Radar Detectors Laws & Regulations

We all know that most of the police force in the country uses a speed gun to measure if motorists are moving faster that what is allowed by the current speed limits in our roads and highways. And it is also common knowledge for both the motorists and the police that there are devices that detect and jams these police radar speed guns to prevent being caught for speeding.

Radar detector and legal issues

Now the question that goes to everyone’s mind is that are such devices legal in first place? Because a product is popular doesn’t mean that it is legal. In reality, however, possession and use of such radar detector devices are tolerated in some states in the US and in some countries in the world. But still there are a number of places where radar detectors are illegal and anyone captured possessing one can be subjected to fines or confiscation of the device or both.

In the United States, the use of radar detectors is prohibited in the Commonwealth of Virginia where specific laws ban their use and possession in the vehicle. The same holds true in the District of Columbia where the laws to the ban came in effect in 1995.

In Illinois, radar detectors are only regulated in commercial vehicles of over 26,001 pounds while in New York motor vehicles over 18,000 pounds and any other commercial motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds are banned from having any kind of radar detectors. But in the states of Utah, California, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska the use of radar jamming devices are outright illegal.

Interestingly, vehicles inside US military bases are not impounded and users fined if they have been found to be owners of radar detectors. However, using them is a different matter and the said act is illegal inside any US military bases.

Radar detector in USA

Other states that prohibit the use of radar detectors include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Outside the United States, radar detectors are also considered illegal in countries like Australia where basically all states besides Western Australia bans the sale, purchase or possession of radar detectors.

Radar detector in Canada

In Canada these devices are illegal in Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories. While in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan the use of the devices are not banned at all.

Radar detector in other Countries

Moreover, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Kingdom.

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