GPS Tracking Laws in the USA (2026) | State-by-State Guide
-
01
Ownership and consent decide almost everything. Without either, tracking is usually a crime
-
02
New Jersey is the one state with a written-notice law aimed squarely at vehicle tracking
-
03
Police attach and monitor under a warrant in practice, though the Supreme Court left that question open
-
04
Parents can generally track a minor child. At eighteen the consent rules change
-
05
These laws move. Check your state's current text before acting on any summary, including this one
I'm Ryan Horban. For the last 15 years I've worked with GPS vehicle trackers, fleet tracking devices, and commercial GPS tracking systems. One question comes up more than any other. Is it legal to put a tracker on this particular car?
The honest answer is that it depends on three things. Who owns the vehicle, who consented, and who is doing the tracking. Get those right and you are almost always fine. Get them wrong and the same device becomes evidence.
Below is the federal picture, then all fifty states, then the practical compliance steps.
The short answerThe three questions that decide every case.
Federal lawJones, Carpenter, and what they did and did not settle.
Three mythsThe beliefs that get people charged.
All fifty statesConsent, owner exception, employer rules and statute.
Employer rulesWhere the law is written down and where it is not.
Staying compliantEight steps that keep you out of trouble.
The Short Answer
Tracking a vehicle you own or lease is legal in most states. Tracking a vehicle you do not own is a crime in most states, absent consent from whoever uses it. It gets charged as stalking, harassment or unlawful surveillance depending on where you are.
Three questions settle it. Who owns the vehicle. Who consented. Who is doing the tracking. Everything below is detail on those three.
Federal Law
Federal law does not ban private GPS tracking outright. It sets the constitutional floor for government tracking. State laws build their privacy expectations on top of that.
United States v. Jones (2012)
Police attached a GPS device to a suspect's vehicle and tracked it for 28 days. The Supreme Court held that attaching the device and monitoring movements was a Fourth Amendment search. The reasoning was trespass: hardware was physically attached to the car.
What it settled: that GPS attachment is a search. What it did not: the Court expressly left open whether that search always needs a warrant. Agencies work from warrants in practice, and lower courts have generally required them since.
Carpenter v. United States (2018)
Investigators obtained 127 days of historical cell site location records without a warrant. The Supreme Court held that acquiring that record is a search requiring a warrant. Such data gives a comprehensive account of a person's movements.
Why it matters here: Carpenter is about phone records rather than trackers, but it confirms the direction. Detailed location history is treated as sensitive, whatever the device producing it.
-
2012
United States v. Jones. Attaching a device and monitoring movements is a Fourth Amendment search.
-
2018
Carpenter v. United States. Acquiring historical cell site location records needs a warrant.
-
2019
Utah enacts a dedicated tracking-device offense, part of a steady wave of state statutes.
-
JANUARY 2025
Texas sues Allstate over driver location data gathered through mobile apps.
-
MARCH 2025
Ohio's law takes effect, the first written to cover tracking apps as squarely as hardware.
Federal statutes worth knowing
Prohibits intercepting electronic communications without consent. Relevant where a device captures communications rather than position alone. View statute
Extends wiretap protections to electronic data in transit, and governs unauthorized access to it.
Covers stored records held by a service provider, which is the category historical location logs fall into.
The constitutional backstop for government searches. It constrains agencies, not private individuals, which is why state law does the work below.
Federal law is not the layer that will catch a private individual
These statutes mostly govern government conduct and service providers. A private person tracking without consent is far likelier to face a state stalking or surveillance charge. That is why the fifty-state section below matters more than this one.
Three Myths That Get People Charged
Not reliably. Owning the car helps, and several states write an explicit owner or lessee exception. Others ask whether the person tracked had a reasonable expectation of privacy. A spouse or adult child who drives the car daily may well have one.
Usually yes, with notice. Tracking a company-owned vehicle for a business purpose is broadly accepted. What causes trouble is tracking personal vehicles, monitoring off-hours, or doing any of it without telling anyone.
They work from one. After Jones and Carpenter, agencies obtain warrants for attachment and for historical location data. If the government needs judicial authorization, a private individual has far less latitude, not more.
The opposite, usually. States without a GPS-specific statute reach the same conduct through stalking, harassment and surveillance law. Absence of a dedicated statute is not permission.
- Tracking without consent is commonly charged as stalking rather than as a GPS offense
- Intent and effect matter. Several states turn on whether the tracking caused fear or distress
- An owner exception protects the owner, not necessarily everyone who drives the car
- Federal rules apply nationwide, so no state is a safe harbor
If you would not be comfortable telling the person the tracker is there, that discomfort is the legal answer. Every state I know of treats concealment as the aggravating fact.
Ryan Horban, GPS Tracking Expert
GPS Tracking Laws By State
Tap any state for consent rules, the owner exception, employer requirements, penalties and the governing statute. Where a state has no GPS-specific law, the entry says so.
States with a tracking-specific statute
Michigan, Nevada, Utah, Ohio, Oregon, Iowa, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Texas and California name tracking devices in the code. The offense stands on its own, so no fear or distress needs proving.
States that reach it through stalking law
Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona and others have no dedicated offense. Tracking is prosecuted as stalking or harassment. That usually means showing a course of conduct and its effect on the victim.
Ohio's tracking-device law took effect, written to cover apps as well as hardware. It is the newest statute of its kind, and most published summaries have not caught up.
Source: Ohio Rev. Code 2903.216
01Alabama+
Alabama treats secret tracking as electronic stalking, and the penalties are heavy.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal treated as electronic stalking
- Owner exceptionYes, track your own car; parents may track minor children
- Employer rulesTracking company vehicles is allowed, but notify employees first
- PenaltiesMisdemeanor fines or jail; felony charges in serious cases
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteAla. Code § 13A-6-95 and § 13A-6-96
02Alaska+
Alaska takes privacy seriously. GPS use that frightens someone can be charged as stalking.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal if it causes emotional distress or fear
- Owner exceptionYes, track your own car, truck or property
- Employer rulesNever in secret; get written consent
- PenaltiesCharged under AS § 11.41.270, stalking in the second degree
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteAlaska Statutes § 11.41.270
03Arizona+
Arizona reaches tracking through its stalking statute, and the penalty is a felony rather than a misdemeanor.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified using 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
04Arkansas+
Arkansas needs clear consent first. Skip it and you are into harassment territory.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal consent 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
05California+
California bars tracking without consent outright, but the registered owner or lessee is carved out.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal misdemeanor offense Verified
- Owner exceptionYes, the registered owner or lessee is exempt; secretly tracking a partner is still illegal
- Employer rulesWritten consent required; CCPA and CPRA also apply
- PenaltiesMisdemeanor charges and fines
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteCalifornia Penal Code § 637.7
06Colorado+
Colorado has no GPS-specific criminal statute. Tracking is reached through the stalking law, known as Vonnie's Law.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal where it causes emotional distress Verified
- Owner exceptionYes, your child's car or your business van
- Employer rulesOnly with clear consent; secret tracking invites lawsuits
- PenaltiesNo direct criminal GPS law; stalking and harassment claims apply
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteC.R.S. § 18-3-602, Vonnie's Law
07Connecticut+
Connecticut has a GPS-specific stalking offense, so the test is fear rather than the device itself.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified electronic stalking: recklessly causing someone to fear for their physical safety by wilfully 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
08Delaware+
Delaware treats secret GPS tracking as illegal surveillance.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal
- Owner exceptionYes, the registered owner can track their vehicle
- Employer rulesGet employee consent first
- PenaltiesFalls under anti-stalking and privacy laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteDelaware Code Title 11 § 1335(a)(7)
09Florida+
Florida is among the strictest. Even within a family you cannot secretly install a tracker on someone else's vehicle.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal criminal 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
10Georgia+
Georgia treats covert tracking as surveillance or stalking.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal can 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
11Hawaii+
Hawaii names mobile tracking devices directly, in the same section that governs wiretaps, and treats misuse as a felony.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified installing 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)
12Idaho+
Idaho has no GPS-specific statute, but secret tracking is still reached by the stalking laws.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal often charged as stalking
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car; parents 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
13Illinois+
Illinois is clear that consent is required before tracking someone else's car.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal without the owner's consent
- Owner exceptionYes, track your own car
- Employer rulesGet and document consent before tracking
- PenaltiesCharged under stalking or privacy laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- Statute720 ILCS 5/21-2.5
14Indiana+
Indiana requires vehicle-owner consent before a tracker goes on.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal vehicle-owner consent required
- Owner exceptionYes, vehicles you own, including a teen's car or company truck
- Employer rulesNeed employee consent; written proof is best
- PenaltiesCriminal charges under state law
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteIndiana Code § 35-46-8.5-1
15Iowa+
Iowa has a dedicated offense for GPS placement, but it turns on legitimate purpose as well as consent.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified placing 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
16Kansas+
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; notice and consent recommended
- PenaltiesCharged under stalking or privacy laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteKansas Statute § 21-5427
17Kentucky+
Kentucky is strict, and dealers must disclose a tracker installed in a leased vehicle.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal consent 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
18Louisiana+
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; written consent is safest
- PenaltiesFalls under privacy or stalking laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteLouisiana Revised Statute § 14:323
19Maine+
Maine prohibits tracking used to frighten, control or intimidate.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal where 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
20Maryland+
Maryland is tough on GPS misuse, with substantial penalties attached to the stalking statute.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal criminal 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
21Massachusetts+
In Massachusetts the effect matters. Tracking that causes distress breaks the law.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal where 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
22Michigan+
Michigan has a dedicated tracking-device statute, and it is stricter than most summaries suggest.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified a 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
23Minnesota+
Minnesota is among the strictest. Without permission or a court order, tracking is out.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal without 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
24Mississippi+
Mississippi has no dedicated GPS law, but privacy and stalking laws still apply.
- Non-consensual trackingNot explicit can fall under stalking or harassment laws
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
- Employer rulesAlways get consent; secret tracking is risky
- PenaltiesProsecuted under stalking statutes
- Law enforcementWarrant usually required
- StatuteNo specific statute; covered under stalking and privacy laws
25Missouri+
Missouri has no dedicated statute banning covert vehicle tracking. Stalking and harassment law does that work instead.
- Non-consensual trackingNot explicit Verified no tracking-device offense on the books; 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; it governs court-ordered electronic monitoring with victim notification in protective-order cases
26Montana+
Montana protects privacy explicitly in its constitution, and secret tracking is not allowed.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal
- Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle or your teen's car
- Employer rulesCompany vehicles only if employees know; personal cars are off-limits
- PenaltiesPrivacy or stalking charges
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteNo dedicated GPS law; enforced under Montana privacy laws
27Nebraska+
Nebraska has no criminal ban on private vehicle tracking. The section usually cited for one is a court-warrant provision.
- Non-consensual trackingNot explicit Verified no private-tracking offense found; 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 titled "Mobile tracking device; use" and is the WARRANT provision. It is widely miscited as a ban on private tracking
28Nevada+
Nevada has a dedicated tracking-device offense, and the penalty escalates on repeat convictions.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified named 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: misdemeanor on a first offense, then gross misdemeanor, then a category C felony
- Law enforcementCarved out where the agency acts within constitutional and state-law requirements
- StatuteNRS § 200.930
29New Hampshire+
New Hampshire leaves no wiggle room. Without consent it is a crime.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal criminal 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
30New Jersey+
New Jersey has the clearest employer rule in the country, written specifically about vehicles.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified
- 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
31New Mexico+
New Mexico treats covert tracking as stalking.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal treated as stalking
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car; parents tracking a minor child's car
- Employer rulesEmployee consent required; secret tracking could count as harassment
- PenaltiesFalls under anti-stalking laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteN.M. Stat. § 30-3A-3
32New York+
New York reaches tracking through stalking and privacy law rather than a GPS-specific statute.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal falls under stalking and privacy laws
- Owner exceptionYes, but if others regularly drive the car, get their consent too
- Employer rulesClear consent and policies required
- PenaltiesPrivacy and stalking statutes apply
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteN.Y. Penal Law § 120.45
33North Carolina+
North Carolina charges covert GPS use as cyberstalking.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Class 2 misdemeanor
- Owner exceptionOwners and lessees may track; 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
34North Dakota+
North Dakota defines non-consensual tracking as stalking outright.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal legally 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
35Ohio+
Ohio passed the newest tracking law in the country, and it is one of the broadest. The draft summaries saying Ohio has no GPS statute are out of date.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified illegal use of a tracking device or application, effective 20 March 2025 under Senate Bill 100
- What it coversWritten for apps as well as hardware. AirTags, Tile, GPS units and phone-based location sharing all fall inside the definitions
- 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
- PenaltiesEscalates 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
36Oklahoma+
Oklahoma requires consent before a tracker goes on a vehicle.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal consent is required
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car; parents tracking kids' vehicles
- Employer rulesGet written consent from employees
- PenaltiesCharged under stalking or electronic privacy laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteOklahoma Statutes § 21-1173
37Oregon+
Oregon names the offense after the technology, which makes it one of the easier statutes to find.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified unlawful use of a global positioning system device: knowingly affixing a GPS device to another person's vehicle without consent
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car; parents tracking teens
- 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
38Pennsylvania+
Pennsylvania is the state most likely to have changed since this was written. Check before relying on it.
- Non-consensual trackingNot explicit Verified no 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; parents tracking kids' vehicles
- 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
39Rhode Island+
Rhode Island has a chapter devoted to this, and its consent test is the broadest in the country.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified requires 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
40South Carolina+
South Carolina has no GPS-specific statute, and covert tracking is reached by privacy law.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
- Employer rulesCompany vehicles only with employee consent
- PenaltiesGeneral privacy and anti-stalking laws apply
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteNo specific GPS law; covered under South Carolina privacy codes
41South Dakota+
South Dakota does not permit tracking someone without their consent.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal
- Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle; parents tracking kids' cars
- Employer rulesCompany vehicles are fine, but workers must know
- PenaltiesHandled under South Dakota's privacy laws
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteCovered under South Dakota general tracking and privacy codes
42Tennessee+
Tennessee requires the consent of ALL owners, which quietly rules out a lot of family situations.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified knowingly 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
- PenaltiesCriminal offense under Title 39
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- 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
43Texas+
Texas makes installing a tracker on another person's vehicle a crime, with effective consent as a defense.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Class A misdemeanor Verified
- Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle; 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
44Utah+
Utah has had a dedicated tracking-device offense since 2019. Summaries calling it a general-statutes state are wrong.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified unlawful 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; 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
45Vermont+
Vermont treats location tracking without consent as stalking.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car or your child's vehicle
- Employer rulesConsent required; no secret GPS allowed
- PenaltiesFalls under Vermont's stalking statutes
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteVermont Electronic Communication Privacy Act § 8101
46Virginia+
Virginia charges covert tracking criminally, and bars using deception to obtain consent.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal criminal offense
- 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
47Washington+
In Washington the test is whether the tracking makes someone feel unsafe.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal where 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
48West Virginia+
West Virginia escalates on a second offense.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal
- Owner exceptionYes, your own vehicle; parents tracking kids' cars
- Employer rulesEmployee consent required before tracking
- PenaltiesFirst offense serious; a second offense can be a felony
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteW.Va. Code § 61-3-50
49Wisconsin+
Wisconsin criminalizes two separate acts, and most summaries only mention the first.
- Non-consensual trackingIllegal Verified Class 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
50Wyoming+
Wyoming has no GPS-specific law, but covert tracking is still reached by stalking and privacy rules.
- Non-consensual trackingNot explicit enforced under stalking and surveillance laws
- Owner exceptionYes, your own car or property
- Employer rulesTracking with consent is fine; secret tracking is risky
- PenaltiesMisdemeanor or felony depending on the case
- Law enforcementWarrant required
- StatuteWyo. Stat. § 6-2-506
The pattern worth remembering: a state with no tracking statute is not a state where tracking is allowed. It is a state where the charge is stalking instead.
What has been verified, and what has not
Entries marked Verified have been checked against the statute text on a primary legal source. The rest are summaries that have not been independently confirmed, and state legislatures amend this area often.
Where a citation appears without a link, no stable public URL for the official text was found. Search your state legislature's site for the section number before relying on any entry here.
Tracking a vehicle you own? That is the case the law is most comfortable with, and Konnect is built for it. Nothing hidden, nothing spliced.
Shop KonnectEmployer Rules, And Where They Are Actually Written Down
Most summaries claim employers need written consent in nearly every state. That overstates it. Very few states have a statute written about vehicle tracking specifically. The rest is general privacy law plus sensible practice.
The short version: four states have a written notice rule, and only one of them was drafted about vehicles.
| State | What the law actually says | What this means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | N.J.S.A. 34:6B-22 requires written notice before using a tracking device in a vehicle an employee operates, including their own | The clearest rule in the country. $1,000 for a first violation, $2,500 for each one after |
| Connecticut | Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-48d is an electronic-monitoring notice statute written for phone, email and internet | Whether vehicle GPS falls inside it is unsettled. Give notice anyway |
| Delaware | 19 Del. C. 705 is also an electronic-monitoring notice statute | Same position as Connecticut. Notice is the safe reading |
| New York | Civil Rights Law 52-c requires notice of electronic monitoring of telephone, email and internet | Not written about vehicles. Employers still notify in practice |
| Everywhere else | No vehicle-specific employee tracking statute | General privacy and stalking law applies. A written policy and signed acknowledgement is the standard approach |
The practical rule regardless of state
Track company vehicles, not personal ones. Tell people in writing before the device goes on. Limit monitoring to working hours where you can. Doing those three things keeps you clear in every state, whether or not a statute requires them.
What Changed Recently
One development is worth knowing about, because it signals where enforcement is heading on location data generally.
Texas Attorney General v. Allstate and Arity
Texas sued Allstate and its analytics subsidiary Arity over driver location data. The data came from software embedded in third-party mobile apps. The state alleges collection and sale without notice or consent, covering over 45 million consumers. Allstate denies the allegations.
Why it belongs here: this concerns phone-app telematics rather than trackers bolted to cars. It is also the first state enforcement action under a comprehensive privacy law. The direction of travel is that location data needs disclosed, consented collection whatever the source.
Staying Compliant
-
1Get consent, in writing. From employees, from other adults who drive the car, from anyone whose movements the device will record.
-
2Only track what you own or lease. If the title is not in your name or the business's name, assume you need consent.
-
3Keep monitoring to working hours where the vehicle is a work vehicle. Off-hours tracking is where employer cases start.
-
4Never conceal it. Several states turn on whether the tracking caused fear or distress, and concealment is what produces both.
-
5Employers: write the policy down. Which vehicles are tracked, when tracking is active, how long data is kept, and who can see it.
-
6Parents: talk to the teenager. Legal for a minor in most states, and it works better as a stated rule than as a discovery.
-
7Ask a lawyer for the hard cases. Partner tracking, divorce, custody, or tracking across state lines. These are the ones that go wrong.
-
8Keep the records. Consent forms, policies, acknowledgements. If a dispute arrives, the paperwork is the defense.
If you think someone is tracking you
This guide is written for people deciding whether to install a tracker. On the other side of it? If you believe someone placed one on your vehicle without your knowledge, treat the device as evidence. Photograph it where you found it and leave it in place while you decide what to do.
Removing it tells the person you found it, which sometimes escalates the situation rather than ending it. That timing is worth talking through with someone trained in it before you act.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and confidential around the clock on 1-800-799-7233. The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center publishes guidance written for exactly this situation.
GPS tracking laws are subject to change, so use this article as a guide and not a legal document. If you are worried you might be doing something illegal, speak to a lawyer.
Ryan Horban, GPS Tracking Expert
Legal notice
This guide draws on hands-on experience with GPS tracking systems and on published statutes. It is general information, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by reading it.
GPS tracking law varies by state and changes frequently. Its application to any particular set of facts depends on details a summary cannot capture. Before installing a device on a vehicle you do not solely own, check the current law where you live. Or speak with a qualified attorney.
Track your own vehicle, openly
The legal position is simplest when the vehicle is yours and nobody is being kept in the dark. Konnect plugs into the OBD2 port in under a minute and updates every 3 seconds. It sits where anyone driving the car can see it. Lifetime warranty, USA-based support.
Konnect is our own product. Any recommendation of it here comes from the company that makes it, not an independent reviewer. As an Amazon Associate, Konnect GPS earns from qualifying purchases.
About the Author
Buy on Amazon