New York Laser Jamming Device Laws
Police uses two two types of speed measuring devices: laser speed guns (also called police lidars), and police radars. Jamming police radars and operating a radar jammer is a federal offense and prohibited in the entire US. Police radars, while almost equally accurate, and mostly no longer used by law enforcement.
Laser speed guns or LIDARs are more commonly used. Some states prohibit the use of laser jammers, while most of US has no specific anti-laser jammer laws.
Is laser jamming legal in New York?
In most of United States you can legally use laser detectors, and for the most part this is also true for New York.
In New York state it is legal to use laser detector devices on vehicles under 18,000 pounds, or commercial vehicles under 10,000 pounds.
New York Vehicle & Traffic Laws, Title 3, Article 12, Section 397-A states the following:
1. No radar detector or laser detector shall be used in any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than eighteen thousand pounds or in any commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds. The presence in such vehicle of a radar detector or laser detector connected to a power source and in an operable condition is presumptive evidence of its use by any person operating such vehicle. Such presumption shall be rebutted by any credible and reliable evidence which tends to show that such radar detector or laser detector was not in use.
2. The provisions of this section shall not be construed as authorizing the seizure or forfeiture of a radar detector or laser detector, unless otherwise provided by law.
3. A violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five nor more than one hundred dollars.
Penalties
There are no penalties for using laser detection devices as they are legal in New York. Using them on vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds carries a $25 – $100 fine.
Unlike detectors, using radar jammers is a federal offense with more severe penalties.
How radar and laser jammers work?
Radar jammers interfere with frequencies from police radars. Police laser jamming devices work to interrupt their highly focused beam of infrared light.
While the effectiveness of radar and lidar jamming devices is often debatable, it is a fact they are legal to use in some states which includes New York. Nevertheless, we do not recommend using any jammers or other devices which can interfere with police speed measuring devices.
Radar and laser detectors
New York traffic laws do not prevent you from using radar detectors or laser detectors on vehicles less than 10,000 pounds of weight, so we consider these devices legal to use.
NY laws do not differentiate jammers and detectors, and regulations do not prohibit use of either. Therefore we assume they fall under the same rule and are legal for use. Many other states have laws allowing laser detectors, but specifically disallowing jammers.
However, we strongly suggest avoiding the use of laser jammers. Use laser detectors instead, as they are perfectly legal in New York and most other states.