Do the Virginia state police have something that can detect our radar ?

Someone told me they can tell if there is a radar detector in operation in your car. True??

Yes that's true, it's called VG2. However, most good radar detectors like the V1 and the Escort SRX and 8500 have VG2 detector detector. If this goes off I think you go back in time, not sure. Rob

I have a V1. I got busted with it a few weeks back. They took down the serial number and gave it back to me. Jokes on them anyway because I am ordering the new V1 and it will come with a different serial number, so if I should ever be stopped again in VA it won't come up in their system as being caught twice. On a side note...it really and truly sucks driving in VA. Great roads...Posted speeds are WAY to low... and everyone is paranoid as hell driving there. The cops have everyone freaked out. Very uncomfortable. Cheers

I drive an M5 and a 996 in Virginia everyday. I am not paranoid, freaked out, or uncomfortable. I have yet to meet a fellow citizen who thinks it sucks to drive here. I haven't had a ticket of any kind since 1990. Steve 99 996 00 M5 99 R1100S 76 930 64 356C

i'm curious - when you got caught with the V1, did they 'detect' that you had it - or was it simply a visual discovery? what else did the officer say? i lived in DC for a while and drove in VA a lot with my V1 with no problems - even when i encoutered cops running radar. never did get pulled over there, so it wasn't a problem, but i'm just wondering.... how old was the V1 you had? do you know what version software it had in it?

A couple of things. 1. yes they *may* be able to detect it with VG2, but most of the time it's visual. They shoot you with the radar and then watch for your brake lights or other sign of rapid braking. Easy. 2. As someone who used to live in VA and who now lives in TX, I can say that driving in Texas is a much less stressful and more relaxed experience than driving in VA, where they have such a puritanical approach to excess speed. I ducked out of a 97 in a 70 ticket in TX 2 years ago with deferred adjudication - I'd probably have spent the night in jail and lost my license in VA with an automatic reckless (or just spent a fortune in legal costs to get out of it). Try driving daily out west Steve, you'll find it much better. C.

Hey Brian and Chris thanks, I travel for my job and drive in many states and take notice quickly just how driver friendly and where that states priorities are. Without reservation Virginia is the worst and would say Connecticut is second. The best would probably be Montana or Wyoming but I will be realistic here and omit them as daily commuting states and then say that Kentucky and Arizona are easy. Never drove in Texas Chris but have heard it's good. On a side note I was driving a rental full size chevy silverado and the V1 was down low under the wipers and I learned back when I was 16 not to hit my brakes when you see or pass a cop, so I would say this cop in Virginia where they sleep with their uniforms on had something to detect the V1 without a doubt. Thanks guys

There are radar detector detectors that will pick up most detectors. It's called Spectre or something like that. I'm not sure how widely it's used.

My sister lives in Centerville VA. Its the damm people who lives there. I understand that they are family yuppie sorts. They are concern over safety of their children and good schools which is good. But they have their patties in a bundle. I understand speeds in the neighbor hood should be 25, but when you reach a major blvd. its only 35 and to top it all off those streets are not like bussy streets in DC they are like rural highways. I mean the neigbors are the nossy type. Like they want to know who is this stranger in this neighborhood. She live in one of thoes neighborhoods that have a community fees. I mean its one of thoes that tells you how to live in your house and take your money for doing it. They don't even get community tennis courts, pools, or work out center. This is just example of how the people who lives there are. When it comes to driving those same uptight people makes the laws and that why speeds are low and driver are paranoid.

Help me get this straight regarding VA laws re detectors. If you are driving thru the state with your detector off (mine is hard-wired w/remonte on steering column) then even though it's mounted, you are in compliance with the law. Or is the mere possession of a detector breaking the law?

Sign entering state says "RADAR DETECTORS ILLEGAL'' I don't know the fine print Don but when he handed it back to me he said I have to put it somewhere I cannot reach it. This is the funny part... I reached my right arm between the seats of this truck I was driving and put it on my duffle bag...Cop said ok and walked away. Of course I was not 100 feet down the road and my right are all by itself reached back over and grabbed the V1 and stuck it to the window

� 46.2-1079. Radar detectors; demerit points not to be awarded. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth when such vehicle is equipped with any device or mechanism, passive or active, to detect or purposefully interfere with or diminish the measurement capabilities of any radar, laser, or other device or mechanism employed by law-enforcement personnel to measure the speed of motor vehicles on the highways of the Commonwealth for law-enforcement purposes. It shall be unlawful to use any such device or mechanism on any such motor vehicle on the highways. It shall be unlawful to sell any such device or mechanism in the Commonwealth. However, provisions of this section shall not apply to any receiver of radio waves utilized for lawful purposes to receive any signal from a frequency lawfully licensed by any state or federal agency. This section shall not be construed to authorize the forfeiture to the Commonwealth of any such device or mechanism. Any such device or mechanism may be taken by the arresting officer if needed as evidence, and, when no longer needed, shall be returned to the person charged with a violation of this section, or at that person's request, and his expense, mailed to an address specified by him. Any unclaimed devices may be destroyed on court order after six months have elapsed from the final date for filing an appeal. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, the presence of any such prohibited device or mechanism in or on a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth shall constitute prima facie evidence of the violation of this section. The Commonwealth need not prove that the device or mechanism in question was in an operative condition or being operated. B. A person shall not be guilty of a violation of this section when the device or mechanism in question, at the time of the alleged offense, had no power source and was not readily accessible for use by the driver or any passenger in the vehicle. C. This section shall not apply to motor vehicles owned by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof and used by law-enforcement officers in their official duties, nor to the sale of any such device or mechanism to law-enforcement agencies for use in their official duties. D. No demerit points shall be awarded by the Commissioner for violations of this section. Any demerit points awarded by the Commissioner prior to July 1, 1992, for any violation of this section shall be rescinded and the driving record of any person awarded demerit points for a violation of this section shall be amended to reflect such rescission. (1962, c. 125, � 46.1-198.1; 1975, c. 108; 1976, c. 90; 1978, cc. 87, 91; 1981, c. 303; 1989, c. 727; 1992, c. 825; 1998, c. 300.)

It should not be usable - ie out of reach (trunk etc.). They used to confiscate them on the spot, as "evidence" - I believe they've quit doing that now. A few years ago on vacation in VA I bought a $20 beat up old passport radar detector as a "sacrificial lamb" so to speak, to avoid my V1 getting confiscated. I do however know VA residents who've used V1s for years and never had a problem. VA is beautiful but I just get so tense driving there. Here in the west they have a more relaxed attitude to speed and don't get frantic about indiscretions. Example: I was on a drive with a BMW group (owned a 2002 S54 M Coupe at the time). We were flying in a long train, average speed maybe 75, along a great road in the Hill Country of central TX and as the speed limit changed from 55 to 45 a sheriff's motorcycle was coming the other way, with radar on. No real chance to slow down as he drove past and saw the loooong line of BMW he just shook his head and went on his way. Now THAT's cool. C.

Thanks Don and Chris, Yeah Chris thats not happening in VA. I think they stone you to death for speeding there, am am SO tense driving there, and another really tricky thing they do is change posted speeds within any given stretch of road for no reason other than to catch you off guard not paying attention to your speed. Don't get me wrong though.. I drive the posted speed and many times slower through residential neighborhoods or anywhere children would be. Happy speeding! (on VA highways)

Here is what happened to me in VA recently. I was waiting for someone at a Virginia airport and a cop saw that I had a radar detector on the windshield. The radar detector was NOT connected. The cop also saw that it was not connected. The cop wrote me a ticket and confiscated the detector. In court I was fined for having a radar detector in the vehicle near a power source (even though the cop acknowledged in court that the detector was NOT being used). I paid the fine ($40) and was given my detector back. No demerit points (per the law). I was told by the cop that it is OK to have the radar detector in the vehicle as long as it is not reachable (for example, in the trunk).