No, radar detectors are not illegal in Texas. You can pretty much own them and use them, but the way you should use them depends upon the scenario. And that is the part which confuses a lot of people, like if they can own/buy them, then they should be allowed to use them however they want, right? But nah, that’s not how it goes. And to be more informed about it, you should keep on reading this post, just to stay on the legal side.
What Is a Radar Detector?
For those who maybe hearing about it all for the very first time, see, a radar detector is a mini-electronic gadget that is installed in vehicles to sense the radar signals from the police speed guns. Normally, you know, it is a part of the car or front glass that gives the driver a warning by a sound or visual signal at the time of the closest active radar identification.
Just know that they merely detect the signals. These are passive devices. A lot of people confuse them with radar or laser jammers; however, those are entirely different ones, and are pretty much illegal.
Other than that, you should know that the police can also use LIDAR, which uses laser beams instead of radio waves. The majority of the radar detectors cannot reliably detect LIDAR until the vehicle is already being clocked. So yes, in a way, even if you have a detector, it is not a certainty that you will always get a warning.
Are Radar Detectors Legal in Texas?
Indeed, radar detectors are permitted in Texas for private cars. Like, in case you are driving a car, an SUV, or a pickup truck that belongs to you, it is lawful for you to make use of a radar detector without having to be concerned about receiving state tickets or punishments or anything like that.
But the thing is, surely, it is better that you remember that there are some exceptions to this rule.
The use of radar detectors in commercial vehicles with a weight of more than 10,000 pounds is prohibited. The regulation is imposed by the federal government and is not a local Texas law, just know that. The law is valid for the whole country and is binding on heavy trucks, buses, and commercial delivery vehicles of any kind.
Where Should You Mount a Radar Detector?
Oh, it is true that there is no legislation in Texas that explicitly prohibits radar detectors on the car windshield. But yeah, you can receive a citation if the gadget interferes with your view of the traffic.
In case the police tell you that the detector is blocking your line of sight and thus, a safety issue, they will act accordingly. Plain and simple! The safest location for putting the device is definitely on the dashboard, where it is not directly in your line of sight, but you can still see it and it is positioned low.
States Where Radar Detectors Are Illegal
In most U.S. states, radar detectors are legal for personal vehicles pretty much. But there are two exceptions you should know about:
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
In both of these places, radar detectors are fully banned, even if they’re turned off.
Radar and Laser Jammers Are Illegal
Before we end this post right here, you should certainly be aware of the fact that radar jammers and laser jammers are prohibited by law in each of the 50 states, Texas being no exception. Such jamming equipment violates the speed measurement tools of the police in an active manner and, hence, is regarded as a kind of obstruction to law enforcement authorities.
