Is It Legal to Mount Your Phone on Your Dashboard?

Is it legal to mount a phone on your dashboard?

While there are tons of great phone mounts on the market, which would indicate an unequivocal “yes,” the answer is more complicated than you might think.

In fact, this line of questioning is in many ways inextricably linked with the question of dash cam legality, as the heart of the matter touches upon the same central issue.

Thus, today, we will explore the legalities of mounting a phone to your dashboard, figure out the limitations of this practice and help keep you from potentially breaking any local laws.

Let’s get started.

Is It Legal to Mount a Phone on Your Dashboard?

The short answer to this is yes, it is legal to mount a phone to your vehicle’s dashboard. The reason for this is that there are no federal laws which prohibit a person from affixing a phone to their car in this way.

However, there are state laws which would potentially limit a person from mounting their phone in this way. Again, the reasoning is the same as with mounting dash cams as it is a question of how much of the windshield the device and mount block.

In many states, there are limitations to the number of square inches that can be obscured by a device such as a dash cam or suction cup phone holder (or anything else for that matter). Additionally, if there are provisions for such blockages, many states will also dictate where the coverage can exist, thereby governing the placement of a phone mount.

For instance, in the state of Nevada, drivers are allowed to block six square inches of their windshield with such a device but only on the lower passenger side corner.

On the other hand, there are states which have no such limitations whatsoever. This means that, depending on your location, it is 100 percent legal to mount a phone on your dashboard.

However, the inverse of this is also true. This means that there are states where mounting a dash cam, phone mount or any other phone accessories to your dashboard is strictly prohibited.

Therefore, answering the question of “is it legal to mount a phone on a dashboard” with any sort of accuracy means that these nuances must be taken into consideration. Thus, the most honest answer here is:

It depends.

The legality of your dash-mounted phone will all depend on your location and the local laws of that area.

That said, no matter what state you are in, it is ill-advised to mount a device anywhere in your vehicle that will distract you or prevent you from having a clear view of the road in front of you.

Therefore, if it is legal to mount a phone to your dashboard in your area, the best place is typically in the center or on the far left corner of the driver’s seat.

Further Considerations

Complicating matters further is the reality of police discretion in law enforcement.

Essentially, this means that if you live in a state wherein dashboard-mounted phones are legal but have limitations on their usage, there is still the chance that — due to unclear legal language or outright ignorance — police officers could still potentially pull you over and issue you a ticket, despite not breaking any laws.

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Given this potentiality, it can be a wise decision to forgo a dashboard mount altogether and instead decide to purchase a car vent phone holder, a cup holder mount or other option which stands no chance as being construed as breaking local laws.

However, if you live in a state with no restrictions, you are free to use whichever type of mount you prefer.

Mounting a Phone in Your Vehicle

While the overarching answer to the mounting query is yes, because of all of the factors that go into the legality of mounting a phone in your vehicle, it is necessary for each person to research their local laws to ensure that the mount they select is legal for their area.