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

Wyoming takes a different path from most states. There is no standalone law against attaching a GPS tracker to someone else's car, but the state's stalking statute calls out GPS surveillance by name.

Since the legislature overhauled the law in 2019, Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506 has expressly covered using "any electronic, digital or global positioning system device" to place another person under surveillance without that person's authorization. When the tracking is done with intent to harass, it is a crime. And under the wrong circumstances, it is a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison.

This guide explains how Wyoming's stalking law applies to vehicle trackers, who can track a car legally, what the penalties look like, and what to do if you find a device on your vehicle. It is part of our GPS Tracking Laws by State series.

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

If the vehicle is yours, yes. You can put a tracker on a car titled in your name, and you can authorize tracking of anyone who consents.

If the vehicle belongs to someone else, Wyoming law looks at why you are tracking. The state never passed a device-placement statute, so the physical act of attaching a tracker is not, by itself, a listed crime. What the law targets is the surveillance: monitoring another person's location electronically, without their authorization, with intent to harass them.

That intent element is the dividing line. A lender tracking collateral or a parent tracking a teenager is not trying to cause anyone substantial distress or fear. A jealous ex secretly following a former partner's movements through a hidden tracker is. The first situation falls outside the statute. The second one is exactly what the legislature wrote it for.

Wyoming's Stalking Law Names GPS Surveillance (Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506)

Wyoming's stalking statute, Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506, makes it a crime to engage, with intent to harass another person, in a course of conduct reasonably likely to harass that person.

The statute then lists examples of qualifying conduct. Subsection (b)(iv) covers "using any electronic, digital or global positioning system device or other electronic means to place another person under surveillance or to surveil another person's internet or wireless activity without authorization from the other person."

That language, added in the 2019 rewrite of the statute, puts GPS trackers, AirTags, phone tracking apps, and spyware squarely inside the stalking law. Wyoming is one of the states that names GPS surveillance instead of leaving prosecutors to argue about generic terms like "following."

Two defined terms control how the statute works in practice.

"Course of conduct" means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over any period of time evidencing a continuity of purpose. A single act is generally not enough. But a hidden tracker rarely produces a single act. Every day the device reports the victim's location is part of an ongoing pattern, and prosecutors can combine the tracking with texts, drive-bys, and unwanted appearances to build the pattern.

"Harass" means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that the defendant knew or should have known would cause a reasonable person substantial emotional distress, substantial fear for their safety or the safety of another, or substantial fear for the destruction of their property.

Put together: secretly tracking someone's car as part of a pattern meant to intimidate, monitor, or frighten them is criminal stalking in Wyoming. Tracking with the person's authorization, or for a purpose that has nothing to do with harassing them, is not.

Who CAN Legally Track a Vehicle in Wyoming

Some tracking never gets near the stalking statute:

• Your own vehicle. A car titled in your name is yours to track, including one driven by a family member.
• Tracking with authorization. The GPS clause only applies to surveillance "without authorization from the other person." Consent takes the conduct outside the statute.
• Fleet and business vehicles. Companies can track vehicles they own or lease.
• Lenders and dealers. Financing and buy-here-pay-here agreements often include written consent to a GPS unit for repossession purposes. Wyoming has no statute regulating these devices, so the contract controls.
• Law enforcement. In United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012), the Supreme Court held that attaching a GPS device to a vehicle and monitoring its movements is a Fourth Amendment search.

Note what is missing: Wyoming's statute has no express carve-outs for private investigators, parents, or repossession agents. Those actors are protected only by the intent-to-harass element. A parent tracking a minor child's car is on solid ground. A private investigator hired by a suspicious spouse to plant a tracker on a car the client does not own is in genuinely risky territory, because the surveillance is unauthorized and a jury decides what the intent was.

Can My Employer Track My Car in Wyoming?

Wyoming has no statute regulating employer GPS tracking. No law requires notice, consent, or any limit on when monitoring happens.

Company-owned vehicles are the straightforward case. An employer can track its own property, and the stalking statute does not reach asset tracking done for business reasons.

Your personal vehicle is different. An employer who secretly planted a tracker on an employee's own car would have a hard time calling that authorized surveillance, and it invites civil claims even if no prosecutor ever touches it. In practice, employers that want mileage or dispatch data from personal vehicles use apps installed with written consent. If your employer asks for that, get the policy in writing and confirm the tracking is limited to work time.

AirTags and Item Trackers

Apple AirTags, Tiles, and similar Bluetooth trackers are covered by the same statutory language as hardwired GPS units. Subsection (b)(iv) reaches "any electronic, digital or global positioning system device or other electronic means," which comfortably includes a coin-sized Bluetooth tag dropped in a door pocket.

Phone-level protections are often a victim's first warning. iPhones alert you when an unknown AirTag is traveling with you, and modern Android phones have built-in unknown tracker alerts. Take those alerts seriously and document them, because each alert is evidence of ongoing surveillance.

AirTag stalking can also be charged federally. The federal stalking statute, 18 U.S.C. 2261A, covers using an electronic device to surveil someone in ways that cause fear or substantial emotional distress, and federal prosecutors have used it in AirTag cases.

Penalties for GPS Stalking in Wyoming

The misdemeanor-to-felony jump is steep, and the triggers matter for tracking victims. Stalking becomes a felony punishable by up to 10 years if any of the following applies:

1. Repeat offense. The acts occurred within 5 years of the offender completing the sentence, including incarceration, parole, and probation, for a prior stalking conviction in Wyoming or under a substantially similar law elsewhere.
2. Serious bodily harm. The defendant caused serious bodily harm to the victim or another person in conjunction with the stalking.
3. Violation of supervision. The stalking violated any condition of probation, parole, or bail.
4. Violation of a protection order. The stalking violated a temporary or permanent order of protection issued under W.S. 7-3-508, 7-3-509, 35-21-104, or 35-21-105, or a similar order from another state.
5. Minor victim. The stalking was committed against a minor by a defendant who is at least 18 years old.

The protection order trigger is the one victims can activate themselves. Once an order is in place, continued tracking is no longer a misdemeanor question.

Civil Options and Protection Orders

Wyoming has a civil statute written for exactly this situation. W.S. 1-1-126, titled "Civil liability for stalking," lets a person who is the victim of stalking as defined by Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506 bring a civil action against the individual who engaged in that course of conduct and recover the damages it caused. The court may also award exemplary damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and the costs of the action. Because unauthorized GPS surveillance is listed conduct under 6-2-506(b)(iv), a tracking victim's claim sits inside this statute rather than in untested general tort law.

Two features make it practical. A civil action may be maintained whether or not the person has been charged or convicted under 6-2-506, so you are not waiting on a prosecutor's charging decision. And neither the pendency nor the termination of the civil case prevents a criminal prosecution, so the two tracks can run in parallel.

Common-law claims can be pleaded alongside it. Wyoming courts have had little occasion to develop the intrusion upon seclusion tort that tracking victims use in other states, but trespass to chattels remains available for hardware physically attached to your vehicle.

The practical civil tool is the stalking protection order. Under W.S. 7-3-506 through 7-3-512, a victim of conduct defined by the stalking statute can petition the circuit court for an order of protection. Key features:

• No filing fee and no charge for service of process.
• Fast hearing. The court schedules a hearing within 72 hours of filing, and it can issue an ex parte temporary order in the meantime if there is a clear and present danger of further stalking.
• You do not need a criminal case. The petition can be filed whether or not the stalker has been charged or convicted.
• Real teeth. Per the Wyoming Judicial Branch, orders can last up to 3 years and be extended. Willful violation is a crime, and stalking committed in violation of the order is felony stalking under 6-2-506(e).

Our Wyoming restraining order guide covers the process in detail.

What to Do If You Find a Tracker on Your Car

1. Do not destroy it. The device is evidence, and its serial number can identify the buyer.
2. Photograph everything. Capture the device where you found it, then its markings and serial number.
3. Call local police or the county sheriff. Ask them to document the device and subpoena the account records from the manufacturer.
4. Write down the pattern. Note every time the person showed up where you were or knew things they should not have known. The course-of-conduct element is built on that record.
5. Petition for a stalking protection order. It is free, fast, and converts any further tracking into a felony.
6. Have a mechanic sweep the vehicle. Hardwired trackers hide behind bumpers, under dashboards, and inside wheel wells.

If your situation also involves secret audio or video recording, see our Wyoming recording laws guide and our overview of surveillance camera laws.

Sources

1. Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506, Stalking; penalty (Title 6, Wyoming Statutes)
2. Wyo. Stat. 1-1-126, Civil liability for stalking (Title 1, Wyoming Statutes)
3. Wyo. Stat. 7-3-506 through 7-3-512, Stalking Protection Orders (Title 7, Wyoming Statutes)
4. Wyoming Judicial Branch, Stalking (protection order process and forms)
5. United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012)
6. 18 U.S.C. 2261A, Federal Stalking Statute
7. 18 U.S.C. 3117, Mobile Tracking Devices

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 Wyoming attorney.

More Wyoming Laws

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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

It is illegal when it amounts to stalking. Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506 makes it a crime to use a GPS or other electronic device to place a person under surveillance without their authorization, as part of a course of conduct carried out with intent to harass. There is no separate statute punishing the act of attaching the device by itself.

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

If the car is titled in your name or jointly titled, tracking it is generally lawful. If it is titled solely in your spouse's name and you track them secretly, you are conducting unauthorized electronic surveillance, and if a prosecutor can show intent to harass plus a pattern of conduct, that is criminal stalking. It is also strong evidence in divorce and protection order proceedings.

Is AirTag stalking a crime in Wyoming?

Yes. The statute covers any electronic, digital or global positioning system device, which includes AirTags and other Bluetooth trackers. Using one to monitor a person without authorization as part of a harassing course of conduct is stalking under Wyo. Stat. 6-2-506, and federal charges under 18 U.S.C. 2261A are also possible.

What makes GPS stalking a felony in Wyoming?

Felony stalking, punishable by up to 10 years, applies if the conduct violated a protection order or a condition of probation, parole, or bail, caused serious bodily harm, targeted a minor when the defendant was 18 or older, or occurred within 5 years of the defendant completing a sentence for a prior stalking conviction.

Can my employer track my car in Wyoming?

Wyoming has no employer GPS statute. Employers can freely track company-owned vehicles. Tracking your personal vehicle without consent is not directly regulated, but secret tracking invites civil claims, so employers normally require written consent through a tracking app or device policy.

Do police need a warrant to put a GPS tracker on my car?

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. The Court did not decide whether that search could be reasonable without a warrant, because the government had not raised that argument in the lower court.

How do I get a stalking protection order in Wyoming?

File a petition in the circuit court where you live, where the stalker lives, or where the stalking happened. There is no filing fee, the court holds a hearing within 72 hours, and it can issue an ex parte temporary order immediately if there is a clear and present danger. Standard forms are available from the court clerk or the Wyoming Judicial Branch website.

Can parents legally track their children's cars in Wyoming?

Yes, in practice. Parents tracking a minor child lack the intent to harass the statute requires, and a parent typically owns or controls the vehicle. Wyoming has no statute restricting parental tracking of minors.