Vehicle event data recorders
Veh. Code 9951
Location · Other
Requires carmakers to disclose event data recorders in the owner's manual and bars anyone other than the registered owner from retrieving the recorded crash data (speed, direction, location history, braking, seatbelt use) without the owner's consent, a court order, or listed safety-research and repair uses.
- Where
- California
- Citation
- Cal. Veh. Code 9951
- Status
- In force
- Last amended
- 2020-01-01
- Enforced by
- Not specified in the section
- People can sue
- No
- Penalties
- Not stated in the section read.
- Applies to
- Manufacturers of new motor vehicles sold or leased in California with event data recorders
- Anyone seeking to retrieve recorded vehicle data
What a privacy notice must say
- Disclose in the owner's manual that the vehicle has an event data recorder.Cal. Veh. Code 9951(a)
Practices it requires
- Do not download or retrieve recorded data unless the registered owner consents, a court orders it, or another listed exception (e.g., anonymized safety research) applies.Cal. Veh. Code 9951(c)
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Original enactment (2003) not verified; remaining exceptions in 9951(c)-(e) not read in full.
Research reference, not legal advice.