If you’re interested in keeping a closer eye on your vehicle, a dashcam is a legal option in Michigan.
Drivers in the state are allowed to place a dashcam in a car or other vehicle, as long as it’s on the dashboard or windshield in a manner that doesn’t distract the driver or block their road visibility, per the Michigan Vehicle Code.
If your dashcam will be recording audio within the car, keep in mind Michigan is a “one-party” consent state, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Here’s what to know about dashcam laws in Michigan.
Is it legal to keep a dashcam in your car?
Yes, it is legal to have a dashcam in your car in Michigan, though you’ll need to follow certain guidelines on how to place and use the device.
Where can you place your dashcam in your car?
When determining where to place the dashcam, make sure it does not obstruct the driver’s view of the road, per Michigan law.
The Michigan Vehicle Code says that an aftermarket visual device … “may be installed or mounted on the windshield or above the dashboard, but shall not be mounted within the deployment profile of the vehicle airbags or in a manner that interferes with the operator’s view or control.”
Do you need permission to record audio with your dashcam?
Michigan is what’s called a “one-party” consent state which means it’s legal to record as long as one person taking part in the conversation consents.
But recording a conversation that a person is not participating in violates the eavesdropping statute, said Symantha Heath, partner at the Novi-based Elkouri Heath PLC law firm. Violating that law is a felony punishable with a fine up to $2,000 or two years in prison. These types of cases focus on if there’s an expectation of privacy. In public settings, where there isn’t an expectation of privacy, for instance, the statute wouldn’t necessarily apply, she said.
Detroit Free Press Economic Mobility Reporter Nushrat Rahman contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Can you have a dashcam in your car in Michigan? What the law says
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
