Location Monitoring Technology (GPS) Devices... Are They Legal?

Believe it or not, Location Monitoring Technology (GPS) are legal for Private Investigators to use in South Carolina. We have all heard that police departments must have a court order to use Location Monitoring Technology (GPS). That is correct, but a licensed private investigator in South Carolina is does not need a court order.

There are certain rules that must be followed and they are:

• The GPS device must use its own power supply.
• The device may not be placed on the vehicle while the vehicle is parked on the subject’s private property.
• The device may not be permanently attached to the vehicle.

Location Monitoring Technology (GPS) devices actually make surveillance safer and it enables the client to receive more of a “bang for their buck”. Before modern technology was available surveillance was a guessing game. A typical normal surveillance consisted of two investigators and what was known as “leap frog surveillance”. Luck also played a huge part of the surveillance regardless of how good the investigators were. One poorly timed red light could ruin many hours of diligent surveillance. Imagine following someone from Greenville, SC to Atlanta GA and then losing them in traffic because of one red light. Now it seems half of the battle is getting the device on the vehicle and the rest is elementary. Technology has really changed the way private investigations are conducted.

Contact us and we can find the answers you are looking for... (864) 915-2833

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