Is it legal to use a speed camera app in Europe? That depends on where you are driving. Speed camera warning apps are legal in the Netherlands and Belgium. Germany bans using them while driving, France bans devices that warn of camera locations (article R413-15), the law in Türkiye is unclear for apps, and Switzerland bans them outright. This guide explains the speed camera app laws country by country as of September 2026, and what BlitzBuddy does in each one. It is a summary, not legal advice.
Speed camera apps and radar detectors are not the same
A radar detector picks up the radar or laser signal of a speed camera. A speed camera app works differently: it knows from a list where fixed cameras stand and warns you as you approach one. Radar detectors are banned in every country in this guide. Whether an app is allowed depends on how each country has written its law.
Netherlands: speed camera apps are legal
The Netherlands has banned radar detectors since 2004. Navigation systems and apps that warn for speed cameras are allowed, according to Vias institute, the Belgian road safety institute, which compared the rules across Europe.
What BlitzBuddy does: it warns for fixed speed cameras and for average speed checks, which the Dutch call trajectcontrole.
Belgium: speed camera apps are legal
Article 62bis of the Belgian Road Traffic Act (Wegverkeerswet) bans radar detectors and jammers. Apps and navigation systems that show where speed cameras are fall outside that ban.
What BlitzBuddy does: it warns for fixed speed cameras and average speed checks in Belgium.
Germany: § 23 (1c) StVO and speed camera apps
German law is aimed at the person behind the wheel. Under § 23 (1c) of the road traffic regulations, the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO), a driver must not operate, or carry ready for use, a device meant to indicate or disturb traffic enforcement. For other devices, such as phones and sat-navs, the rule is that this function must not be used. In practice, a speed camera warning on your phone is not permitted while you drive in Germany.
What BlitzBuddy does: it shows fixed speed cameras in Germany, with exact positions. Using a speed camera warner while driving is not permitted there, and the driver is responsible. Speed limits, including the advisory 130 sign on the Autobahn, are shown as in every other country.
France: article R413-15 of the Code de la route
Article R413-15 of the French Code de la route bans devices that detect or disturb the equipment used to record traffic offences, and since 5 January 2012 its paragraph V also covers devices that warn of or inform about the location of that equipment. The driver risks a fine of up to 1,500 euros and confiscation of the device. The article does not mention danger zones: that idea comes from a 2011 agreement between the French state and the makers of driving aids, under which their devices signal danger zones instead of speed cameras.
What BlitzBuddy does: it shows the exact position of fixed speed cameras in France, taken from the official list of the French Ministry of the Interior, and warns for most average speed checks. Using these warnings is the driver's own responsibility.
Türkiye: law 2918, article 51
On 12 February 2026 Türkiye tightened article 51 of its Road Traffic Law 2918 (Karayolları Trafik Kanunu). The article bans making, importing or having in a vehicle any device that detects the location of speed measuring equipment or warns the driver about it, with a fine of 185,000 lira. Whether a phone app counts as such a device has not been settled. According to the Turkish newspaper Milliyet, Google Maps stopped showing speed trap reports in Türkiye in December 2024.
What BlitzBuddy does: it warns for fixed speed cameras and for average speed corridors, called ortalama hız koridoru, in Türkiye.
Switzerland: speed camera warnings are banned
Switzerland goes furthest. Article 98a of the Road Traffic Act (Strassenverkehrsgesetz, SVG) bans devices that hinder traffic controls, public warnings of traffic controls, paid warning services, and using other devices, such as phones, for that purpose.
What BlitzBuddy does: it turns camera warnings off in Switzerland. There are no speed cameras, no average speed checks and no camera reports there.
Which countries allow speed camera apps? The law at a glance
| Country | The law | Warning apps | BlitzBuddy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Radar detector ban | Allowed | Fixed cameras and average speed checks |
| Belgium | Art. 62bis Wegverkeerswet | Allowed | Fixed cameras and average speed checks |
| Germany | § 23 (1c) StVO | Not while driving | Fixed cameras, driver responsible |
| France | Art. R413-15 Code de la route | Para. V covers devices that warn of camera locations | Fixed cameras and most average speed checks, driver responsible |
| Türkiye | Law 2918, art. 51 | Unclear | Fixed cameras and average speed corridors |
| Switzerland | Art. 98a SVG | Banned | Camera warnings off |
What these rules do not cover
The laws above are about speed camera warnings. Speed limits, and driver reports of jams, accidents, breakdowns and objects on the road, are not covered by them. Outside the five countries where BlitzBuddy warns for cameras, the app gives no speed camera warnings at all.
Sources
- Netherlands and Belgium: Vias institute, Waarschuwingssystemen voor snelheidscamera's, report 2023-R-16-NL (PDF, in Dutch).
- Germany: Federal Ministry of Justice, Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung, § 23 (in German).
- Germany and abroad: ADAC, Radarwarner und Blitzer-Apps (in German).
- France: Légifrance, Code de la route, article R413-15 (in French).
- France: Sénat, Rapport d'information n° 644 (2016-2017), on the 2011 agreement on danger zones (in French).
- France: Ministère de l'Intérieur, Liste des radars fixes en France, on data.gouv.fr.
- Türkiye: Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, Karayolları Trafik Kanunu 2918 (PDF, in Turkish).
- Türkiye: Milliyet, Trafik cezalarında radar tespit detayı, 14 March 2026 (in Turkish).
- Switzerland: Fedlex, Strassenverkehrsgesetz (SVG), Art. 98a (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Are speed camera apps legal in the Netherlands and Belgium?
Yes. Both countries ban radar detectors, but navigation systems and apps that show where speed cameras are remain legal.
Can I use a speed camera app while driving in Germany?
No. Under § 23 (1c) StVO the driver must not use a device that warns of speed cameras, and on a phone or sat-nav that function must not be used. The driver is responsible.
Are speed camera warnings allowed in France?
Article R413-15 of the Code de la route bans devices that detect or disturb the equipment used to record traffic offences, and since 5 January 2012 its paragraph V also covers devices that warn of or inform about the location of that equipment. Danger zones are not in the article: they come from a 2011 agreement between the French state and the makers of driving aids. Using camera warnings in France is the driver's own responsibility.
Are speed camera apps allowed in Switzerland?
No. Article 98a of the Swiss Road Traffic Act bans public warnings of traffic controls and using phones or other devices for that purpose. BlitzBuddy turns camera warnings off in Switzerland.
Is a speed camera app the same as a radar detector?
No. A radar detector picks up the signal a speed camera sends out. An app works from a list of known camera locations. Radar detectors are banned in all six countries in this guide.
