Dash Cameras are legal in the United States and Samsara’s recommended installation method aligns with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ("FMCSA") regulations rules for dash cam placement, which were formalized on May 6, 2022 and allow vehicle safety technologies like Samsara’s AI Dash Cams to be mounted up to 8.5 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, or up to 7 inches above the lower edge.
That said, many states have their own rules about the specific permissible placement of dash cams. If a customer inquires about the legality of Samsara’s dash cam placement in accordance with a specific state law, you can note that the spirit of these laws is ensuring that drivers can easily see past the dash cam for an unobstructed view of the road. So, while we can't make a determination for any one state specifically, we've generally found that placing a dashcam in compliance with federal FMCSA regs to be a positive indication that the view from the windshield is not obstructed (see KB here). You can also let the customer know that we have many dash cam customers in multiple states.
We also have a number of resources customers can use to help build out a compliant dashcam policy/program. These range from privacy law compliance guides to sample dash cam policies, driver notice memos, and consent forms. These can all be found on Showpad.