A fair amount of people that own cars in the United States have their own radar detectors. Their reason for having one is because they feel the speed limit presently is too low.

Most Americans are not satisfied with a moderate speed while driving. They want to be the fastest driver on the road, as well as get to the places they’re going to in record time.

The radar detector serves as their alarm whenever there are police near by. Once the radar detector alarm sounds, they can ease up on the gas pedal and slow down their speed.

The radar detectors work by picking up a signal from the policeman's radar gun. Unfortunately they are not effective 100%of the time.

Because of the radar detectors being used by so many motorist, cops have resorted to hiding in alleyways or behind bridges, in an attempt to avoid being detected by the radar detectors.

Motorists on the other hand are being clever themselves, they are aware of these tactics from the police. So to overcome the cops strategy of being deceptive, more enhanced, top-dollar detectors have entered the market.

Although the police are always improving their techniques of catching the radar detector users, they are not able to keep the road radar detector free.

Another form of radar detection are laser jammers. They work by transmitting an invisible light source back to the original police laser gun. The return signal confuses the laser gun and the officer is unable to clock the driver's speed.

Radar detectors are legal in many cities and states throughout the United States. But, in some of the states that allow radar detectors they have some restrictions.

I have prepared a list below that discusses the states with laws against radar detectors and the states with restrictions.

-Virginia, Georgia currently prohibits the use of radar detectors.

-The District of Columbia does not allow radar detectors. Radar detectors are also not allowed in all commercial vehicles and all vehicles over 18,000 pounds or heavier.

-Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming have all banned mounting radars and/or obstructions on the windshield.

-Missouri and North Carolina have no restrictions on window obstructions.

-Radar jammers are not allowed in any state. This is a federal law.

-Alabama prohibits radar detectors on all commercial vehicles.

-New York does not allow radar detectors on commercial vehicles over 18,000 pounds.

-New Jersey and Ohio prohibits radar detectors on all commercial vehicles.

Florida does not allow radar detectors on commercial and personal vehicles over 10,000 pounds.

-The following states permit radar detectors in private vehicles but not in commercial vehicles: Alaska, Montana, Iowa, Arkansas, Maryland, Nevada, Connecticut, Idaho, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kansas, Arizona, Maine, Kentucky, Delaware, West Virginia, Michigan, South Carolina, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Nebraska, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Mexico, Hawaii, North Carolina, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming,

In Illinois, radar detectors are only regulated in commercial vehicles of over 26,001 pounds.

-On US military bases, radar detectors are legal to have but illegal to use. (??)

-Laser Jammers are illegal to use in California, Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Tennessee, -Virginia, and Washington D.C. And since there is no federal law banning them, they can be used in other states.

If you are considering buying a radar detector be sure to know what your state's law is regarding the use of them. Also do some research on the different types of radar detectors available to suit your needs.

Before you start shopping for a radar detector, make sure you understand what options are available.

Such as:

Corded Radar Detectors

Cordless radar detectors

Remote-Mount Radar Detectors

The Factors:

Range

Filtering

Smartphone or GPS connectivity

Budget

Take your time in selecting the right radar detector. Lighten up on the heavy foot with the gas pedal and be safe.