Louisiana
Louisiana GPS Tracking Laws: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited June 17, 2026). · Law checked current as of August 9, 2026. How we verify our legal content
Louisiana takes a different approach to GPS tracking than most states. Instead of asking whose car the tracker is attached to, Louisiana law asks who is being tracked. Using any tracking device to follow another person without their consent is a crime under La. R.S. 14:323.
That one design choice matters. It means the statute reaches an AirTag slipped into a purse just as easily as a GPS unit bolted under a bumper.
Louisiana also broke new ground in 2025 with a law forcing carmakers to cut off an abuser's remote access to a connected car's location data. This guide covers all of it in plain English. It is part of our GPS Tracking Laws by State series.
Is It Legal to Put a GPS Tracker on a Car in Louisiana?
It is legal to track your own vehicle. It is a crime to use a tracking device to follow another person who has not consented, unless you fit one of the narrow exceptions written into the statute.
Most state tracking laws are property-focused: they punish attaching a device to a vehicle you do not own. Louisiana's law is person-focused. La. R.S. 14:323 says no person shall use a tracking device to determine the location or movement of another person without that person's consent.
Owning the car still matters. The statute contains an exception for the owner, lessor, or lessee of a motor vehicle who consents to a tracking device on that vehicle, which is what makes fleet tracking and rental-car telematics legal. But ownership is not a blank check, as you will see below.
One thing the law does not contain is a cheating-spouse exception. Suspicion of infidelity does not create a legal right to track anyone. If your spouse's car is titled in their name alone and they have not consented, planting a tracker is a misdemeanor, and repeating the behavior can become stalking.
Louisiana's Tracking Device Law (La. R.S. 14:323)
The statute defines a tracking device as any device that reveals its location or movement by the transmission of electronic signals. That covers hardwired GPS units, plug-in OBD trackers, magnetic battery-powered trackers, phone-based location apps, and Bluetooth item finders such as Apple AirTags and Tile tags.
The core prohibition is short: do not use one of these devices to track another person without consent.
The statute then lists who is allowed to track:
- The owner, lessor, or lessee of a vehicle who consents to the device, including rental and fleet companies
- Law enforcement acting under a court order, or during an ongoing criminal investigation while keeping a contemporaneous written record of the tracking
- A parent or legal guardian of a minor child, with an important limit covered below
- The Department of Public Safety and Corrections supervising offenders
- Commercial mobile radio service providers, meaning your cell carrier's network-based location features
- Commercial motor carriers tracking their trucks
- Employers tracking cellular devices they provide to employees, when the devices are used within the scope of employment
Who Can Legally Track Someone in Louisiana?
Parents and guardians. A parent or legal guardian may track their own minor child. But if the parents are separated or divorced, both parents must consent to the tracking unless one parent has been awarded sole custody.
That rule is a trap in custody disputes. Putting a tracker in your child's backpack during your ex's custody time, without your ex's agreement, falls outside the exception unless you have sole custody. Family courts also take a dim view of using a child as a surveillance tool.
The protective-order override. This is the part of Louisiana's law that catches people off guard. La. R.S. 14:323(E), added in 2025, switches off the statutory exception in two vehicle-linked situations: when the person granted a protective order under La. R.S. 46:2136 or a temporary restraining order under La. R.S. 46:2135 has an ownership interest in the vehicle, and when a court of competent jurisdiction has granted another individual exclusive use of the vehicle.
In other words, an abusive spouse who co-owns the family car loses the ownership defense the moment the other co-owner obtains a protective order. If you need one, our guide to Louisiana restraining order laws explains the process.
Police. State law lets officers track under a court order or during an ongoing criminal investigation with a written record. The Fourth Amendment also applies: in United States v. Jones (2012), the U.S. Supreme Court held that attaching a GPS device to a vehicle and monitoring its movements is a Fourth Amendment search.
Can My Employer Track My Car in Louisiana?
If the company owns the vehicle, yes. The owner exception covers business fleets, and commercial motor carriers get their own express exception. GPS on company trucks and vans is standard and legal.
Employer-issued phones sit in a middle ground. The statute permits an employer to track a cellular device it provides to an employee when the device is used within the scope of employment. Using that same phone to monitor where you spend your weekends pushes outside the exception.
Your personal car is your own. An employer who hides a tracker on an employee's personal vehicle without consent commits the same misdemeanor as anyone else.
AirTags and Item Trackers
Because La. R.S. 14:323 targets tracking a person rather than trespassing on property, it fits item trackers cleanly. Dropping an AirTag into someone's bag, coat pocket, or car console to follow their movements is using a tracking device on a non-consenting person. The statute does not care that the tag cost $29 or that it never touched a vehicle.
If your iPhone or Android phone alerts you that an unknown tracker is traveling with you, take it seriously. Repeated tracking that places someone in fear can also be charged as stalking under La. R.S. 14:40.2, and tracking that crosses state lines can trigger the federal stalking statute, 18 U.S.C. 2261A.
Louisiana regulates other forms of monitoring too. See our guides to Louisiana recording laws and surveillance camera laws for the audio and video rules.
Penalties for Illegal GPS Tracking in Louisiana
Penalties under La. R.S. 14:323 escalate with each conviction:
| Offense | Fine | Jail time |
|---|---|---|
| First offense | $500 to $1,000 | Up to 6 months |
| Second offense | $750 to $1,500 | 30 days to 6 months |
| Third and subsequent | $1,000 to $2,000 | 60 days to 1 year |
Courts can impose the fine, the jail time, or both.
These are misdemeanor-level penalties, but they rarely travel alone. Prosecutors often pair a tracking charge with stalking under La. R.S. 14:40.2, which carries 30 days to a year in jail plus a mandatory psychiatric evaluation on a first conviction, with far harsher penalties when a protective order is violated or the victim is a minor.
Connected Cars and Domestic Violence Survivors (the 2025 Law)
This is Louisiana's most distinctive contribution to tracking law. Acts 2025, No. 225 (House Bill 74) passed both chambers unanimously and took effect August 1, 2025.
Modern vehicles ship with factory telematics: companion apps that show the car's live location, remote-start the engine, or unlock the doors. Abusers were exploiting those apps to stalk partners who fled in the family car, and survivors had no way to make the manufacturer shut the access off.
Act 225 fixed that. It added La. R.S. 14:323(E) and created a new chapter in Title 46, La. R.S. 46:2191 through 46:2196. The operative duty is La. R.S. 46:2192: a motor vehicle manufacturer must suspend the remote access technology on a vehicle within two business days of receiving a complete remote access suspension request from a survivor.
A complete request has two parts under La. R.S. 46:2192(A)(2). First, a certified copy of a protective order under La. R.S. 46:2136 or a temporary restraining order under La. R.S. 46:2135 against the abuser, signed by a judge, hearing officer, or commissioner, or another official document showing the abuser committed a covered act. Second, proof that the survivor has an ownership interest in the vehicle, or a certified copy of a judgment granting exclusive use of it regardless of ownership. A covered act means domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking as those terms are defined in La. R.S. 46:2191.
The statute also protects the survivor through the process. Under La. R.S. 46:2195 the manufacturer may not require the survivor to pay a fee or any outstanding fines the abuser owes, and may not contact the abuser after a complete request is submitted. Every manufacturer must post a prominent link titled HOW TO DISCONNECT REMOTE VEHICLE ACCESS on its website. A manufacturer that violates La. R.S. 46:2192 faces a civil fine of $10,000 per violation, capped at $1 million, which the attorney general may sue to recover under La. R.S. 46:2193. The duty does not reach a manufacturer that technologically cannot disable the remote access technology.
If this is your situation, contact your vehicle manufacturer's connected-services support line or use that website link, say you are submitting a remote access suspension request under La. R.S. 46:2192, and send the certified order plus proof of ownership or exclusive use that the statute requires. The access may stay disabled for as long as the order or judgment lasts.
Civil Options: Suing Over GPS Tracking
La. R.S. 14:323 is a criminal statute and does not create its own private right to sue. Louisiana plaintiffs are not left empty-handed, though.
Louisiana Civil Code article 2315 is the state's broad tort article: every act of man that causes damage to another obliges the person at fault to repair it. Invasion of privacy claims, including intrusion on seclusion by covert tracking, are brought under it.
Louisiana's constitution helps too. Article I, Section 5 expressly protects every person against unreasonable invasions of privacy, language most state constitutions lack.
One practical note for divorce cases: location evidence gathered through illegal tracking can backfire badly, creating criminal exposure and credibility damage instead of a litigation advantage.
What to Do If You Find a Tracker on Your Car
- Leave it in place at first. The device, its serial number, and its position are all evidence.
- Photograph everything. Take pictures of the tracker where you found it before touching it.
- Call local police or the sheriff's office. Reference La. R.S. 14:323. Item trackers like AirTags can often be traced to the registered owner.
- If you suspect an abusive partner, plan for safety first. Removing a tracker tells the person watching that you found it. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 before acting.
- Consider a protective order. Beyond its core protections, a protective order strips a co-owning abuser of the statute's owner-consent defense under La. R.S. 14:323(E).
- For a connected car, invoke the 2025 law. Ask the manufacturer to suspend the abuser's remote access under La. R.S. 46:2192, and include a certified copy of your protective order or restraining order plus proof that you own the vehicle or have been granted exclusive use of it.
Sources
The primary sources for this article, including the official text of La. R.S. 14:323 on the Louisiana Legislature's website, are listed below.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change and their application depends on specific facts. If you are facing a GPS tracking issue in Louisiana, consult a licensed Louisiana attorney. If you are in danger, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
More Louisiana Laws
- Louisiana Dashcam Laws
- Louisiana Data Privacy Laws
- Louisiana Drone Laws
- Louisiana Employee Monitoring Laws
- Louisiana Recording Laws
- Louisiana Restraining Order Laws
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a GPS tracker on my spouse's car in Louisiana?
Only with consent or true co-ownership, and even co-ownership stops protecting you once a protective order or temporary restraining order is in place or a court has given your spouse exclusive use of the vehicle. Tracking a spouse without consent in a car titled only in their name is a crime under La. R.S. 14:323.
Is it illegal to put an AirTag in someone's bag in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana's statute punishes using any tracking device to follow another person without consent, so it covers AirTags and Tile tags hidden in bags, pockets, or cars just as much as dedicated GPS units.
Can I track my child's phone or car in Louisiana?
A parent or legal guardian may track a minor child. If the parents are separated or divorced, both parents must consent unless one has sole custody. The 2025 override in La. R.S. 14:323(E) is tied to the vehicle rather than to protective orders generally: the statutory exception switches off when the person granted a protective order or temporary restraining order has an ownership interest in the vehicle, or when a court has granted another individual exclusive use of it.
What is the penalty for illegal GPS tracking in Louisiana?
A first offense carries a $500 to $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. Penalties climb with each conviction, reaching $1,000 to $2,000 and up to a year in jail for a third offense, and stalking charges can be added on top.
Can police track my car without a warrant in Louisiana?
Under United States v. Jones (2012), attaching a GPS device and monitoring a vehicle is a Fourth Amendment search. Louisiana's statute separately requires a court order or an ongoing criminal investigation with a contemporaneous written record.
Can I sue someone who put a tracker on my car?
The criminal statute does not include a right to sue, but Louisiana recognizes invasion of privacy claims under Civil Code article 2315, backed by the express privacy guarantee in Article I, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution. A civil attorney can evaluate your facts.
What is Louisiana's connected-car law for abuse survivors?
Acts 2025, No. 225 added La. R.S. 46:2191 through 46:2196. Under La. R.S. 46:2192 a motor vehicle manufacturer must suspend an abuser's remote access to a car's connected services, including location tracking, within two business days of a complete request from a survivor of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. A complete request needs a certified protective order, temporary restraining order, or equivalent official document, plus proof of ownership or a judgment granting exclusive use of the vehicle. The law took effect August 1, 2025.
Updates
Corrected the description of United States v. Jones to the holding the Court actually reached: GPS installation and monitoring is a Fourth Amendment search; the Court did not decide whether a warrant is required.
Added the operative statutory citations for Louisiana's 2025 connected-car survivor law (La. R.S. 14:323(E) and La. R.S. 46:2191 through 46:2196, including the two-business-day manufacturer deadline in 46:2192) and corrected the FAQ, which had implied that any protective order defeats the parental tracking exception when the statute ties that override to an ownership interest in the vehicle or a court grant of exclusive use.
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Louisiana Revised Statutes
§ 14:323Tracking devices prohibited; penaltyIn forcecited in 3 of our articles
A. No person shall use a tracking device to determine the location or movement of another person without the consent of that person. B. The following penalties shall be imposed for a violation of this Section: (1) For the first offense, the fine shall be not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. (2) For the second offense, the fine shall be not less than seven hundred fifty dollars nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars, or imprisonment for not less than thirty days nor more than six months, or both. (3) For the third offense and all subsequent offenses, the fine shall be not less than one thousand dollars nor more than two thousand dollars, or imprisonment for not less than sixty days nor more than one year, or both. C. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the following: (1) The owner of a motor vehicle, including the owner of a vehicle available for rent, who has consented to the use of the tracking device with respect to such vehicle.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-26 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
Also relied on in: Louisiana Employee Monitoring Laws: Notice, Passwords & GPS (2026)
§ 14:40.2StalkingIn forcecited in 8 of our articles
A. Stalking is the intentional and repeated following or harassing of another person that would cause a reasonable person to feel alarmed or to suffer emotional distress. Stalking shall include but not be limited to the intentional and repeated uninvited presence of the perpetrator at another person's home, workplace, school, or any place which would cause a reasonable person to be alarmed, or to suffer emotional distress as a result of verbal, written, or behaviorally implied threats of death, bodily injury, sexual assault, kidnapping, or any other statutory criminal act to himself or any member of his family or any person with whom he is acquainted. B.(1)(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, on first conviction, whoever commits the crime of stalking shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than one year. Notwithstanding any other sentencing provisions, any person convicted of stalking shall undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
Cited in 58 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2025
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- State v. Ryan (Louisiana Court of Appeal 2007, 969 So. 2d 1268)“…Timothy J. Ryan, was convicted of stalking, a violation of La.R.S. 14:40.2, and appeals on the basis of insufficie…”
- Lepine v. Lepine (Louisiana Court of Appeal 2017, 17 La.App. 5 Cir. 45)“…an offense against the person, specifically stalking under La. R.S. 14:40.2. Because stalking | iais an offense aga…”
- Shaw v. Young (Louisiana Court of Appeal 2016, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0974)“…reats and harassment. The crime of stalking is set forth in La. R.S. 14:40.2(A): “Stalking is the intentional and re…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Louisiana Voyeurism and Hidden Camera Laws: Offenses, Penalties, and Protections, Louisiana Expungement Laws: Eligibility, Costs, and How to Clear Your Record, Louisiana Restraining Order Laws (2026): How to Get a Protective Order
§ 46:2191DefinitionsIn forcecited in 2 of our articles
A. For purposes of this Chapter: (1) "Abuser" means an individual who has committed, or is presumed to have committed a covered act against a survivor, as defined in this Section. (2) "Covered act" means conduct that constitutes: (a) Domestic abuse as defined in R.S. 46:2132. (b) Sexual assault as defined in R.S. 29:220. (c) Stalking as defined in R.S. 14:40.2. (3) "Remote access technology" means technology that enables a driver of a motor vehicle to remotely track, control, or operate the driver's vehicle using a smartphone app or other device. (4) "Survivor" means an individual who is a victim of a covered act, as defined in this Section.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
§ 46:2192Remote access suspension; survivor of a covered actIn forcecited in 2 of our articles
A.(1) A motor vehicle manufacturer shall suspend the remote access technology on a motor vehicle within two business days from receipt of a complete remote access suspension request from a survivor. (2) A complete remote access suspension request requires the following: (a) A certified copy of a protective order as provided by R.S. 46:2136 against the abuser that has been signed by a judge, hearing officer, or commissioner, a temporary restraining order as provided by R.S. 46:2135 against the abuser that has been signed by a judge, hearing officer, or commissioner, or any other official document that evidences that the abuser has committed a covered act. (b) The survivor has ownership interest in the motor vehicle or a certified copy of a judgment that provides exclusive use of the motor vehicle regardless of ownership. B. The remote access technology may remain disabled for the duration of the protective order, temporary restraining order, or judgment granting exclusive use of the motor vehicle. C.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
§ 46:2195Limitations on manufacturer; remote access suspension requestIn forcecited in 2 of our articles
A motor vehicle manufacturer may not do any of the following in order to disable the remote access technology: (1) Require the survivor to pay a fee or any outstanding fines owed by the abuser. (2) Contact the abuser after the survivor submits a complete remote access suspension request.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
Louisiana Civil Code
§ 2315Liability for acts causing damagesIn forcecited in 10 of our articles
A. Every act whatever of man that causes damage to another obliges him by whose fault it happened to repair it. B. Damages may include loss of consortium, service, and society, and shall be recoverable by the same respective categories of persons who would have had a cause of action for wrongful death of an injured person. Damages do not include costs for future medical treatment, services, surveillance, or procedures of any kind unless such treatment, services, surveillance, or procedures are directly related to a manifest physical or mental injury or disease. Damages shall include any sales taxes paid by the owner on the repair or replacement of the property damaged.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-27 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legis.la.gov
Cited in 567 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Louisiana courts apply Art. 2315 case by case: Hornsby v. Bayou Jack Logging (2005) held restoration costs above the land's value require reasons personal to the owner, which a vague intent to develop did not supply, and Naylor v. La. Dept. of Public Highways (1982) required every duty-risk element before recovery.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- MJ Farms, Ltd. v. Exxon Mobil Corp. (Supreme Court of Louisiana 2008, 998 So. 2d 16)“…had suffered "damages," and were therefore entitled under La. Civ.Code art. 2315 to recover medical monitoring costs. B…”
- Naylor v. La. Dept. of Public Highways (Louisiana Court of Appeal 1982, 423 So. 2d 674)✓A motorcyclist hit an oil and sand mixture left in a highway curve and suffered permanent brain damage; the court found both the highway department and the state police liable under article 2315 for breaching duties to maintain a safe road and to warn of the hazard.
- Johnson v. St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company (Supreme Court of Louisiana 1970, 256 La. 289)✓A Shreveport guest passenger was injured when her host rear-ended a car in Arkansas; the court kept the place-of-the-wrong rule and applied the Arkansas guest statute, so article 2315's ordinary negligence standard did not govern the out-of-state accident.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Recording Laws: Rights and Restrictions, Louisiana Car Accident Laws: Fault, Insurance, and Your Claim, Louisiana Defamation Laws: Libel, Slander & Suing (2026)
United States Code Title 18
§ 2261AStalkingIn forcecited in 56 of our articles
Whoever— travels in interstate or foreign commerce or is present within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or enters or leaves Indian country, with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance with intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person, and in the course of, or as a result of, such travel or presence engages in conduct that— places that person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to— that person; an immediate family member (as defined in section 115) of that person; a spouse or intimate partner of that person; or the pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse of that person; or causes, attempts to cause, or would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of subparagraph (A); or with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance with intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person, uses the mail, any interactive computer service or electronic communication service or electronic communication system of interstate commerce, or any other…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 350 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Federal appeals courts have construed and upheld Section 2261A. United States v. Walker (2011) read in the course of, or as a result of such travel disjunctively, so pre-travel threats plus resulting fear sufficed. United States v. Amy Gonzalez (2018) held it neither overbroad nor vague and no First Amendment violation as applied.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- United States v. Walker (Court of Appeals for the First Circuit 2011, 665 F.3d 212)✓After emailing threats to his estranged wife, the defendant flew from Michigan to Puerto Rico and was arrested on arrival. The court read the disjunctive phrase in 2261A(1) to cover travel that itself places the target in reasonable fear, and upheld the stalking conviction.
- United States v. Amy Gonzalez (Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2018, 905 F.3d 165)✓Relatives waged a years-long campaign against a mother that ended in a courthouse shooting. The court held 2261A is neither overbroad nor vague because it reaches harassing conduct, and that the mental states it lists are alternative means, not elements; convictions affirmed.
- United States v. Wills (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit 2003, 346 F.3d 476)✓A burglary suspect pursued the witness who identified him at a preliminary hearing; the witness later died. The court held the evidence met each element of 2261A: travel from D.C. to Virginia, intent to harm or harass, and reasonable fear of death; conviction affirmed.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Federal Sexting Laws: Legal Consequences and Penalties, GPS Tracking Laws by State: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026), Alabama GPS Tracking Laws: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026)
Sources and References
- La. R.S. 14:323, Tracking devices prohibited; penalty(legis.la.gov)
- La. R.S. 14:40.2, Stalking(legis.la.gov)
- Acts 2025, No. 225 (HB 74), termination of manufacturer vehicle tracking services in cases of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking(legis.la.gov)
- La. Civil Code art. 2315, Liability for acts causing damages(legis.la.gov)
- United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012), slip opinion(supremecourt.gov)
- 18 U.S.C. 2261A, federal stalking statute(law.cornell.edu)
- La. R.S. 46:2192, Remote access suspension; survivor of a covered act(legis.la.gov)
- La. R.S. 46:2191, Definitions (abuser, covered act, remote access technology, survivor)(legis.la.gov)
- La. R.S. 46:2195, Limitations on manufacturer; remote access suspension request(legis.la.gov)
- La. R.S. 46:2193, Civil fine for violation of R.S. 46:2192(legis.la.gov)