How to fit a dash cam: a simple step-by-step

Where to mount the camera

Position matters for both performance and the law. Mount the camera high on the windscreen, behind or just to one side of the rear-view mirror, where it has a clear, unobstructed view of the road ahead. The key legal point in the UK is that the camera must not obstruct your own view of the road, so keep it within the area swept by the wipers, so the lens stays clear in rain, and out of your direct line of sight. Tucking it behind the mirror is ideal: the camera sees the road, you do not see the camera, and it stays discreet to anyone looking in from outside.

Before you stick anything down, sit in the driver's seat and check the camera will not block your eyeline to traffic lights, road signs or junctions. It is worth holding the camera in position and looking past it for a moment, because once the adhesive pad is down, moving it is fiddly. A minute of checking now saves a frustrating re-fit later.

Preparing the windscreen

A clean, dry, warm screen is the difference between a mount that holds for years and one that drops off in the first heatwave. Clean the chosen spot thoroughly with glass cleaner or an alcohol wipe to remove grease and film, then dry it completely. If you can, do the job on a mild day or with the car warmed up, because adhesive pads bond far better to a warm screen than a cold one. Press the mount firmly into place and, ideally, leave it for a while before hanging the camera on it so the adhesive can grip properly. This single step prevents the most common dash cam annoyance: a camera that keeps coming loose.

The quick plug-in install

For most people, the simplest install is to power the camera from the 12V (cigarette-lighter) socket, and it takes only a few minutes. Here is the method that gives a neat finish:

1. Mount the camera behind the mirror as above, and attach the power cable.
2. Run the cable up to the headlining, then tuck it into the gap where the headlining meets the windscreen, working it across to the passenger side.
3. Bring the cable down the A-pillar (the trim beside the windscreen). You can usually push it behind the edge of the trim with your fingers or a plastic trim tool; take care near any airbag warning labels and do not force the trim off.
4. Run the cable along under the edge of the dashboard or the door seal down to the 12V socket, and plug it in.

Done carefully, this hides almost all of the cable and looks tidy. A cheap plastic trim tool and a few cable clips are all you need, and nothing is permanent, so you can move the camera to another car whenever you like.

The hardwire install for parking mode

If you want parking mode, the camera needs power when the engine is off, which the 12V socket cannot provide once you remove the key. The solution is a hardwire kit, which connects the camera to the car's fuse box and includes a voltage cut-off to protect the battery. The cable routing is the same as the plug-in method up to the dashboard; the difference is that instead of a 12V plug, the kit taps a fuse in the fuse box (usually one switched live and one permanent live, plus an earth).

This is a more involved job, but still a realistic one for a confident DIY owner who is comfortable locating the fuse box and using a fuse tap. The important thing is to get the connections right so the voltage cut-off works and the battery is protected. If you are unsure, it is a quick and inexpensive job for an auto-electrician or a dash cam fitting service, and many people choose a professional fit for a fully hidden, guaranteed result. Whichever route you take, treat the hardwire kit as part of the cost of parking mode.

Setting up and finishing off

Once the camera is powered, a few final steps make sure it actually does its job. Insert a good high-endurance microSD card rated for dash cams, format it in the camera, and set the date and time so any footage is correctly stamped. Check the framing on the camera's screen or app and adjust the angle so the bonnet line sits low in the shot, giving you the most road and sky. If your camera has GPS, give it a minute to get a fix so it records speed and location. Finally, take a short test drive and review the footage to confirm the exposure, framing and audio are as you want them.

A neatly fitted dash cam should be almost invisible from the driver's seat and completely invisible to anyone outside. Get the mounting position and the cable routing right, and you will have a camera that records reliably for years and that you can largely forget about, until the day it earns its keep.