I got my son a GoPro and have been following a few threads here regarding mounts and mounting locations. I've noticed that some of the videos posted here go for some duration in length but when I showed them to my son, he showed me some online articles stating that California only allows recorded video in duration of 30 seconds and then has to loop. So if I understand the California law correctly, every 30 seconds is continually overwritten, which defeats one of the reasons of riding with a GoPro.

What specifically do California riders do, and what are typically laws of other states allowing the use of a GoPro? For example, if I was pulled over for a traffic stop, how could I get the entire stop on record? Or a traffic accident? Last week national news had the video of a truck driver that was pulled over for honking his horn at the officer and then being pulled over for it. Sounds like in California, that would be an illegal recording or most of the recording would have been over-written to the point of being useless.

 

I have no idea what you, or your son, are talking about.

 

Did you read my post above? It's illegal to record more than 30 seconds of video in duration and then it has to loop, meaning you can't record for 5 or 10 or whatever minutes in length.
Hopefully someone with a good understanding of this California law can clarify, and what does your state allow?


From Google:

(13) (A) A video event recorder with the capability of monitoring driver
performance to improve driver safety, which may be mounted in a seven-inch
square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the
driver, in a five-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest
to the driver and outside of an airbag deployment zone, or in a five-inch
square mounted to the center uppermost portion of the interior of the
windshield. As used in this section, a video event recorder means a video
recorder that continuously records in a digital loop, recording audio,
video, and G-force levels, but saves video only when triggered by an
unusual motion or crash or when operated by the driver to monitor driver
performance.

(B) A vehicle equipped with a video event recorder shall have a notice
posted in a visible location which states that a passengerļć˝s conversation
may be recorded.

(C) Video event recorders shall store no more than 30 seconds before and
after a triggering event.

(D) The registered owner or lessee of the vehicle may disable the device.

(E) The data recorded to the device is the property of the registered owner
or lessee of the vehicle.

(F) When a person is driving for hire as an employee in a vehicle with a
video event recorder, the person's employer shall provide unedited copies
of the recordings upon the request of the employee or the employee's
representative. These copies shall be provided free of charge to the
employee and within five days of the request.

(14) (A) A video event recorder in a commercial motor vehicle with the
capability of monitoring driver performance to improve driver safety, which
may be mounted no more than two inches below the upper edge of the area
swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver's sight lines to the
road and highway signs and signals. Subparagraphs (B) to (F), inclusive, of
paragraph (13) apply to the exemption provided by this paragraph.

 

Never heard it...can you cite some references.

 

Do you have link to this law or something? Albeit, I'm not in Commifornia but I have friends who record and have never heard of this...

 

30 second limit on video in cali is bs unless there is some really obscure nobody knows about.



Just saw you edited and added the legal text. That doesn't seem to apply to recreational videos. I know lots of guys with go pros and they film all their rides and any interaction with leo's. They never have problems.

 

Even if it is "the law" who cares?

Do what you want.....If it's a law, it's a stupid law that needs to be ignored.

 

Big Brother is coming to a city near you.....LMAO
If they can have a dash cam so can we.....My answer to it: screw them gotta catch me first..

 

Turn that cam on and let her roll!
It's illegal to cross the Mexican border into Ca. too! I am pretty sure I am one of the few Ca. natives left here. LoL.

 

Reading that section of the statute, it would appear to have nothing to do with you. It appears to be aimed toward companies recording commercial drivers, where cameras are triggered by accidents, impacts, or other events. Read the rest of the statute, and not just the bit about the 30 second loop.