UK law checked on 22 October 2026 on legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, the Highway Code and the police’s Ask the Police service; French law on Légifrance. General information, not legal advice.
Key takeaways
- Apps that show published camera locations are lawful in the UK, according to police guidance.
- The 2006 power to ban speed-measurement detectors has never come into force; using a jammer can lead to prosecution.
- Holding a phone while riding, even stopped at lights: £200 and 6 points.
- In France, owning or carrying a detector is an offence even when it is switched off: leave it at home.
The short answer
Are speed camera apps and detectors legal in the UK?
Apps and sat navs that warn of camera sites are lawful. Ask the Police, the police’s official questions service, says devices that only provide information about camera site locations are lawful in the UK. The explanatory notes to the Road Safety Act 2006 also state that such devices were not meant to be caught by any ban.
Radar and laser detectors sit in a gap the law has never closed. Section 18 of the Road Safety Act 2006 lets ministers ban, through regulations, devices designed to detect or interfere with speed-measuring equipment. legislation.gov.uk still lists that section as prospective: it has never come into force.
Sources Ask the Police: speed camera detectors Road Safety Act 2006, section 18 Explanatory notes, paragraph 62
| Device or app | What it does | UK | France |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera-location app or sat nav database | Warns of published camera sites | Lawful | Banned unless it shows danger zones |
| Danger-zone app | Flags a stretch of road | Lawful | Lawful |
| Radar or laser detector | Picks up the speed gun’s signal | No ban in force | Banned, even switched off |
| Jammer | Disrupts the measurement | Can lead to prosecution | Banned |
Jammers
Why are jammers treated differently from detectors?
A detector listens; a jammer fights back. Ask the Police warns that jammers are unlawful and that users could face prosecution for perverting the course of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Radar jammers can also fall under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006: using apparatus to interfere with wireless telegraphy, which includes radio used to gauge the motion of an object, can bring up to two years in prison. There is no lawful use for a jammer on the road.
Sources Ask the Police: jammers Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006, section 68 Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006, section 116
Hands on the bars
What counts as using a hand-held phone on a motorcycle?
It is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet or any device that can send or receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle. That includes being stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic, and a phone that is offline or in flight mode. Since 25 March 2022, the ban covers any use, from taking a photo to scrolling a playlist.
The fixed penalty is £200 and 6 points, and riders who passed their test in the last two years lose their licence. In court, the fine can reach £1,000, with a possible ban.
Sources GOV.UK: using a phone or sat nav when driving GOV.UK: the 25 March 2022 change
| Situation | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Phone in a mount, route set before you leave | Yes, as long as you never hold it |
| Touching the screen while it stays in the mount | Not hand-held, but 3 points if you lose proper control or a full view of the road |
| Picking the phone up at a red light | No: £200 and 6 points |
| Calling 999 or 112 in an emergency when it is unsafe or impractical to stop | Yes |
Mounts and intercoms
Is a phone mount legal on a motorcycle?
Yes. GOV.UK allows hands-free use, for example in a holder or mount, as long as you never hold the device and it does not block your view of the road and traffic ahead. The Highway Code adds that you must have full control over these systems at all times and should not be distracted by maps or screens while riding; if necessary, find a safe place to stop.
Rule 148 also lists loud music among the distractions to avoid, because it can mask other sounds. Keep intercom volume low enough to hear traffic.
Sources GOV.UK: hands-free devices Highway Code, rules 148 to 150
- Mount: clamp tight, phone seated, cable clear of the bars at full lock.
- Destination entered before you leave.
- Alerts trimmed to what you need: camera zones, hazards, the speed limit.
- Sound through a helmet intercom rather than a screen you have to read.
- Anything that takes more than a glance waits until you have stopped somewhere safe.
An app that works without a route keeps this setup short. MotoLert, coming soon to iPhone, shows your real-time speed, speed camera zones and reported hazards as soon as you open it, and switches to mph and miles on its own when you ride in the UK.
If a camera catches you
What happens if a speed camera catches me?
Within 14 days, the registered keeper receives a Notice of Intended Prosecution and a Section 172 notice. The Section 172 notice must go back within 28 days, saying who was riding. Failing to identify the rider carries a fine of up to £1,000 and 6 points.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 points, unless the police offer a speed awareness course, which is only possible if you have not taken one in the past 3 years. In court, the fine can reach £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway. Reaching 12 points within 3 years can mean a ban.
Explore this topic Traffic cameras and road rules: United Kingdom
Sources GOV.UK: speeding penalties Highway Code, annex 5: penalties
| Step | Deadline | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of Intended Prosecution and Section 172 notice | Sent within 14 days | Check the date, place, plate and recorded speed |
| Section 172 reply | 28 days | Name who was riding |
| Fixed penalty or course | As stated on the offer | £100 and 3 points, or the course if offered |
Crossing the Channel
What changes when I ride to France?
Almost everything. Article R413-15 of the French Highway Code bans owning, carrying or using a device that detects speed enforcement equipment, as well as devices that report where it is. A detector that is legal in your garage becomes an offence as soon as you land in France, even switched off in a pannier: a fine of up to €1,500, seizure of the device, and possibly of the bike if the device is fitted to it, plus a possible licence suspension of up to three years.
Apps remain legal in France if they flag danger zones rather than exact camera positions, the format French providers adopted in 2012. Check what your app shows before riding there, and remember that French limits are in km/h: 130 km/h on a motorway is about 81 mph.
Explore this topic Motorcycle radar apps: what is legal in France Map of speed cameras and enforcement areas in France
Sources Légifrance: Article R413-15 (in French) French National Assembly: written question no. 124381 (in French)
References
The information cited was checked on 22 October 2026. Rules and services may change after this date.
- Ask the Police: Q367, speed camera detectorsCamera-location devices lawful in the UK; jammers unlawful, with prosecution for perverting the course of justice.
- Road Safety Act 2006, section 18Power to ban detection devices, still prospective on 22 October 2026.
- Road Safety Act 2006, explanatory notesDevices that only contain published camera site locations were not meant to be banned.
- Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006, sections 68 and 116Deliberate interference with wireless telegraphy: up to two years in prison.
- GOV.UK: using a phone, sat nav or other device when drivingThe ban, exceptions, hands-free use, £200 and 6 points.
- GOV.UK: announcement of 25 March 2022Any use of a hand-held phone banned from that date.
- GOV.UK: speeding penalties£100 and 3 points minimum, speed awareness course, Section 172 reply within 28 days.
- Highway Code: rules 148 to 150 and annex 5Distractions, in-vehicle systems and penalties, including 6 points for failing to identify the driver.
- Légifrance: Article R413-15 of the French Highway CodeOwning, carrying and using detectors or camera warners banned in France. In French.