Dash Cam Laws in the UK

Where you can mount it on the windscreen

The core rule is in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, regulation 30: the driver must always have a full view of the road and traffic ahead, and glass must be kept so it doesn't obscure the driver's vision.

DVSA guidance on windscreen obscuration splits the area the wipers clear into two zones. Zone A is a 290mm-wide strip centred on the steering wheel (350mm on vehicles over 3.5 tonnes) — stickers or other items shouldn't intrude more than 10mm into it. Zone B, the rest of the swept area, allows up to 40mm.

At an MOT, an obstruction that significantly affects the driver's view through the swept area is a major defect, and testers can remove items like a sat nav that block the view.

In practice that's why every manufacturer tells you to mount the camera behind the rear-view mirror, out of your line of sight.

• These 10mm/40mm limits come from DVSA and MOT guidance — not the Highway Code, which some websites wrongly claim.
• None of these documents mention dash cams by name; they apply to anything fitted to the glass.

Using the screen or app while driving

It's illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet or any device that can send or receive data while driving — including at traffic lights or in queues. The penalty is 6 points and a £200 fine, and drivers who passed in the last two years lose their licence.

Hands-free devices in a holder or windscreen mount are allowed as long as you never hold them, and they must not block your view of the road. Highway Code rule 150 also warns about distraction from in-vehicle systems — so set the camera up before you set off and don't fiddle with the app on the move.

Recording audio, passengers and data protection

If you use a dash cam purely for personal reasons, the ICO's data protection fee checker treats that as domestic use, so no fee is needed. Use it for work — even partly — and the business needs to register and pay the fee (£52 a year for most small organisations).

For business vehicles the ICO advises switching audio off by default and only using it in exceptional circumstances, telling people they're being recorded (for example with a sign), switching cameras off outside working hours, and not keeping footage longer than needed. The ICO says this guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act.

Taxis and private hire

The government's statutory taxi and private hire standards say that where a licensing authority requires CCTV, the authority is the data controller. Audio must not be continuously active by default and should be triggered by the passenger or driver, passengers must be made fully aware that recording is happening, and it should be possible to switch the system off when the vehicle is used privately.

Always check your own licensing authority's rules before fitting a cabin-facing camera.

Sending footage to the police

Many forces accept dash cam footage online. The National Dash Cam Safety Portal (run by Nextbase, free, and open to footage from any camera) lets you pick the police force area, upload the clip and complete a witness statement; only that force sees it. Several forces also run their own Operation Snap pages, such as West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Act quickly: most road traffic offences have a six-month prosecution limit and some need a notice of intended prosecution within 14 days, and some forces ask for footage within 7 or 10 days. Keep the original, unedited file, don't post it on social media, and make sure the number plate is readable — police say they can't enhance footage.

Be aware that footage showing you breaking the law (for example using your phone) can be used against you. If your force doesn't take online submissions, call 101.

Will a dash cam cut my insurance?

Some do. The only insurer-side page we found offering a stated discount is broker Adrian Flux, which says you could get up to 15% off with one of its listed cameras. Other discount claims we found came from camera makers or the press rather than insurers, so check with your own insurer.