Can I Buy a Radar Jammer in New Zealand?
Short answer: no. Radar jammers don’t exist, not any that actually work, and using one in New Zealand is illegal anyway.
What is a Radar Jammer?
A radar jammer is a device that claims to block or interfere with police radar, preventing them from getting an accurate speed reading on your vehicle. They’re advertised online (from overseas sellers) and they sure do sound appealing. The problem is they don’t work.
The late Radar Roy, a former US police officer who became one of the most respected voices in the radar detector industry, was so confident radar jammers were ineffective that he offered a $50,000 reward for anyone who could demonstrate one that actually worked. He considered it a safe bet. Nobody ever claimed it.
Modern police radar guns operate on Ka band frequencies and are designed to be extremely resistant to interference. A consumer device small enough to fit in your car cannot generate enough power to meaningfully disrupt a police radar gun — the physics simply don’t work in your favour.
Are Radar Jammers Legal in New Zealand?
No. Transmitting on police radar frequencies in New Zealand is illegal under the Radiocommunications Act. Even if you could find a device that worked—which you can’t—using it would expose you to serious legal consequences far beyond a speeding fine.
What About Laser Jammers?
Laser jammers are a completely different product. Instead of interfering with radar, they fire infrared light at police laser guns (LIDAR) to prevent a speed reading. Unlike radar jammers, laser jammers do actually work — which is exactly why they’re illegal in New Zealand. The law changed several years ago, and we still get calls nearly every day asking about laser jammers.
Laser detectors, however, are 100% legal as well. It’s just an alert, a receiver, and fully legal.
What About Radar Detectors?
Radar detectors are entirely different from jammers. A radar detector doesn’t interfere with anything — it simply receives radar signals and alerts you that a radar gun is in use nearby. Radar detectors are completely legal in New Zealand.
A good radar detector with a New Zealand GPS database loaded will alert you to:
- Mobile Ka band (patrol cars, the ones that chase you then ask if there was any reason you were going so fast, like any reason you give will get you off with a warning – never happens)
- Fixed speed cameras
- Average speed camera zones
- Red light cameras
What Should You Buy Instead?
If you’re looking for protection on New Zealand roads, a quality radar detector is the legal, effective answer. Our top recommendations:
- Genevo Max NZ — our most popular recommendation, NZ-specific firmware, 3 year warranty
- Uniden R8nz — long range, directional arrows, GPS database
- Escort Redline 360c NZ — dual antenna, extreme range
Don’t waste money on a radar jammer. It won’t work, and if it somehow did, it would be illegal. A radar detector will actually do something useful — and keep you on the right side of the law.
