Is your GPS Installation Illegal?
A recent entry in the Q&A section of the Mercury News (California) discussed the legality of windshield mounted GPS navigation systems. According to the officer who responded to the question, GPS navigation systems mounted to the windshield are illegal in many installations.
“You may only put things in the very lower left or right corner, and you are restricted to only a couple of inches at those locations. The GPS will exceed those limits.”
Although I have not checked all state laws (not even most) I did check with other states and they have similar laws on the books. I’ve never heard of anyone receiving a fine for the installation of their GPS receiver. The officer continues with the following recommendation.
“The Pod-style GPS (TomTom is one popular brand seen on TV) needs to have clear access to GPS signals and may not be usable due to mounting them to the windshield. Most Pod styles do not have a remote antenna connection. Most of the small portable receivers by Magellan or Garmin have the capability to connect a remote antenna which can be placed on the dash or on the roof of the car.”
Hmmmm… What has he got against TomTom? Anyway the quote might lead people to believe there is no external antenna available for TomTom GPS systems. Don’t worry, there is a TomTom External Antenna available for TomTom GPS systems.
You can also find external antennas for most of the Garmin GPS receivers if you wish a legal GPS installation for many of those devices.
