Dashboard cameras — North Dakota

Dash cams are legal in North Dakota, but the following rules should be considered:  

Windshield placement and visibility

An individual may not drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster, object, material or tinting upon the front windshield or any other window which:

• Obstructs the driver’s clear view of the highway or any intersecting highway; or
• Unless the object, material, or tinting has a light transmittance of at least 70 percent.

Due to these explicit prohibitions, dashboard or behind the rear-view mirror mounting is a better choice to ensure compliance.

Audio and video recording

North Dakota is a one-party consent state. This means you can record audio as long as one party to the conversation (e.g., the driver or the passenger) consent.

In North Dakota, it is generally legal to record videos in public and in semi-public places like a truck cab, where there is little or no expectation of privacy.

However, video recording on private property (e.g., customer sites and delivery locations) without permission may be illegal, especially if footage includes people who are unaware that they are being recorded. Best practice: Dash cams should be deactivated or explicit permission obtained from the property owner or the individuals being recorded prior to video recording on private property.

Employee and driver privacy

Because North Dakota has one-party consent for audio recordings, fleet managers or drivers can record conversations in the vehicle as long one party, such as the driver consents. The best practice, however, is to both post a sign in the cab and inform all passengers verbally (whether customers, contractors, or employees) of audio or video recording for purposes of trust, transparency, and to avoid privacy disputes.