Police officials usually carry radar guns that allow them to detect the speed of any oncoming vehicles.
However, considering that radar guns can produce inaccurate results if calibrated or used incorrectly, it’s best to make sure that you’re well within the speed limit when driving by one.
You can do this with the help of a radar detector. These devices can pick up on radar signals emitted by nearby police radar guns and notify you about the same.
As a result, you can ensure that you’re adhering to the law so that you can avoid speeding tickets. This can be an effective tool to have in your car, but its legality really does depend on where you live.
Which brings up the question: Are radar detectors legal in Hawaii? You can, in fact, legally install and rely on radar detectors in your vehicle, but this does not come without its own restraints.
In this article, you’ll learn more about these restraints, along with some other relevant details about radar detectors.
Mounting Your Radar Detector
There is insufficient clarity about whether or not you can mount radar detectors on your windshields, especially since the law does not make a specific reference to these devices.
However, the law does permit “signs, stickers, or devices” to be mounted in a 7″ square at the bottom of the windshield on the opposite end of the driver’s seat or in a 5″ square at the bottom of the windshield closest to the driver.
For clarity, it is best to confirm with your local authorities or simply install the radar anywhere other than the windshield.
Privately Owned vs Commercially Owned Vehicles
For all privately owned vehicles, the usage of radar detectors is allowed in most cases. This means that if you have one installed correctly, the police are unlikely to bother you about them.
Hawaii adheres to federal rules about commercially owned vehicles, which state that only those weighing less than 10,000 lbs can use radar detectors.
Driving in a Military Area
You cannot drive in a military area if you have radar detectors installed. This is because these can cause signal interference with the radar frequencies being put to use by some tools that the military might be using themselves.
We highly recommend ensuring that you uninstall the detector and turn the power off.
Common Radar Detector Myths
It is believed radar detectors give drivers a free-reign to drive over the speed limit if there are no police radars around.
While this is true for people who have blatant disregard for the law, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone who uses these devices has corrupt motivations behind doing so.
Another myth here is that most states have made radar detectors illegal, but only Virginia and Washington, D.C. have done so, with all other states permitting their usage.
Can The Police Detect My Radar Detector?
Police usually have devices that use special radio receivers, allowing them to detect your radar detector. These are called radar detector-detectors.
Many radar guns can also have this ability built in as a feature. Note that these are mainly used in states where radar detectors are illegal.
State of Hawaii Info
The state of Hawaii is situated in the Western United States. It comprises a group of islands that are located in the Pacific Ocean and away from the continent itself.
The state ranks 8th in the country in terms of size and is also not highly populated. Agriculture is quite common here, although the state’s main economy comes from tourism.
Population: 1,441,553
Capital: Honolulu
Registered vehicles: 516,544
Total lane miles: 9,799
Number of Highways: 3