Is GPS Tracker Legal to Use in Cars?
Although in most cases all of the uses described above are lawful, it's important to note that there are certain situations where using a car tracking device could put you in hot water. Ask a lawyer seeking legal counsel on the matter if in doubt.
The basic rule of thumb is that you should control it because it's your vehicle. This is true of both private and company-owned companies and equipment. But if you want to keep track of your young kid, or keep eyes on your staff during operating hours, you 're in the clear.
When you don't own a vehicle so putting a transmitter in it is usually illegal. There are provisions for officers, given they have a subpoena first, and private investigators working on car owner 's orders. For most other cases it is criminal and some states do have cyberstalking regulations that directly tackle trackers in GPS vehicles.
Although GPS car trackers can be used to spy on people, legitimate applications stop just short of this limit. If you have any concerns, you should, of course, seek legal advice from a professional. Especially if a teen driver or an employee is monitored, the key priorities are health, transparency, and productivity, rather than surveillance.
It's typically pretty straightforward to use a GPS tracker in your car but the procedure is a bit different from one unit to another. The biggest change is the power source, but there's ample variance that reading the manual first is always a smart idea.
Many GPS trackers are equipped to plug in the onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) adapter, which is normally placed between the driver's legs under the windshield. The downside here is that these trackers directly get power from the diagnostic socket, and they are incredibly easy to use. If you've ever used a code reader or search tool, then it's a breeze with this sort of tracker.