterest competitions being led is between law enforcement that tries to catch speedy drivers off guard and fine them or take away their driver’s license and the drivers that use radar detectors, laser jammers and other ways of avoiding the law enforcement. The more adapted and advanced the speed guns and the laser guns the police use are, the more adapted the radar detectors will become in time and therefore the competition is very tight. The market for radar detectors is huge, with hundreds of models produced by well known and trustworthy companies.
However, besides choosing the best radar detector or laser jammer, one of the first things you have to look up before doing that are the laws and the regulations in the state or country you will use the device. Sometimes, a radar detector or a laser jammer will help you avoid speed tickets, but oftentimes, in the states or countries that forbid the use of these devices, if you get caught up with one you will face more than just a fine. Some countries are very strict about the policy regarding these devices, but most are tolerable towards the use of radar detectors, but forbid the use of laser jammers.
Radar Detector Laws Countries around the world
Radar detector Laws
When it comes to radar detectors, most countries consider them legal and therefore, the drivers are allowed to use them anywhere within these countries’ borders. Some of these countries are Russia, Romania, Philippines and many more. In some countries, the law enforcement officers that do catch drivers using the radar detectors, they are allowed by law to confiscate them and destroy them, thus damaging the driver’s financial budget because as we all know, radar detectors are not cheap.
Laser Jammer Laws
Generally, while radar detectors are somewhat considered to be legal, laser jammers are a whole different story. Almost every country in the world, United States included, considers laser jammers forbidden by law and therefore people who are caught using them face not only fines, but even time in jail. The reason for this is that while radar detectors simply detect the electromagnetic waves (radar bands) sent off by the speed or laser guns used by the law enforcement, while the laser jammers, as their name suggests, send off different waves of electromagnetic waves that hit the speed guns and confuse them for several moments, time in which the driver has time to reduce the speed and thus, get away from a fine.
In the United States
Radar Detector Laws
When it comes to the United States, the laws used here are not as different from the ones used in the rest of the world. In most states in the US, radar detectors are legal, with a few exceptions. In Washington DC, Virginia and in the various US military bases, using a radar detector is completely illegal and the people that are caught using them may face serious consequences. In commercial vehicles, radar detectors are forbidden by law in states such as Illinois, New York and New Jersey. In Minnesota and in California it is forbidden for a radar detector to be placed on the windshield because it may cause an obstruction of vision which may lead to far worse consequences.
Long story short, in the United States, the states are divided between allowing them to be used in personal vehicles and being forbidden in the same type of vehicles, as well as in US military bases and they are forbidden to be placed on the windshield because they may cause an obstruction of vision for the drivers in other states. However, generally, radar detectors are legal and the law enforcement agents cannot confiscate and destroy them as they did in the past.
Laser Jammer Laws
Like most countries in the world, in the United States, laser jammers are completely forbidden by law and those that are caught using them will face serious penalties that can vary from fines to jail time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while radar detectors are generally both in most countries all around the world as well as in the United States, laser jammers are considered illegal in most countries, as well as in the US. Click here to learn how radar detectors work.
