GPS Tracking Laws in the USA (2026) | State-by-State Guide

Alabama treats secret tracking as electronic stalking, and the penalties are heavy.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegaltreated as electronic stalking
• Owner exceptionYes, track your own car, and parents may track minor children
• Employer rulesTracking company vehicles is allowed, but notify employees first
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor fines or jail, with felony charges in serious cases
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteAla. Code § 13A-6-95 and § 13A-6-96

Alaska takes privacy seriously. GPS use that frightens someone can be charged as stalking.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalif it causes emotional distress or fear
• Owner exceptionYes, track your own car, truck or property
• Employer rulesNever in secret, so get written consent
• PenaltiesCharged under AS § 11.41.270, stalking in the second degree
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteAlaska Statutes § 11.41.270

Arizona reaches tracking through its stalking statute, and the penalty is a felony rather than a misdemeanor.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedusing a GPS device to surveil someone continuously for 12 hours or more, OR on two or more occasions however short, counts as a course of conduct under the stalking statute
• Owner exceptionThe statute excludes activity authorized by the other person, their authorized representative, or a minor's parent or guardian
• Employer rulesMay track workers, but only with clear authorization
• PenaltiesFELONY, not a misdemeanor. Class 5 felony, rising to class 3 where the victim reasonably fears death
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteA.R.S. § 13-2923

Arkansas needs clear consent first. Skip it and you are into harassment territory.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalconsent is required
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle or your child's
• Employer rulesTell employees before tracking company cars or phones
• PenaltiesHandled under privacy and stalking laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteArkansas Code § 5-71-208

California bars tracking without consent outright, but the registered owner or lessee is carved out.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedmisdemeanor offense
• Owner exceptionYes, the registered owner or lessee is exempt, but secretly tracking a partner is still illegal
• Employer rulesWritten consent required, and CCPA and CPRA also apply
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor charges and fines
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteCalifornia Penal Code § 637.7

Colorado has no GPS-specific criminal statute. Tracking is reached through the stalking law, known as Vonnie's Law.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedwhere it causes emotional distress
• Owner exceptionYes, your child's car or your business van
• Employer rulesOnly with clear consent, because secret tracking invites lawsuits
• PenaltiesNo direct criminal GPS law, so stalking and harassment claims apply
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteC.R.S. § 18-3-602, Vonnie's Law

Connecticut has a GPS-specific stalking offense, so the test is fear rather than the device itself.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedelectronic stalking, meaning recklessly causing someone to fear for their physical safety by willfully and repeatedly using GPS to track them
• Owner exceptionYes, tracking your own car is fine. The offense turns on the effect on the person, not on who owns the vehicle
• Employer rulesConn. Gen. Stat. 31-48d requires notice of electronic monitoring, though it is written for phone and internet rather than vehicles
• PenaltiesClass B misdemeanor. Charged as a domestic violence offense in a family or dating context
• Law enforcementWarrant required unless emergency
• StatuteConn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-181f, electronic stalking

Delaware names location tracking devices in its criminal code, so the device itself is the offense.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedknowingly installing an electronic or mechanical location tracking device in or on a motor vehicle without consent, a class A misdemeanor
• Owner exceptionYes, the consent of the registered owner, lessor or lessee is what the statute turns on. A parent or legal guardian tracking a minor child is expressly carved out
• Employer rulesGet employee consent first. Note that 19 Del. C. 705 is a separate electronic-monitoring notice statute
• PenaltiesClass A misdemeanor
• Law enforcementLawful law-enforcement use is expressly carved out
• Statute11 Del. C. § 1335(a)(8)

Florida is among the strictest. Even within a family you cannot secretly install a tracker on someone else's vehicle.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalcriminal offense
• Owner exceptionYes, and parents may track minor children for safety rather than harassment
• Employer rulesWorkers must be informed in writing
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor charges typical
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteFlorida Statute § 934.425

Georgia treats covert tracking as surveillance or stalking.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalcan result in stalking charges
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle, or parents tracking a teen's driving
• Employer rulesWritten consent required from employees
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor or felony depending on severity
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteGeorgia Code O.C.G.A. § 16-11-62

Hawaii names mobile tracking devices directly, in the same section that governs wiretaps, and treats misuse as a felony.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedinstalling or using a mobile tracking device without a warrant or other authorizing order
• Owner exceptionYes. The statute excepts a device installed by, or with the consent of, the owner of the property it goes on
• Employer rulesGet written consent before tracking company cars
• PenaltiesClass C felony
• Law enforcementSearch warrant or other authorizing order required, written into the same section
• StatuteHRS § 803-42(a)(8)

Idaho has no GPS-specific statute, but secret tracking is still reached by the stalking laws.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegaloften charged as stalking
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car, or a parent tracking a minor's car
• Employer rulesGet clear, written consent before tracking company vehicles
• PenaltiesProsecuted under Idaho's stalking statutes
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteIdaho Code § 18-7905 and § 18-7906

Illinois names electronic tracking devices in the criminal code, and it writes a broad exemption for business fleets.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedwithout the consent of the registered owner, lessor or lessee
• Owner exceptionYes, the registered owner, lessor or lessee can consent, and that consent covers any other driver or passenger of the vehicle
• Employer rulesA business authorized to transact business in Illinois may track vehicles it owns or leases that are driven by its employees, affiliates or contractors. That business use is written into the statute as an exemption
• PenaltiesCharged under the criminal trespass article of the Criminal Code
• Law enforcementLawful use by a law enforcement agency is carved out
• Statute720 ILCS 5/21-2.5, electronic tracking devices prohibited

Indiana requires vehicle-owner consent before a tracker goes on.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalvehicle-owner consent required
• Owner exceptionYes, vehicles you own, including a teen's car or company truck
• Employer rulesNeed employee consent, and written proof is best
• PenaltiesCriminal charges under state law
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteIndiana Code § 35-46-8.5-1

Iowa has a dedicated offense for GPS placement, but it turns on legitimate purpose as well as consent.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedplacing a GPS device on a person or an object to track them, without consent AND without a legitimate purpose
• Owner exceptionYes, your own property or your child's vehicle
• Employer rulesA genuine business purpose can satisfy the legitimate-purpose test, but consent is still the safe route
• PenaltiesCharged as unauthorized placement of a global positioning device
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteIowa Code § 708.11A, unauthorized placement of a global positioning device

Kansas bars secret tracking, though business use during work hours is generally allowed.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegal
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle or your child's
• Employer rulesMay use GPS for legitimate business, though notice and consent are recommended
• PenaltiesCharged under stalking or privacy laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteKansas Statute § 21-5427

Kentucky is strict, and dealers must disclose a tracker installed in a leased vehicle.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalconsent required
• Owner exceptionYes, but disclosure matters if others use the vehicle
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required before tracking
• PenaltiesCharges under privacy or stalking statutes
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteKentucky Statute § 508.152

Louisiana keeps it simple. Without permission, do not track.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegal
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car, or a parent tracking a child's vehicle
• Employer rulesTrack work vehicles during work hours only if employees know, and written consent is safest
• PenaltiesFalls under privacy or stalking laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteLouisiana Revised Statute § 14:323

Maine prohibits tracking used to frighten, control or intimidate.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalwhere used to cause fear
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle or property
• Employer rulesMust be a legitimate business reason, never secret
• PenaltiesCovered under Maine's anti-stalking laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteTitle 17-A, Maine Criminal Code

Maryland is tough on GPS misuse, with substantial penalties attached to the stalking statute.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalcriminal stalking
• Owner exceptionYes, track your own assets
• Employer rulesClear employee consent required before tracking
• PenaltiesStalking carries up to 5 years, a fine up to $5,000, or both
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteMd. Code Ann., Criminal Law § 3-802

In Massachusetts the effect matters. Tracking that causes distress breaks the law.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalwhere it causes distress or anxiety
• Owner exceptionYes, a car you own
• Employer rulesMay track company vehicles, but avoid practices causing emotional harm
• PenaltiesFines, jail time, or both
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteMassachusetts General Laws ch. 265 § 43A

Michigan has a dedicated tracking-device statute, and it is stricter than most summaries suggest.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifieda named offense under the penal code, not just general privacy law
• Owner exceptionNarrower than most states. Installing needs the owner's or lessee's consent, and TRACKING needs the owner's or the authorized operator's
• Employer rulesCompany-owned vehicles only, and the driver counts as an authorized operator whose consent matters
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor, up to 1 year, a fine up to $1,000, or both. Civil damages are also available
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteMCL § 750.539l

Minnesota is among the strictest. Without permission or a court order, tracking is out.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalwithout consent or a warrant
• Owner exceptionYes, track your own car
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required
• PenaltiesCriminal charges under strict anti-tracking laws
• Law enforcementCourt order required
• StatuteMinn. Stat. § 626A.35

Mississippi has no dedicated GPS law, but privacy and stalking laws still apply.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitcan fall under stalking or harassment laws
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
• Employer rulesAlways get consent, because secret tracking is risky
• PenaltiesProsecuted under stalking statutes
• Law enforcementWarrant usually required
• StatuteNo specific statute, so stalking and privacy law does the work

Missouri has no dedicated statute banning covert vehicle tracking. Stalking and harassment law does that work instead.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitVerifiedno tracking-device offense on the books, so it is reached through stalking and harassment law
• Owner exceptionYes, parents may track a minor child's car for safety
• Employer rulesEmployee consent is the safe route even for company vehicles
• PenaltiesProsecuted under stalking and harassment statutes
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteNo general anti-tracking statute. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 455.095 is widely miscited for this, though it governs court-ordered electronic monitoring with victim notification in protective-order cases

Montana protects privacy explicitly in its constitution, but there is no statute written about tracking devices.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitno dedicated tracking offense found, so it is reached through privacy and stalking law
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle or your teen's car
• Employer rulesCompany vehicles only if employees know, and personal cars are off-limits
• PenaltiesPrivacy or stalking charges
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteNo dedicated GPS law, so Montana privacy law applies

Nebraska has no criminal ban on private vehicle tracking. The section usually cited for one is a court-warrant provision.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitVerifiedno private-tracking offense found, so it is reached through stalking and harassment law
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle or your teen's car
• Employer rulesGet written consent before installing a tracker
• PenaltiesProsecuted under stalking and privacy statutes
• Law enforcementA district court may issue a warrant or order authorizing installation and use of a mobile tracking device
• StatuteNeb. Rev. Stat. § 86-2,103 is the WARRANT provision that lets a district court authorize a mobile tracking device. It is widely miscited as a ban on private tracking

Nevada has a dedicated tracking-device offense, and the penalty escalates on repeat convictions.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiednamed in statute as unlawful installation of a mobile tracking device
• Owner exceptionYes. The offense turns on installing without the knowledge and consent of an owner or lessor
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required before tracking work cars
• PenaltiesEscalating, from a misdemeanor on a first offense, to a gross misdemeanor, to a category C felony
• Law enforcementCarved out where the agency acts within constitutional and state-law requirements
• StatuteNRS § 200.930

New Hampshire names tracking devices in its criminal code and leaves no wiggle room.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalcriminal offense
• Owner exceptionYes, a vehicle you own or legally lease
• Employer rulesMust notify workers and get consent
• PenaltiesCriminal charges
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteN.H. Rev. Stat. § 644-A:4

New Jersey has the clearest employer rule in the country, written specifically about vehicles.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedreached through stalking and harassment law, with a dedicated employer notice statute on top
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or your child's
• Employer rulesWRITTEN NOTICE required before using a tracking device in any vehicle an employee uses, including their own
• Penalties$1,000 for a first violation, $2,500 for each subsequent one
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteN.J.S.A. § 34:6B-22

New Mexico treats covert tracking as stalking.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegaltreated as stalking
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car, or a parent tracking a minor child's car
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required, and secret tracking could count as harassment
• PenaltiesFalls under anti-stalking laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteN.M. Stat. § 30-3A-3

New York reaches tracking through stalking and privacy law rather than a GPS-specific statute.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalfalls under stalking and privacy laws
• Owner exceptionYes, but if others regularly drive the car, get their consent too
• Employer rulesClear consent and policies required. Civil Rights Law 52-c covers electronic monitoring of phone, email and internet rather than vehicles
• PenaltiesPrivacy and stalking statutes apply
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteN.Y. Penal Law § 120.45

North Carolina charges covert GPS use as cyberstalking.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalClass 2 misdemeanor
• Owner exceptionOwners and lessees may track, and parents may track children's vehicles
• Employer rulesConsent and transparency are required
• PenaltiesCan escalate if done under a protective order
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteN.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-196.3

North Dakota defines non-consensual tracking as stalking outright.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegallegally defined as stalking
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor or felony depending on the situation
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteN.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-17-07.1

Ohio passed the newest tracking law in the country, and it is one of the broadest. Summaries saying Ohio has no GPS statute are out of date.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedillegal use of a tracking device or application, effective March 20, 2025 under Senate Bill 100
• Owner exceptionA parent or guardian may track a minor child, with a consent condition where custody is shared
• Employer rulesConsent required. The statute is about tracking a person or their property, not about who owns the vehicle
• PenaltiesFirst-degree misdemeanor, up to 180 days and a $1,000 fine, rising to a fourth-degree felony on a prior conviction, where a protection order is in force, or where there is a history of violence toward the victim
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteOhio Rev. Code § 2903.216

Oklahoma requires consent before a tracker goes on a vehicle.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalconsent is required
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car, or a parent tracking a child's vehicle
• Employer rulesGet written consent from employees
• PenaltiesCharged under stalking or electronic privacy laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteOklahoma Statutes § 21-1173

Oregon names the offense after the technology, which makes it one of the easier statutes to find.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedunlawful use of a global positioning system device, which means knowingly affixing a GPS device to another person's vehicle without consent
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car, or a parent tracking a teen
• Employer rulesMay track company vehicles, but only with consent
• PenaltiesCharged as unlawful use of a global positioning system device
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteORS § 163.715, unlawful use of a global positioning system device

Pennsylvania is the state most likely to have changed since this was written. Check before relying on it.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitVerifiedno settled criminal ban on private tracking found. Legislation to make covert tracking part of the stalking laws has been moving through the legislature
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car, or a parent tracking a child's vehicle
• Employer rulesConsent and clear policies required
• PenaltiesProsecuted under stalking and harassment law in the meantime
• Law enforcement18 Pa.C.S. § 5761, mobile tracking devices, is the court-order provision in the wiretap chapter. It is widely miscited as a ban on private tracking
• StatuteNo settled private-tracking offense. Verify the current position before acting, since bills have been active on this

Rhode Island has a chapter devoted to this, and its consent test is the broadest in the country.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedrequires the consent of the operator AND ALL OCCUPANTS of the vehicle
• Owner exceptionNarrower than elsewhere. Owning the car does not release you from the operator-and-occupants consent test
• Employer rulesGet employee consent, and remember passengers count too
• PenaltiesCriminal offense under Title 11
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteR.I. Gen. Laws § 11-69-1, with carve-outs for stolen-goods and theft-recovery devices and for dealer devices with express written consent

South Carolina has no statute written about private tracking. The section usually cited is a court-order provision.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitno private-tracking offense on the books, so it is reached through stalking and privacy law
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
• Employer rulesCompany vehicles only with employee consent
• PenaltiesGeneral privacy and anti-stalking laws apply
• Law enforcementS.C. Code 17-30-140 lets the Attorney General or a solicitor apply to a judge for a mobile tracking device order
• StatuteNo specific GPS law. A bill to create one has been introduced but is not law

South Dakota has no dedicated tracking statute, so consent and stalking law decide it.

• Non-consensual trackingNot explicitno tracking-device offense found, so it is reached through privacy and stalking law
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle, or a parent tracking a child's car
• Employer rulesCompany vehicles are fine, but workers must know
• PenaltiesHandled under South Dakota's privacy laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteNo dedicated GPS law, so general tracking and privacy law applies

Tennessee requires the consent of ALL owners, which quietly rules out a lot of family situations.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedknowingly installing, concealing or placing a device on a vehicle without the consent of ALL owners, for the purpose of monitoring an occupant
• Owner exceptionNarrow. One co-owner cannot consent for the other. A lessee's consent is needed where the vehicle is leased
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required before tracking
• PenaltiesClass A misdemeanor under Title 39
• Law enforcementLawful law-enforcement use is carved out
• StatuteTenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-606, with a parent or guardian exception where they own or lease the vehicle and are monitoring a minor child

Texas makes installing a tracker on another person's vehicle a crime, with effective consent as a defense.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedClass A misdemeanor
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle, and parents tracking minor children
• Employer rulesWritten consent required, even for company cars
• PenaltiesClass A misdemeanor, up to $4,000 and up to one year in county jail
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteTexas Penal Code § 16.06

Utah has had a dedicated tracking-device offense since 2019. Summaries calling it a general-statutes state are wrong.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedunlawful installation of a tracking device, a class A misdemeanor
• Owner exceptionTurns on the permission of the owner or lessee of the vehicle
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required
• PenaltiesClass A misdemeanor
• Law enforcementPeace officers are addressed separately in the statute, and licensed private investigators acting for a legitimate business purpose are also carved out
• StatuteUtah Code § 76-9-408. Note it was renumbered in May 2025, so check the current section number

Vermont treats location tracking without consent as stalking.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalreached through the stalking statute
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or your child's vehicle
• Employer rulesConsent required, and no secret GPS is allowed
• PenaltiesFalls under Vermont's stalking statutes
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• Statute13 V.S.A. § 1062, stalking. The Vermont Electronic Communication Privacy Act governs government access to electronic data rather than private tracking

Virginia charges covert tracking criminally, and bars using deception to obtain consent.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalunauthorized use of an electronic tracking device
• Owner exceptionYes, but deception or trickery is off-limits
• Employer rulesMust get consent and be transparent
• PenaltiesProsecuted under Virginia's criminal codes
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteVa. Code § 18.2-60.5, unauthorized use of an electronic tracking device

In Washington the test is whether the tracking makes someone feel unsafe.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalwhere it causes fear
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or your teen's
• Employer rulesCompany vehicles only with consent, and never in a way that causes fear
• PenaltiesCriminal offenses under stalking and fear-based laws
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteRCW § 9A.90.130

West Virginia escalates on a second offense.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegal
• Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle, or a parent tracking a child's car
• Employer rulesEmployee consent required before tracking
• PenaltiesFirst offense is serious, and a second offense can be a felony
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteW.Va. Code § 61-3-50

Wisconsin criminalizes two separate acts, and most summaries only mention the first.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedClass A misdemeanor, covering BOTH placing a GPS device on another person's vehicle without consent AND intentionally obtaining location information from a device placed without consent
• Owner exceptionYes, a vehicle you own or lease
• Employer rulesCompany vehicles are fine, but employees should be told. Consent is safest
• PenaltiesClass A misdemeanor. Reading the data is an offense in its own right, even if someone else placed the device
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteWis. Stat. § 940.315, global positioning devices

Wyoming names GPS inside its stalking statute, so the device is written into the law by name.

• Non-consensual trackingIllegalVerifiedusing any electronic, digital or global positioning system device to place a person under surveillance without authorization, with intent to harass
• Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
• Employer rulesTracking with consent is fine, but secret tracking is risky
• PenaltiesMisdemeanor, up to one year and a $750 fine
• Law enforcementWarrant required
• StatuteWyo. Stat. § 6-2-506(b)(iv)