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How to hide dash cam wires

Updated September 18, 2026

You hide dash cam wires by tucking them into the gap above the windshield, down the side pillar behind the door seal, under the dash, and into the power socket. No cutting, no glue. A front camera takes most people about half an hour. The rear camera takes longer because the cable runs the length of the car.

What you need

• A plastic trim tool. The ROVE R2-4K Dual listing shows one in the box, along with 5 cable clips. A plastic card works in a pinch. Do not use a screwdriver. It marks the trim.
• The cables that came with the camera. Power cables on these kits are long on purpose. The VIOFO listing shows a 3.5 meter one and the REDTIGER F17 listing shows 11.5 feet.
• Your car's owner manual, open to the airbag page.

Front camera, step by step

1. Test first. Plug everything in loose and make sure the camera records before you hide anything.
2. Mount the camera. High and centered, behind the mirror is the usual spot. See the note on placement below.
3. Go up. Push the cable into the gap between the windshield and the headliner. It presses in with your fingers.
4. Go across to the passenger side pillar. The passenger side keeps the wire away from your pedals.
5. Go down the pillar. Pull the rubber door seal back and lay the cable in the channel behind it, then press the seal back on. See the airbag warning below.
6. Go under. Run the cable along the side of the footwell or behind the glove box to the power socket. Use clips so nothing hangs near feet.
7. Coil the extra and tie it up out of sight under the dash.

The airbag warning

Many cars have a curtain airbag inside the windshield pillar and along the roof edge. Look for "SRS" or "AIRBAG" stamped on the trim. Never run a cable across the front of an airbag, and never pry that pillar cover off unless you know how it is clipped. Laying the cable behind the door seal keeps it out of the airbag's path in most cars. If your manual says otherwise, or you are not sure, have a car audio shop do it.

The rear camera

Same idea, longer run: along the headliner edge above the doors, all the way to the back glass. The REDTIGER F17 listing shows a 21.3 foot rear cable, which is typical for a car or SUV. On a hatchback or SUV, the hard part is the rubber tube between the body and the lift gate. If you cannot feed the plug through it, mount the rear camera on the fixed trim instead, or leave a loose loop so the gate can open without pulling the wire.

Where the camera goes

Keep it out of your line of sight and out of the wiper-free zone at the top corners. Some states limit what you can mount on a windshield and where. Check your state's rule before you stick the mount on. This is general information, not legal advice.

Want the socket free, or parking mode? That takes a different power cable. See hardwire vs OBD. The cameras are on the shortlist, and the VIOFO A229 Plus is one where owners say the wires are simple to run and tuck behind the trim.