Dashboard cameras — District of Columbia

Dash cams are legal in the District of Columbia, but the following rules should be considered:  

Windshield placement and visibility

No person may drive a vehicle with any object in any position that obstructs a significant portion of the view of the driver to the front or sides of the vehicle. The best practice would be dashboard or behind the rear-view mirror mounting.

Audio and video recording

The District of Columbia is a one-party consent state for audio recording. This means that the driver or a passenger who is a party to the conversation may give prior consent to the recording.

In the District of Columbia, 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 the District of Columbia 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.