In all eight states we cover, a business can put GPS trackers on vehicles it owns. Where companies get into trouble is tracking a vehicle they don't own, tracking without telling anyone, or tracking people instead of vehicles. Here is what the law says in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.
Yes. None of these eight states bans an owner from tracking a vehicle it owns or leases, and several of them say so in writing. The state laws that do exist are aimed at people hiding a tracker on someone else's car to follow them, not at a company keeping tabs on its own trucks.
The questions owners actually ask us are narrower than that: can we track a truck an employee takes home, can we track an employee's own pickup if we pay mileage, do we have to tell the drivers? Those answers do change by state, so the state by state section below is the part to read.
This page is general information to help you ask the right questions. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Before you track anything you don't own, or if a driver objects, talk to an attorney licensed in your state.
Checked against each state's code in October 2026.
This is where the risk is. In Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, putting a tracker on a vehicle you don't own without the owner's consent can be a crime, and in the other states it can still invite a stalking complaint or a lawsuit. Even where an employee gets a mileage allowance, the vehicle is theirs. If a personal vehicle has to be tracked, get the owner's written consent first, and talk to your attorney. Most of our customers avoid the problem by tracking only company owned vehicles.
For a vehicle the company owns, none of these eight states has a law requiring notice. We recommend telling them anyway, in writing. A short GPS policy that every driver signs turns any question of consent into a yes and settles arguments before they start.
A simple policy covers which vehicles are tracked, what the system records, who can see the data, whether vehicles may be used after hours, and what happens if a tracker is unplugged or tampered with.
A company truck that goes home with the driver is still a company truck, and in these eight states the owner can track it. What changes is how it feels to the driver, because the tracker now shows where they live and where they go on a Saturday. If personal use is allowed, say so in the policy and say whether the company looks at that data. Ask your tracking provider whether its system can limit what is shown outside working hours.
If you sell or return a tracked vehicle, take the tracker out first. In Florida the law expects it, and in every state it keeps you from tracking a vehicle you no longer own. We do removals and swaps when vehicles cycle out of the fleet.
Common questions
Yes. In Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, a business can track vehicles it owns or leases. North Carolina and Virginia name fleet owners as an exception in their laws, and Florida names businesses with a legitimate business purpose.
None of these eight states requires it for a company owned vehicle. We still recommend a written GPS policy that each driver signs, because it settles the question before anyone raises it.
Not without the owner's consent. In Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, tracking a vehicle you don't own without consent can be a crime. Get written consent and talk to an attorney first.
You should in every state, and Florida's law specifically expects the tracker to be removed before the title transfers unless the buyer agrees in writing to keep it.
No. It's general information checked against each state's code in October 2026. Laws change, so talk to an attorney licensed in your state about your situation.
We install GPS trackers and dash cams on company vehicles across eight states, and we take them out when vehicles leave the fleet. Call or text 803-513-1009.
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