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Lawful Use of GPS Trackers

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Written & researched by Priya Nakamura Camera Systems Editor
Updated August 2026

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This page is general information, not legal advice. GPS tracking laws vary by state and continue to evolve. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your circumstances before tracking any vehicle, asset or person.

Short version: lawful GPS tracking covers your own vehicle or assets, a minor child you’re legally responsible for, an adult who has given informed consent, or a company fleet vehicle you own. Covertly tracking another adult’s vehicle or belongings without their knowledge and consent is illegal in most US states under anti-stalking and electronic surveillance statutes, regardless of your relationship to them. This site does not provide, and will never provide, instructions for tracking someone without legal right to do so.

Your Own Vehicle or Assets

Tracking a vehicle, trailer, boat, or piece of equipment that you own outright is the clearest and least legally complicated use case — theft recovery, monitoring a vehicle lent to a friend, or simply knowing where a valuable asset is. This is the most common and most straightforward lawful use of a GPS tracker.

Minor Children

Tracking a minor child you are the legal parent or guardian of — whether via a device in their car, backpack, or on their person — is a widely accepted and generally lawful form of parental monitoring in the US. This changes at the age of legal majority (18 in most states): tracking an adult child without their knowledge and consent falls under the same restrictions as tracking any other adult, regardless of the parent-child relationship.

Consented Adults

Tracking an adult — a partner, a family member, an employee using a personal vehicle for work — is lawful specifically when that person has given informed consent, ideally in a form you can document. Consent given for one purpose (family location-sharing apps, for example) does not automatically extend to covert tracking via a separate hidden device; the consent needs to be genuine and reasonably informed about what’s actually being tracked.

Company Fleet Vehicles

Businesses tracking vehicles they own is one of the most well-established and clearly lawful uses of GPS tracking — for route optimization, theft recovery, and driver safety. Many states and some union agreements require notifying employees that company vehicles are tracked, so check your state’s specific employee-monitoring notification requirements before implementing fleet tracking.

Covertly placing a tracker on a vehicle you don’t own, or tracking an adult without their knowledge and consent, is illegal in most US states — this includes tracking an ex-partner, a spouse during separation or divorce, a coworker, or any adult outside the ownership and consent situations described above. Many states have laws specifically naming GPS or electronic tracking devices as part of their anti-stalking statutes, meaning this isn’t just a general privacy concern but a specifically criminalized act in many jurisdictions. This site does not describe how to covertly track a person without legal right to do so, and will not.

If You’re Concerned You’re Being Tracked

If you suspect an unauthorized tracker has been placed on your vehicle or among your belongings, document what you find and consider contacting law enforcement, particularly if you have safety concerns. This is a matter for law enforcement and, where appropriate, an attorney — not a DIY countermeasure situation.

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Straight Answers

Frequently Asked

What makes GPS tracking legal versus illegal?

The core legal question is ownership and consent, not the device or the technology itself. Tracking a vehicle or asset you own, a minor child you’re legally responsible for, or an adult who has given informed consent is generally lawful. Tracking a vehicle or person without ownership rights or consent — most commonly an ex-partner, a spouse during separation, or any adult without their knowledge — is illegal in most US states under anti-stalking, electronic surveillance or unauthorized tracking statutes, some of which specifically name GPS devices.

Are there federal or state laws specifically about GPS tracking?

Many US states have enacted laws specifically addressing GPS tracking devices, often as part of broader anti-stalking or electronic surveillance statutes, and some explicitly criminalize placing a tracking device on a vehicle or person without consent. Federal law also addresses unauthorized tracking in some contexts. Because this varies significantly by state and continues to evolve, check your specific state’s current statute or consult an attorney rather than assuming a blanket national rule.

Can I track a rental car I’m renting to someone else?

If you own the vehicle and disclose to the renter that it includes tracking (increasingly standard practice for rental and rideshare fleets), this is generally lawful and is disclosed in many rental agreements. Undisclosed covert tracking of a rental vehicle is a legally riskier position — check your specific state’s requirements and consider disclosure as standard practice regardless of the legal minimum.

What should I do if I find a GPS tracker on my own vehicle that I didn’t place?

Document it (photos, location on the vehicle) before removing it if you’re safely able to, and consider contacting law enforcement, particularly if you have safety concerns about who might have placed it — unauthorized tracking is a crime in most states, and law enforcement can advise on next steps including whether to preserve the device as evidence.