Nevada GPS Tracking Laws: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026)

For years, Nevada was a gap state. No statute made it a crime to hide a GPS tracker on someone else's car, and victims who found a device under a bumper often had no clear charge to point police toward.

That changed on July 1, 2023. Assembly Bill 356 created NRS 200.930, which makes it a crime to knowingly install, conceal, or otherwise place a mobile tracking device in or on another person's motor vehicle without the knowledge and consent of an owner or lessor.

This guide explains how Nevada's tracking law works, who can still track a vehicle legally, how the penalties escalate with each offense, and what to do if you find a tracker on your car. It is part of our GPS Tracking Laws by State series.

Is It Legal to Put a GPS Tracker on a Car in Nevada?

Only if an owner or lessor of that specific vehicle knows about the tracker and consents to it.

Tracking your own car is legal. Tracking a car you co-own, such as a jointly titled family vehicle, is legal because you are an owner. Putting a tracker on a car that belongs entirely to someone else, without an owner's knowledge and consent, has been a crime in Nevada since July 1, 2023.

This is a recent change, and a lot of older articles online still describe Nevada as a state with no tracking device law. That information is out of date. The Legislature closed the gap in the 2023 session with Assembly Bill 356, largely in response to the explosion of cheap item trackers being used to follow people.

Nevada's New Tracking Law: NRS 200.930

NRS 200.930 sits in Chapter 200 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the chapter covering crimes against the person. That placement says a lot about how the Legislature views secret tracking: not as a property issue, but as a harm to the person being followed.

The crime has three elements. A person must knowingly install, conceal, or otherwise place a mobile tracking device. The device must go in or on the motor vehicle of another person. And the placement must happen without the knowledge and consent of an owner or lessor of that vehicle.

The statute defines a mobile tracking device broadly: any device that permits a person to track the movement or location of another person or object through the transmission of any signal, including a radio or electronic signal. That sweeps in hardwired GPS units, battery-powered magnetic trackers, and Bluetooth item trackers like Apple AirTags and Tile tags.

One important limit: NRS 200.930 is vehicle-specific. It targets devices placed in or on a motor vehicle. Slipping a tracker into someone's purse, backpack, or coat is not covered by this statute, although that conduct can still be charged as stalking under NRS 200.575 if it is part of a course of conduct that puts the victim in fear.

Who Can Legally Track a Vehicle in Nevada

The statute builds its exceptions around one idea: consent from an owner or lessor. That covers more situations than you might expect, but fewer than many people assume.

Owners and co-owners. If your name is on the title, you can consent to a tracker on that vehicle. That includes jointly titled spousal vehicles. If both spouses are on the title, either one is an owner who can consent.

Lessors. A leasing company or other lessor can consent to tracking a vehicle it leases out. This is why rental cars and fleet vehicles routinely carry GPS.

Consumer auto financing is a separate matter, and Nevada regulates it directly. Under NRS 598.9715, a creditor on a retail installment contract, or a long-term lessor on a lease, may not use or install electronic tracking technology on a vehicle bought or leased primarily for personal, family, or household use unless one of two things happens. Either the consumer agrees in writing to the installation and that agreement is optional rather than a required condition of the contract or lease, or the creditor or lessor gives the consumer written notice before signing, in a document separate from the contract, that the vehicle is already equipped with tracking technology. A consumer cannot waive those protections, and a violation is a deceptive trade practice that carries at least $1,000 in statutory damages under NRS 598.9718. The rules do not reach vehicles financed or leased for business use.

Employers that own the vehicle. A company tracking its own trucks and vans is tracking vehicles it owns. That is squarely inside the exception.

Law enforcement. Police may track vehicles when they act in accordance with the United States Constitution, the Nevada Constitution, and state law. After the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Jones (2012), attaching a GPS device to a vehicle is a Fourth Amendment search, so in practice officers obtain a warrant.

Just as important is what Nevada left out. There is no parent exception, no private investigator exception, and no carve-out for suspicious spouses. A parent who owns the car a teenager drives can consent as the owner, but a parent has no special right to track a car titled to the child or to the other parent. Licensed private investigators in Nevada have no statutory authority to plant trackers on vehicles their clients do not own. And a spouse who tracks a car titled solely to the other spouse is inside the statute, not outside it.

Can My Employer Track My Car in Nevada?

It depends entirely on whose car it is.

If you drive a company-owned or company-leased vehicle, your employer can put a GPS unit on it. The employer is the owner or holds the lessor's consent, which is exactly the exception NRS 200.930 provides. Nevada has no statute requiring employers to notify employees about GPS on company vehicles, although clear written policies are standard practice and help avoid disputes.

Your personal car is a different story. An employer that hides a tracker on a vehicle you own, without your knowledge and consent, commits the same crime as anyone else. If an employer wants location data from your personal vehicle, the lawful route is your informed consent, usually through a mileage or dispatch app you agree to install on your phone.

Workplace monitoring questions often run together, so if cameras and audio are also in play, see our guides to surveillance camera laws and Nevada recording laws.

AirTags and Item Trackers

An AirTag dropped into a wheel well or magnet-boxed under a rocker panel is a mobile tracking device under Nevada's definition. The statute does not care that the device cost $29 or that it was marketed for finding keys.

Prosecutors handling AirTag cases in Nevada now have two tools. The device placement itself is chargeable under NRS 200.930. And when the tracking is part of a pattern that would make a reasonable person feel terrorized, frightened, or fearful for their safety, it can support a stalking charge under NRS 200.575. A first stalking offense is a misdemeanor, but aggravated stalking involving threats is a felony, and certain forms of stalking carried out through electronic means carry felony exposure as well.

Federal law adds a third layer. The federal stalking statute, 18 U.S.C. 2261A, covers using an electronic device or service to conduct surveillance that causes fear or substantial emotional distress, including conduct that crosses state lines. Tracking someone from Las Vegas into California or Arizona can become a federal case.

If you get an unknown-tracker alert on your iPhone or Android phone, take it seriously. Those alerts exist because phones now detect unfamiliar trackers moving with you, and they are often the first sign a device has been planted.

Penalties: Escalating With Each Offense

NRS 200.930 uses a three-step penalty ladder. Each new offense climbs a rung.

The felony tier is punished under NRS 193.130, Nevada's general felony sentencing statute, which sets the category C range at one to five years and authorizes a fine of up to $10,000.

Keep in mind that tracking cases rarely arrive alone. A defendant who planted a tracker on an ex-partner's car may face the tracking count, stalking counts, and in domestic violence situations, additional charges and protective order violations stacked on top.

Civil Options and Protective Orders

NRS 200.930 is a criminal statute. It does not contain an express private right of action, so it does not directly hand victims a lawsuit.

But Nevada courts recognize the privacy tort of intrusion upon seclusion. In PETA v. Bobby Berosini, Ltd. (1995), the Nevada Supreme Court set out its elements: an intentional intrusion, physical or otherwise, on the solitude or seclusion of another that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person. That case involved secret backstage videotaping, not GPS tracking, and the court reversed the jury's intrusion award, concluding the week of taping was not highly offensive to a reasonable person. A victim can sue the person who planted the device for damages, and a criminal conviction makes that civil case much stronger.

The faster, more practical tool for most victims is a protective order. NRS 200.591 lets a court issue a temporary order against a person accused of stalking or harassment, followed by an extended order that can last much longer. The order can require the person to stay away from your home, work, and vehicle, and violating it is itself a crime. Our guide to Nevada restraining order laws walks through the process.

What to Do If You Find a Tracker on Your Car

Resist the urge to smash the device. It is evidence, and how you handle it can affect both a criminal case and a protective order petition.

1. Photograph it in place. Take pictures and video of exactly where the device was hidden before touching it.
2. Call the police. Report it to your local department and reference NRS 200.930. Officers can take the device, document serial numbers, and in AirTag cases, seek records identifying the registered owner.
3. Ask about a protective order. If you suspect an ex-partner or anyone who has harassed you, ask the court about a stalking protective order under NRS 200.591.
4. Get a safety plan if the situation is domestic. Advocates at domestic violence programs help with tracker sweeps, phone checks, and planning. If you are in danger, call 911.
5. Check your phone and accounts too. Vehicle trackers often travel with shared phone accounts, location-sharing settings, and login compromises. Audit all of them.

If the tracker turns out to belong to a lender or a rental company, the paperwork you signed or the separate written notice you were given before signing will usually explain it. The criminal statute targets devices placed without an owner's or lessor's knowledge and consent, not disclosed fleet hardware.

Sources

• NRS 200.930, unlawful installation of a mobile tracking device, Nevada Legislature
• NRS 200.575, stalking, Nevada Legislature
• NRS 200.591, temporary and extended protective orders, Nevada Legislature
• NRS 193.130, categories and punishment of felonies, Nevada Legislature
• NRS 598.9715, electronic tracking and starter interruption technology in vehicle sales and leases, Nevada Legislature
• NRS 598.9718, remedies for violations, Nevada Legislature
• United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012), Supreme Court of the United States
• 18 U.S.C. 2261A, federal stalking statute, Legal Information Institute

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on your specific situation. If you are dealing with unwanted tracking or stalking, contact local law enforcement and consult a licensed Nevada attorney.

More Nevada Laws

• Nevada Dashcam Laws
• Nevada Data Privacy Laws
• Nevada Drone Laws
• Nevada Employee Monitoring Laws
• Nevada Recording Laws
• Nevada Restraining Order Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to put a GPS tracker on someone's car in Nevada?

Yes. Since July 1, 2023, NRS 200.930 makes it a crime to knowingly install, conceal, or place a mobile tracking device in or on another person's motor vehicle without the knowledge and consent of an owner or lessor. A first offense is a misdemeanor, and penalties escalate to a category C felony for repeat offenses.

Can I put a tracker on my spouse's car in Nevada?

Only if you are an owner or lessor of that car. If the vehicle is jointly titled, you can consent as a co-owner. If it is titled solely to your spouse, placing a hidden tracker is a crime under NRS 200.930, and it can also support stalking charges and a protective order.

Can a parent track their child's car in Nevada?

A parent who owns or co-owns the vehicle can consent to a tracker as the owner. Nevada's statute has no separate parent exception, so a parent has no special right to track a car titled to the child alone or to the other parent.

Can a private investigator legally place a GPS tracker in Nevada?

Not without owner or lessor consent. NRS 200.930 contains no exception for licensed private investigators. A PI can lawfully track a vehicle only when the client is an owner or lessor of that vehicle and consents.

Is tracking someone with an AirTag illegal in Nevada?

Placing an AirTag in or on another person's vehicle without an owner's consent fits NRS 200.930, because the statute defines a mobile tracking device broadly. Using any tracker as part of a pattern that frightens the victim can also be charged as stalking under NRS 200.575 and under the federal stalking statute, 18 U.S.C. 2261A.

Can a car dealer or lender require a GPS tracker on a financed car in Nevada?

Not as a required condition. Under NRS 598.9715, a creditor on a retail installment contract or a long-term lessor may install or use electronic tracking technology on a consumer vehicle only if the consumer agrees in writing and that agreement is optional rather than a required condition of the deal, or the consumer receives written notice before signing, in a document separate from the contract, that the vehicle is already equipped with the technology. The consumer cannot waive these protections, and a violation is a deceptive trade practice.

Can my employer track a vehicle I drive for work in Nevada?

Yes, if the employer owns or leases the vehicle. Nevada has no statute requiring notice to employees, though written policies are standard. An employer cannot hide a tracker on your personal car without your consent as the owner.

Can I sue someone for tracking my car in Nevada?

NRS 200.930 does not create an express civil claim, but Nevada recognizes the intrusion upon seclusion privacy tort, whose elements the Nevada Supreme Court set out in PETA v. Bobby Berosini. Victims can sue for damages and can also seek a stalking protective order under NRS 200.591.

What should I do if I find a tracker on my car in Nevada?

Photograph the device where it was hidden, leave it intact as evidence, and report it to local police citing NRS 200.930. If you suspect a specific person, ask the court about a stalking protective order, and get help from a domestic violence advocate if the situation involves a current or former partner.