Are you sick of speeding tickets? If you’ve had one, that’s probably one too many, right? Well, you could stop breaking the speed limit. That, or you could use certain tools to protect yourself, like radar detectors. However, beyond using a detector to avoid a nasty little citation from the police, radar and laser jammers can better your chances of avoiding a ticket. However, are jammers illegal in the United States?

Radar jammers are a strict no-no, while laser jammers might be legal in your state

Let me preface by saying radar jammers and laser jammers are not the same thing. Sure, they’re both “jammers.” However, they “jam” two very different means of tracking speed. For starters, radar jammers function by producing a scrambling volley of radio signals to interfere with a receiver. 

Think of making a ton of noise when one person is trying to listen to another person across an open room. If you make enough noise in the middle of that room, the listener will have difficulty hearing the speaker. However, due to the nature of the technology and the potential public safety concerns, radar jammers are illegal at the federal level. 

In fact, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “prohibits the operation, marketing, or sale of any type of jamming equipment that interferes with authorized radio communications, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS), police radar, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).” Do it and you might be looking at criminal charges.

Laser jammers, on the other hand, aren’t illegal in every state. Like radar jammers, laser units operate by interfering with law enforcement equipment’s ability to get a reading. As a police laser targets a vehicle with a laser jammer, the jammer sends back interference, often leading to an error code or false reading.