Radar speed guns are utilized by law enforcement in order to measure the speed of vehicles, catch speeders and allow for tickets to be issued in order to prevent accidents. A radar detector is a device which one can install in a vehicle in order to avoid getting caught speeding. Radar detector use is popular since a ticket can cost more than a radar detector.
You may be wondering, “are radar detectors legal in CA?” The answer is yes, radar detectors are legal in California. Radar detectors are not explicitly banned by any law in California, as well as most other states. However, some types of drivers are not allowed to install them.
What Is a Radar Detector?
A radar detector is a device which can warn you, visually and audibly, when radar waves are detected. This allows you to be aware of when a radar gun is being used in the area, allowing you to slow down to a speed under the speed limit before being caught speeding.
When law enforcement wants to catch speeders, they use radar guns. Radar guns emit invisible waves which operate on different radar signal bands, including Ka band, K band and X band. These waves detect vehicles then end up bouncing back to police radar guns, detecting how fast vehicles are traveling.
Radar detectors can detect these waves, then emit visual and audio alerts which warn you of the presence of radar in the area so you can slow down and avoid getting a speeding ticket.
Are Radar Detectors Legal in California?
Radar detectors are indeed legal for usage by most drivers in California. State law does not explicitly regulate or prohibit the use of radar and laser detectors. It is legal to install radar detectors in privately owned passenger vehicles in California, as well as everywhere else in America other than Washington DC and Virginia. It’s important to note that in California, radar detectors can’t be installed on windshields in manners which obstruct drivers’ views.
Since radar detectors are legal in California, you may be wondering, “are radar jammers legal in California?” or “are laser jammers legal in California?” The answer is no. Radar jammers and laser jammers are not legal in California.
A radar jammer is a device which sends radio frequency signals out in order to interfere with radar operation. These devices block radar guns from working properly, and are illegal under federal law because they can end up disrupting airplane signals. The devices are illegal in all 50 states, including California.
A laser jammer can interrupt the proper operation of a police laser gun, otherwise known as a LiDAR gun. Its use is not allowed in California.
Restrictions and Exceptions
Those driving commercial vehicles which weigh over 10,000 pounds in any state are not allowed to use radar detectors. This applies to bus drivers as well as truck drivers. The purpose of this law is to protect road users’ safety by making sure commercial drivers don’t speed. Commercial drivers aren’t allowed to have these devices in the vehicle with them even if they’re turned off.
Taxi drivers, as well as rideshare drivers such as Lyft and Uber drivers, are also not allowed in California to use radar detectors. This law is intended to discourage those who are transporting passengers from engaging in dangerous speeding.
Drivers in California are not allowed to use radar detectors when they drive through military bases, even when they’re allowed to keep one in their vehicle by law. These devices need to be turned off around military operations.
States Where Radar Detectors Are Illegal
You may be wondering, “in which states are radar detectors illegal?”
Washington DC and Virginia have laws preventing the usage of radar detectors. However, in Virginia, it is OK to have a radar detector in the vehicle as long as it doesn’t have a power source and the vehicle’s occupants cannot access it. So, if you need to drive through Virginia, you should be fine if the unit is turned off and kept in the trunk.
Radar Detectors and Road Safety
The usage of radar detecting devices raises big questions about safety on the road. Proponents of radar detectors argue the devices encourage drivers to pay more attention to the speed they’re driving at, possibly reducing the number of accidents relating to speeding. Critics, on the other hand, argue radar detecting devices may embolden drivers to speed, using the devices to speed with impunity, possibly leading to more accidents.
Liability Implications of Radar Detectors
When it comes to legal liability in cases such as car accident cases, if a radar detector is present in a vehicle, it can be very contentious. When accidents occur and drivers involved have radar detectors, this may be interpreted as being an indication the driver is a habitual speeder, and this can potentially influence legal proceedings’ outcomes as well as the outcomes of liability determinations.
When to Contact an Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident that was the result of speeding, contact us today for a free consultation. We can help you recover financial compensation for things like medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, property damage, pain, suffering and wrongful death.
We’ve been helping those injured in accidents caused by speeding since 1990 and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. Our vast experience handling speeding accident cases means we can recover the most money possible on your behalf.
If an accident caused by speeding injured you and you can’t afford medical treatment, we can get you to doctors who will treat you without charging you for treatment until your case is over. Our reputation for success is why doctors offer our clients this deal.
If you got hurt in an accident caused by speeding, we won’t charge you any upfront fee or out of pocket fee. We won’t charge you any fee at all, in fact, until and unless we recover compensation for you. Our only fee is a percentage of any recovery we obtain for you when handling your accident case.
Call us today for a free consultation.
Jeffrey Nadrich
Jeffrey Nadrich is a nationally-recognized California plaintiff’s personal injury attorney. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law. He has successfully represented thousands of injury clients over the last 40 years.
