Delaware Windshield Mounting Laws (2026 Guide)

Delaware prohibits mounting dashcams, GPS units, and phone holders on the windshield. Under Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4309, any nontransparent material on the windshield is illegal, and the state has no specific exemption for these devices. Use a dashboard, vent-clip, or console mount to stay compliant.

Delaware takes a strict approach to windshield-mounted devices. The state's equipment law (Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4309) broadly prohibits placing any nontransparent material on the windshield, and unlike many other states, Delaware has not enacted a specific exemption for GPS units, dashcams, or phone mounts.

This means drivers in Delaware need to think carefully about where they place devices inside their vehicles. A suction-cup mount on the windshield could technically violate the law, even if the device itself is small and does not significantly block the view.

Delaware Windshield Obstruction Law

Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4309 states that no person shall drive any vehicle on a highway with "any sign, poster or other nontransparent material upon the front windshield, side wings or side or rear window of such motor vehicle, other than a certificate or other paper required to be so displayed by law."

The law also prohibits displaying a removable windshield placard issued under Section 2135 (handicapped parking placards) from the rearview mirror while the vehicle is being driven on a highway. A driver can be convicted of this violation regardless of whether the placard itself is valid.

The key phrase in Section 4309 is "nontransparent material." Any device, mount, or accessory that is not fully transparent and is attached to the windshield could fall within the scope of this prohibition.

GPS and Phone Mounts

Delaware does not have a specific statute that permits GPS devices or phone mounts on the windshield. This is a notable difference from states like Florida and California, which explicitly allow GPS and navigation devices.

Under a strict reading of Section 4309, a GPS unit or phone mounted to the windshield with a suction cup would qualify as "nontransparent material" and could result in a citation. The safest approach for Delaware drivers is to use a dashboard mount, vent-clip mount, or a mount that attaches to the center console.

Delaware does have a hands-free cell phone law (Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4176C) that has been in effect since 2011. This law requires all phone use while driving to be hands-free, but it does not specifically authorize windshield mounting as the method for achieving hands-free operation.

Drivers who need to use a GPS or phone for navigation should consider these alternatives:

• Dashboard suction-cup mounts
• Air vent clip mounts
• CD slot mounts
• Console-mounted holders
• Built-in vehicle navigation or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto systems

Dashcam Rules in Delaware

Delaware law does not include a specific exemption for dashcams or other recording devices mounted on the windshield. A dashcam attached to the windshield could be considered nontransparent material under Section 4309.

The recommended mounting locations for dashcams in Delaware are behind the rearview mirror (where the camera body is less visible and less likely to draw attention) or on the dashboard itself.

An important additional consideration for dashcam users in Delaware is audio. The state is generally treated as a one-party consent jurisdiction. Under Del. Code tit. 11, Section 2402(c)(4), an interception is lawful if the person doing the recording is a party to the conversation or has the consent of at least one party to it. Because the driver is present in the vehicle for their own dashcam's audio, that provision is satisfied.

That is not the whole picture. Delaware's criminal code separately contains a violation-of-privacy offense, Del. Code tit. 11, Section 1335(a)(4), which on its face makes it a class A misdemeanor to intercept "without the consent of all parties thereto a message by telephone, telegraph, letter or other means of communicating privately, including private conversation." A dashcam capturing passengers talking among themselves is the situation that language describes. The one-party reading of Delaware law is the mainstream position, and it is probably the correct one, but the two statutes sit in tension and the question is not as settled as a flat one-party label suggests. Telling passengers that the camera records audio, or switching the audio channel off, removes the doubt rather than leaving it to a court.

Windshield Tinting

Delaware regulates window tinting under Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4313. The rules for each window are:

• Windshield: Non-reflective tint is allowed above the manufacturer's AS-1 line only
• Front side windows: Must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 205 requirements at the time of manufacture (minimum 70% visible light transmission)
• Rear side windows: Any level of tint darkness is permitted
• Rear window: Any level of tint darkness is permitted

Vehicles must display a certificate from the manufacturer confirming that the tinting complies with FMVSS 205. There are exemptions for medical conditions (a statement from a licensed physician or optometrist verifying medical necessity), antique motor vehicles, street rods, and police K-9 unit and surveillance vehicles.

Commercial window tinting is addressed separately under Section 4313A, which regulates businesses that apply tinting material.

Toll Transponders and Stickers

Section 4309 permits "a certificate or other paper required to be so displayed by law." That exception is narrow and self-defining. It reaches only a document that some other law affirmatively requires to be displayed on the windshield, and it is not a general allowance for items a driver finds useful or that a private program supplies.

Two common assumptions about that exception do not hold up in Delaware:

• Toll transponders are not a listed exemption. Section 4309 says nothing about transponders or electronic toll collection devices, and Delaware has not enacted the electronic-toll carve-out that some other states added to their windshield statutes. E-ZPass is a voluntary payment program rather than a display required by law, and Delaware toll facilities also accept cash or toll-by-plate billing. Windshield-mounted transponders are common and rarely draw enforcement attention, but that is practice, not a statutory exemption.
• Delaware's registration expiration sticker goes on the license plate, not the windshield. Del. Code tit. 21, Section 2126(c)(1) bars covering or obscuring "any information contained thereon, including the registration expiration sticker," which is plate language. There is no Delaware windshield registration sticker for the Section 4309 exception to cover.

Delaware does require vehicle inspections, contrary to a common assumption. Under Del. Code tit. 21, Section 2143, a vehicle must be inspected before the Department registers, renews the registration of, or reregisters it, and the Division of Motor Vehicles may waive that requirement only for new motor vehicles and for the initial registration or renewal of vehicles no older than 7 model years. Vehicles older than that remain subject to inspection at renewal. Follow the DMV's own display instructions for any document it issues you, and keep voluntary stickers, decorations, and aftermarket additions off the windshield, since none of those are covered by the exception.

Exemptions Summary

Penalties for Windshield Violations

Violations of Section 4309 fall under the penalty schedule in Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4315. Section 4309 is covered by subsection (b), which applies to Sections 4306 through 4311:

Section 4315(g) provides a pre-trial dismissal option for violations of Sections 4306 (horns), 4308 (rearview mirrors), and 4313 (window tinting): if no collision occurred and the defendant brings the vehicle into compliance before the court date, the charge may be dismissed.

A windshield obstruction citation under Section 4309, which governs the nontransparent-material rule covered on this page, is not one of the sections listed in 4315(g). Bringing the vehicle into compliance before the court date does not entitle a driver to the same pre-trial dismissal for a Section 4309 citation.

Delaware Hands-Free Driving Law

Delaware's hands-free law (Del. Code tit. 21, Section 4176C) has been enforced since 2011. Key provisions include:

• All drivers are prohibited from using handheld cell phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops, or other portable electronic devices while driving
• Hands-free phone calls via Bluetooth, speakerphone, or voice activation are permitted
• Texting, emailing, and browsing the internet while driving are prohibited
• First offense: $100 fine
• Subsequent offenses: $200 to $300 fine

The hands-free law requires drivers to use devices without holding them, but it does not specifically authorize mounting devices on the windshield to achieve hands-free operation. Drivers should use dashboard, vent, or console mounts instead.

Practical Tips for Delaware Drivers

Following these guidelines will help you stay within the law:

1. Use a dashboard mount for GPS and phone navigation. Suction-cup mounts that attach to the dashboard surface are widely available and keep devices off the windshield.

2. Mount dashcams behind the rearview mirror where they are less noticeable and less likely to be cited as a windshield obstruction. Better yet, use a dashboard-mounted camera.

3. Tell passengers the dashcam records audio. Delaware is generally treated as a one-party consent state (Del. Code tit. 11, Section 2402(c)(4)), so a driver who is a party to the conversation can ordinarily record it. But Del. Code tit. 11, Section 1335(a)(4) makes intercepting a private conversation without the consent of all parties a class A misdemeanor, so a quick heads-up, or turning audio off, is worth more than the ambiguity.

4. Remove handicapped parking placards from your rearview mirror before driving. Hang them only when parked in a designated space.

5. Check your windshield tint. If you purchased a vehicle with aftermarket tint that extends below the AS-1 line, have it removed or replaced to avoid a citation.

6. Do not assume your E-ZPass transponder is exempt. Section 4309 does not mention toll transponders, and no Delaware law requires one to be displayed, so the statute's certificate-and-paper exception does not reach it. If you mount one, keep it as high and as far out of your line of sight as your toll agency's placement instructions allow.

More Delaware Laws

• Delaware Recording Laws
• Delaware Lemon Law
• Delaware Hit and Run Laws
• Delaware Car Seat Laws