No one likes to get a speeding or traffic violation ticket! So if you live in Florida or are planning a road trip to the Sunshine State, you will certainly need to know if it is legal to have a radar detector in your vehicle. And luckily, we have all the information you need about radar detectors in Florida right here!
Radar detectors are legal in Florida as long as you are not driving a commercial vehicle that weighs over 1,000 lbs. However, it is important to note that only radars that simply detect police vehicles are legal, those that jam signals are strictly illegal in Florida.
Keep reading if you want to understand if radar detectors will actually work in Florida, as well as if cops can detect your radar detector, and which kinds of radars are illegal! You’re going to be a radar detector expert in no time!
Do Radar Detectors Work in Florida?
Now that you know that you are legally allowed to have a radar detector in your car (as long as it’s not a commercial vehicle that weighs over 1,000 lbs) in Florida, you might want to know if they actually work!
The first thing to understand is that radar detectors are meant to help drivers avoid getting speeding tickets or traffic infractions by alerting them when there are police cruisers around.
And there is good news: Your radar will definitely work in Florida to alert you if there is a police car anywhere near you.
Depending on what kind of radar detector you have, some work better than others, and of course, some radar detectors have a larger area coverage than others.
However, all Florida police vehicles are detectable on radar detectors, and it’s perfectly legal to use one!
Can Cops Detect Radar Detectors in Florida?
The next question many people ask is whether or not a cop can tell if you have a radar detector in your car from a distance.
And while there are certainly police detectors that can recognize a radar detector from a mile away, Florida police officers don’t use them. That means that cops in Florida cannot detect your radar detector!
Usually, police cruisers only have radar detectors in their vehicles in states where they are illegal, so if you are in luck if you want to use a radar detector in Florida without the police knowing.
However, it is important to note that if you do get pulled over and have a radar detector visible in your car, you should understand that the officer will likely be displeased.
As you now know, it is not illegal to have a radar detector in Florida, so you cannot get a ticket for possessing one.
But Florida police officers say that you are more likely to get a ticket, rather than a warning, for speeding if the cop who pulls you over sees a detector in your vehicle.
Are Radar Jammers Legal in Florida?
You should also understand that while radar detectors are legal in Florida, radar jammers are not.
Laser or radar jammers are sold throughout the country and can be used to interfere with police radios. However, you should understand that they are very different from radar detectors which do not scramble or jam other signals but simply intercept them.
Using a radar scrambler or jammer is completely illegal, and if you get caught with one in your vehicle, you may face some pretty serious consequences.
In fact, you could be charged with a felony, receive a hefty fine, and even spend up to 5 years in prison.
So, when you purchase a radar detector, you need to be completely sure it is only a detector and not a jammer in order to follow the law of Florida and make sure you don’t accidentally end up in prison!
Should You Have a Radar Detector in Florida?
Finally, you might be wondering if you should get a radar detector, now that you know they’re legal, if you live in Florida. And the truth is that there are both pros and cons to having one in your vehicle.
One of the negative side effects of having a radar detector in Florida is that you are more likely to get a traffic ticket if you get pulled over and the police officer sees it in your car.
However, it could prevent you from getting pulled over at all since you will be alerted of police presence before you actually get caught speeding.
Final Thoughts
Whether or not you should get a radar detector in Florida is completely up to you! But luckily, you know that legally, you do have the right to use one in your vehicle throughout the state.
As promised, you are now a radar detector expert when it comes to Florida law! Just remember, while radar detectors are legal, radar jammers are not. So make sure you get the right product to avoid getting into a whole lot of trouble!
