When GPS devices hit the market they made a huge splash, and people immediately started to think about all the possibilities for them. Amongst many of those ideas, came the thought of being able to track people, vehicles, and others of the same. This has become a pretty hot topic as of late, because people are not taking the proper precautions before doing they place their tracking devices. Like all things, there are laws that you really need to be aware of to make sure you are keeping everything on a completely legal level. So here are a few things you should know before proceeding.
Let’s first discuss the things that are completely within the bounds of legality of use for your GPS device. This goes without saying, it is completely fine for you to use a tracking device in any vehicle that you own. This will allow you to keep track of your vehicle in case it gets stolen. This can also work with commercial vehicles, as long as you or your organization own the vehicle. This is an area where people sometimes throw up red flags. Mainly if you’re employee doesn’t like the fact that his whereabouts in your vehicle are being tracked. It may not be too appealing to them, but is well withing your rights to do.
Along the same lines as the previous laws, this one applies to a vehicle that you might not actually own. You are able to use a GPS tracking device to track the whereabouts of a vehicle for the means of legal repossession. So if you work for a company that someone has defaulted on a loan with, you can use these devices to help track down the vehicle in question. One more area that you shouldn’t have any problem using a tracking device for, is your children. Children might think they have all the rights in the world, but as long as they are under the age of 18, it is perfectly legal for you to fit them with the tracking security belt.
Areas where you can’t use tracking devices are as follows. It goes without question that you can’t track any vehicle you do not legally own. This is a sure fire way to end up in some serious hot water. The last major illegal element of these devices, comes in the form of trying to track a girlfriend, wife, or any significant other. This is a clear violation of their rights, and you could be help accountable to the fullest extent of the law. If you are unsure if what you are wanting to do is legal or not, ask. It’s something we’ve all been told since we were kids. Call your local law enforcement office and ask what is in the proper bounds of legality, and you will be fine.