While Dash Cams are legal to have in your car on the road, restrictions affecting legal Dash Cam installation and placement do vary from state to state. Certain jurisdictions in the U.S. have restrictions intended to prevent any obstruction of the driver’s view of the road, which impacts where the Dash Cam can legally be placed on the windshield. In addition, certain states have stipulations around consenting parties with surveillance and privacy if audio is used with Dash Cams.
Ultimately it is undeniable that Dash Cams are a great way to improve the security of motorists on the road, and as the popularity around the use of Dash Cam footage grows with law enforcement and insurers in helping provide irrefutable evidence in the event of an incident, it is highly unlikely drivers would be pulled over unless the Dash Cam is mounted in an area of the windshield that obstructs the view of the road for the driver. A great example of the increasing support from law enforcement can be heard during a recent segment featuring Nextbase with Daily Mail TV, where former NYPD Lieutenant Darrin Porcher commented: “You’ve heard the term a picture is worth a thousand words, well a video is worth a million words.”
There is no law that forbids a driver from installing a Dash Cam in their vehicle, but we recommend that all U.S. motorists research their state’s laws before mounting a Dash Cam to ensure that it meets legal requirements.
Dash cam legality by state
To see if your state applies restrictions to Dash Cams in your vehicle, refer to the chart below that breaks down these laws on a state-by-state basis:
| State | Are Dash Cams legal ? | Restrictions | Source |
| Alabama | Yes - There is no law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams but window positioning needs to be adhered | Source |
| Alaska | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Arizona | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Arkansas | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| California | Yes | Legal with restrictions, surveillance rules | Source |
| Colorado | Yes | Legal with restrictions | Source |
| Connecticut | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Delaware | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams but window positioning needs to be adhered | Source |
| Florida | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Georgia | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Hawaii | Yes | Legal with restrictions | Source |
| Idaho | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Illinois | Yes | Legal with restrictions, surveillance rules | Source |
| Indiana | Yes | Legal with restrictions | Source |
| Iowa | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Kansas | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Kentucky | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Louisiana | Yes | Legal with restrictions | Source |
| Maine | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Maryland | Yes | Legal with restrictions, surveillance rules | Source |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Michigan | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Minnesota | Yes | Legal with restrictions | Source |
| Mississippi | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Missouri | Yes | Legal without restrictions | Source |
| Montana | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Nebraska | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Nevada | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| New Jersey | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| New Mexico | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| New York | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| North Carolina | Yes | Legal without restrictions | Source |
| North Dakota | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Ohio | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Oregon | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| South Carolina | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| South Dakota | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Tennessee | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Texas | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Utah | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Vermont | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Virginia | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Washington | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Washington DC | Yes | Legal with restrictions | Source |
| West Virginia | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
| Wisconsin | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | No law prohibiting Dash Cams | Source |
| Wyoming | Yes | Legal if positioned correctly and not obstructing drivers view | Source |
Disclaimer: The legality of mounted devices to motorist’s windshields within each state is subject to change at will. Even if it is legal to use a Dash Cam mounted in the windshield in your state as of today, that could change without notice at any time in the future. Before mounting a Dash Cam to your windshield, you should either consult with a lawyer, or continue checking your state’s current laws or statutes around mounting Dash Cams to your windshield to ensure you are abiding by the law and are not obstructing your view of the road.
