K-TAG, Dash Cams and Stickers After a Windshield Replacement

Before the appointment: make a list

Walk around the windshield and note everything attached to it: toll tag, dash cam, parking or campus permits, a phone mount, an inspection sticker from another state, a gate or garage transponder, a radar detector mount. Take a photo so you remember where each item was. Tell the shop about anything mounted near the camera or sensors.

Your K-TAG

K-TAG is the Kansas Turnpike Authority's toll transponder, managed through the DriveKS system. Customers using a properly mounted K-TAG pay the lowest toll on Kansas toll roads (DriveKS (Kansas Turnpike Authority), KTAG); the Kansas Turnpike Authority has said K-TAG drivers pay half of what others pay since the turnpike converted to cashless tolling in mid-2024 (Topeka Capital-Journal, Kansas Turnpike cashless tolling Q&A (2024)). According to DriveKS, sticker K-TAGs are free and are attached to the vehicle following the instructions provided.

Sticker tags are designed to be stuck to the inside of the windshield, and they generally are not meant to be peeled off and moved. When your windshield is replaced:

1. Order a new sticker K-TAG through your DriveKS account, the DriveKS app or customer service. Doing it before the appointment shortens the gap.
2. Remove or deactivate the old tag in your account so it is not tied to your vehicle.
3. Mount the new tag according to the instructions that come with it, usually high on the windshield near the rearview mirror, on clean, dry glass.
4. Check your account after your next turnpike trip to confirm the new tag is reading.

Until the new tag arrives, tolls are billed by license plate, which typically costs more than the K-TAG rate. If you would rather not deal with stickers, DriveKS offers other tag types, including a bumper-mounted tag sold for a fee.

Solar windshields: some vehicles have a metallic solar coating that can block toll tags, with an uncoated area for devices near the mirror. Mount the new tag there.

Dash cams

Most dash cams attach with an adhesive pad or a suction cup. Remove the camera before the appointment, or ask the installer to set it aside. Adhesive mounts usually need a fresh pad; most dash cam makers sell replacements. Wait until the installer says it is OK to stick anything to the new glass, and keep the camera out of the driver's line of sight and away from the windshield's ADAS camera field of view.

Parking permits and other stickers

Static-cling permits can often be peeled off and moved. Adhesive permits for workplaces, apartment complexes, campuses and stadiums usually cannot. Ask the issuer for a replacement and explain that the windshield was replaced; many will swap it if you bring the old one or the invoice.

Gate and garage tags, mirror-mounted devices

Garage door openers built into the rearview mirror move with the mirror and should keep working. Separate RFID gate tags stuck to the glass usually need to be replaced by the community or building that issued them.

Placement rules worth knowing

Kansas law prohibits driving with signs, posters or other nontransparent material on the windshield or windows that substantially obstructs, obscures or impairs the driver's clear view of the highway (K.S.A. 8-1741). Keep items small and out of your line of sight: near the top center behind the mirror or in a lower corner is typical.

Commercial vehicles have specific federal rules. Under 49 CFR 393.60 (49 CFR 393.60), required decals such as CVSA inspection decals may be placed at the bottom or sides of the windshield within 4 1/2 inches of the bottom and outside the wiper sweep and the driver's sight lines; antennas and similar devices may not be mounted more than 6 inches below the top edge; and vehicle safety technology devices have their own placement limits. Fleet managers should keep those measurements in mind when reinstalling equipment after a windshield replacement.

Keep the area in front of the ADAS camera clear

If your vehicle has a camera behind the mirror, do not mount toll tags, dash cams or stickers in front of it or in the shaded area around it. Anything in the camera's view can interfere with lane keeping and automatic emergency braking. Ask the installer where it is safe to mount devices.

A quick checklist

• Order a new K-TAG sticker and update your DriveKS account.
• Remove the dash cam and buy a fresh adhesive pad.
• Request replacement parking and gate permits.
• Photograph everything before the job.
• Wait until the installer says the glass is ready before sticking things on.

Getting a new windshield soon? See windshield replacement or request a free quote.

Related services

• Windshield Replacement: New windshield for cracks too long to repair, shattered glass and hail damage, including camera calibration when needed.
• Truck & Fleet Auto Glass: Pickups, semis, work vans and company fleets, with on-site service at the yard.

Sources: DriveKS (Kansas Turnpike Authority), KTAG; Topeka Capital-Journal, Kansas Turnpike cashless tolling Q&A (2024); K.S.A. 8-1741; 49 CFR 393.60.

Good to know: Requesting a quote is free and there is no obligation. Ask for a written quote that lists the glass, any calibration and the warranty terms.