Legal to Use in BC
In British Columbia, it is completely LEGAL to use a radar laser detector.
Understanding BC Police Radar and Laser Technology
It is important to understand what the police in BC are using. In the Greater Vancouver Region and BC Lower Mainland, you will find 90% of speed traps using handheld LIDAR / Laser Guns.
This means having just a radar or laser detector will not help you much at all. LIDAR, known as laser guns, can only be defeated with Laser Defence, known as Laser Blocker or Jammer.
Radar Detector vs. Laser Defence in BC?
If you spend most of your commute through urban/city roads (ie. in Greater Vancouver) in BC, a Laser Jammer will be so much more useful than a Radar Detector. Note that with only laser detection on a radar detector, it provides zero protection because you won't have time to react to the quick speed acquisition on a police laser gun.
RCMP in British Columbia also uses DragonEye LIDAR. For AL Priority system, we only recommend 2-3 sensors for front protection. Single sensor will be insufficient.
When you're on highways (Sea-to-Sky, Hwy 1, interior BC, etc), you have good chance of running into both radar and laser. A radar detector will be very useful.
Recommended Portable Radar Detectors for BC
Uniden Radar Detectors
- Uniden R4 - replacing the R3, the R4 features dual LNA design with more range and better filtering.
- Uniden R7 - extreme long range, GPS, directional arrows, faster processors, dual antenna, flag-ship performance.
- Uniden DFR9 - good radar detection, GPS camera database, great value
Escort Radar Detectors
- Redline 360c - flagship long-range detection with advanced DSP filtering; directional arrows.
- MaxCAM 360c - first high performance radar detector with dashcam built in.
Radenso Radar Detectors
- New DS1 - designed to replace the Pro-M model, Radenso has stepped up the game with new design, magnetic mount with USB-C connector, Bluetooth 5.0, and most importantly - improved performance, filtering, with automatic lockout.
Recommended Installed Radar System for BC
- ALP + NetRadar DSP - integrated with AL Priority laser jammer
- Radenso RCM + ALP - full display-controller + GPS camera database
- Article: Guide to choosing a remote radar detector
- Looking for a certified installer in metro Vancouver / BC? Contact Us for more info
See below for a list of all recommended radar detectors for BC driving, or consider a radar + laser protection package.
If you travel to Alberta or other eastern provinces, you may want to read our guide for other regions:
- Recommendations for Alberta
- Recommendations for Eastern Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic.)
