You might have seen almost every car these days having Dash Cams installed in their vehicle. If you haven’t yet, you might have come across multiple videos on social media that captured funny moments or accidents on the street with the help of these dash cams themselves. However, the major question arises “Are Dash Cams Illegal To Use?”
There isn’t any straight answer to this since it all depends on the place or the state you live in. Since these cameras are installed inside your vehicle, you are recording every second and minute of the activities of any passenger in the car or even if it is for personal use. Privacy is what comes into question here.
Let us learn more about Are Dash Cams Illegal To Use?.
Are Dash Cams Illegal To Use?
Before you are planning to buy or install any Best Dash Cam in your vehicle, you need to know more about the legal instructions behind it. There are several reasons into questions that need to be discussed that will clear out more on this particular topic.
1. Traffic Violation for Obstructed View
You might have had a fair idea by now by reading the topic of this particular point. There are certain rules pertaining to traffic violations that include the matter of obstructed view. It is clearly mentioned in the law that no objects should be placed right in front of the driver on the windshield or any other window adjacent to the person.
It might lead to an obstructed view thus leading to multiple road accidents which need to be avoided. Hence, if you are installing a dashcam on the windshield since they use suction to mount on the glass, it needs to be placed in a certain position that does not obstruct the driver’s view. Also, the specific laws are very different in every state that needs to be verified constantly before you take any step.
Read More About Best Front & Rear View Dash Cam
2. List of States that legalizes or Forbids Dash Cam Installation
Now, you can check out the list of the states that allow or have made it illegal to install Dash Cam in their vehicle.
It is important to keep such aspects in mind before you can make an addition to your vehicle either it is a camera or simply a GPS device. Some states do have certain regulations that need to be followed based on the Windshield Obstruction View, while some do not have.
Some states that have strict rules and follow prohibited windshield obstructions include Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Ohio. This means that there are certain specific restrictions that every vehicle must imply on their vehicles.
Next up, we have a small list of the states that might allow the installation of the dashboard camera with little or no restriction in place but making sure it does not obstruct the driver’s view. The states are, namely, Arizona, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
3. Electronic Surveillance and Voice Recording
Another very important aspect that you need to consider before you can determine whether using a dashcam is legal or not. It is about surveillance while the cameras are recording every move you make while being in the rideshare car. It is equivalent to tracking your activity or even recording audio in certain cases.
There are states in the USA, where it is not legal or prohibited to record the passenger voice with the use of a dashboard camera. For this, you can choose to simply buy a camera that does not support this feature and simply use it to record videos.
Important Note
All the laws and regulations regarding Dashcams, Obstructed view, surveillance, and voice recording in a vehicle change over time. The laws are different for different states and one can visit any official site by the authorities to know more about these.
The states mentioned in the list above might have certain regulations but they do allow the use of dashcams. However, before buying the camera, make sure to know particularly about the state you reside in.
