Alabama Dash Cam Regulations: Key Facts for Drivers in 2024. Thanks to modern technology, cameras are everywhere. Cameras are small and adaptable enough to accommodate almost any need – including recording footage of the road from a dashboard or motorcycle helmet. Dashboard cameras or dash cams have been very popular among drivers as a way of proving fault for car accidents and other events. Dash cams can capture very important footage that may come in handy later if an accident or crime occurs. Before you invest in a dash cam, however, find out what the law has to say about them in Alabama.
Are Dash Cameras Legal In Alabama?
It is not legal to have a camera affixed to one’s windshield in Alabama. Under state law, nothing is allowed to be on the windshield that could impede the view of the driver. No sign or material upon the front windshield or windows of a vehicle may obstruct the driver’s clear view of the highway under Alabama Code section 32-5-215. No dash cam, GPS, or smartphone device can be mounted on the windshield. On the other hand, if the camera mounts on the dashboard without blocking a view of the road of a driver, then probably, a court will allow this act. A motorcyclist can tape footage from a helmet of theirs for instance and does not violate windshield obstruction law in Alabama.
Alabama Dashboard cameras may also breach Alabama state laws on privacy. Video or audio recording without the subject’s consent while inside any private place is forbidden as defined by Alabama law. A dash cam can violate this statute if the user is using it to record without consent the private activities of another person on private property. On the other hand, taping in public places is lawful. If a dash cam does record audio, any person inside the vehicle whose voice is being recorded by the camera must agree to his or her private conversation being recorded.
Can Police Take Your Dash Cam?
If you are involved in a car accident or the police stop you for traffic, and you have a dash cam on your dashboard, the police officer might ask for the footage later. Law enforcement officers can subpoena dash cam footage as evidence if they believe that the footage recorded a crime. You have to submit to the subpoena and forfeit your dashboard camera’s footage to the police. However, if the officer has no valid reason to request the footage, then a judge may not sign off on the order.
In a car accident case or criminal trial, you also have to surrender your dash cam footage if one of the parties involved subpoenas it as evidence. Destroying dash cam footage is a crime if you have received an order to preserve or submit the footage. Resisting a court order could result in fines and/or jail time. If the police are simply issuing you a ticket for placing your dash cam in the wrong place, however, they generally cannot take your dash cam.
Can Dash Cam Footage Be Used In Court?
Most courts in Alabama will rule dash cam footage admissible as evidence during a criminal or civil case. Dashboard camera footage can provide evidence of liability or fault in a car accident and pedestrian collision as well as a police traffic stop. It can be used by police officers and the insurance companies involved to make a case in court. Surveillance footage could be evidence of fault or negligence, show how an accident happened, stop an insurance scam, or create a record of personal injuries and property damages.
Installing a dash cam can be a time-consuming and costly investment, but if you ever get into an accident, then it could be worth it. Dash cam footage supporting your case could make all the difference to the outcome of the case. Your lawyer can use the recording to his advantage by defending your side of the case or proving someone else’s fault. Just make sure that the installation of the dash cam is not in a position to violate Alabama’s windshield obstruction law.
