The "Locate" That Could Cost You Everything: Why Florida PIs Must Never Use GPS Trackers Illegal

It starts with a frantic client. Maybe it’s a husband convinced his wife is cheating, or a business partner suspecting embezzlement. They are desperate, emotional, and they want answers now. They ask the question every private investigator has heard a thousand times:

"Can't you just slap a GPS tracker on their car so we know where they're going?"

In that moment, you have a choice. You can be the professional who explains the law, or you can be the "cowboy" who takes the risk for a quick payday.

If you choose the latter, you aren't just risking a fine. You are risking your license, your freedom, and your entire future. If you don't believe me, ask Michael Eugene Hearing.

The cautionary Tale of Michael Eugene Hearing

Michael Hearing isn't some rookie kid playing detective. He is a 58-year-old former city police officer turned private investigator in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He knows the system. He knows how investigations work. And as of late 2025, he is facing a nightmare that should send a chill down the spine of every PI in the country.

According to court documents and reports from The Tuscaloosa Thread, a woman in Tuscaloosa began suspecting her ex-boyfriend was following her. Her intuition was right, but the method was more insidious than just a car tailing her. In June 2025, she discovered a tracking device hidden on her SUV.

Police investigators traced the device. It wasn't registered to the ex-boyfriend. It was registered to Michael Eugene Hearing.

Hearing was arrested and charged with first-degree electronic stalking, a serious felony. But the fallout didn't stop at a new charge. Hearing was already on probation for a 2023 conviction involving second-degree assault (a plea deal down from much more serious sex crime charges). Because of this new arrest involving the GPS tracker, the Alabama Attorney General filed a motion to revoke his probation.

He is now looking at the potential of years in prison. All because he allegedly used a piece of technology that costs less than $50 to do a job that required patience, skill, and legality.

You might be thinking, "That’s Alabama. I operate in Florida. Surely it's different here."

You’re right. It is different. In Florida, it’s arguably worse.

The Florida Statute That Will End Your Career: § 934.425

Florida legislators have zero tolerance for electronic stalking, and they have written the laws to ensure there are no loopholes for "professionals" who think they are above the rules.

The relevant statute is Florida Statute § 934.425.

If you are a licensed Private Investigator in Florida, you need to memorize this statute. Print it out. Tape it to your office wall. Because ignoring it is a felony.

The Core of the Law

As of the latest amendments effective October 1, 2025, the law is crystal clear. It is illegal to knowingly install a tracking device or tracking application on another person’s property without that person’s consent.

Specifically, the statute criminalizes:

1. Installing or placing a tracking device on another person's property.

2. Using that device to monitor their location.

The "Felony" Upgrade

For years, this offense was a second-degree misdemeanor. Many PIs shrugged it off as a "cost of doing business"—a slap on the wrist if they got caught.

Those days are over.

Under the amended 2025 guidelines, violations of this statute have been elevated. Depending on the circumstances—specifically if the tracking is linked to stalking, domestic violence injunctions, or credible threats—it is a third-degree felony.

A third-degree felony in Florida is punishable by:

• Up to 5 years in prison.

• Up to $5,000 in fines.

• Permanent loss of your Class "C" Private Investigator license.

• Permanent loss of your Class "A" Agency license.

Imagine explaining to your family that you are going to prison for five years because a client paid you $500 to stick an Apple AirTag on a Honda Civic. It is simply not worth it.

The "But I'm a PI" Myth

Here is the most dangerous misconception in our industry: "I have a PI license, so I have special privileges."

Let me be perfectly clear: No, you do not.

Florida Statute § 934.425(4)(d) does mention private investigators, but not in the way "cowboy" investigators hope. It says the law does not apply to:

"A person engaged in private investigation, as defined in s. 493.6101, on behalf of another person unless such activities would otherwise be exempt under this subsection if performed by the person engaging the private investigator."

Read that bold part again.

It means you only have the same rights as your client. You cannot do for them what they cannot legally do for themselves.

• Scenario A: A husband owns a car jointly with his wife. He asks you to put a tracker on it. Since he is an owner, he can legally consent to the installation (provided there are no pending divorce filings or injunctions). In this specific case, you might be in the clear to install it for him.

• Scenario B: A boyfriend wants to track his girlfriend's car. The car is in her name only. He cannot legally install a tracker on it. Therefore, YOU cannot legally install a tracker on it.

  
  

If you install that device, you are not acting as a professional investigator. You are acting as a proxy for a stalker. You are a hired criminal.

The "Revoked Consent" Trap

The 2025 legal landscape has introduced another trap door for PIs: Implied Revocation of Consent.

Let's go back to Scenario A. The husband owns the car jointly with the wife. He hires you to install the tracker. You think you're safe.

But what if, two days later, the wife files for divorce? Or files a petition for a domestic violence injunction?

Under Florida's new legal interpretations, the moment those papers are filed, consent is revoked by operation of law. Even if the husband is on the title, he may no longer have the right to monitor her movements electronically.

If you leave that device on the car, you are now committing a felony.

Do you check the court docket every single morning for every subject you are surveilling? If the answer is no, you are playing Russian Roulette with your freedom.

Why The Risk Is Never Worth It

Michael Hearing's story in Tuscaloosa is a tragedy for his family and a black eye for our profession. He was a former cop. He had a career. Now, he is a "felon" in the headlines, his mugshot is on the internet, and his credibility is destroyed.

When a client asks you to break the law, they are asking you to sacrifice your life for their momentary peace of mind.

• They aren't going to visit you in prison.

• They aren't going to pay your legal bills when the state revokes your license.

• They aren't going to hire you when you're a convicted felon who can't even carry a firearm.

  
  

The Professional Alternative

So, what do you tell that desperate client?

You tell them the truth. You tell them that real investigation isn't about lazy shortcuts like GPS trackers.

• Real investigation is physical surveillance—sitting in the hot car for 12 hours, peeing in a bottle, and keeping your eyes on the target.

• Real investigation is open-source intelligence (OSINT)—digging through digital footprints to find patterns.

• Real investigation is doing the work that stands up in court, not the work that gets the case thrown out and the investigator arrested.

If a client walks away because you won't break the law, let them walk. They were never a client; they were a liability.

Don't be a Michael Hearing. Don't be a headline. Know the statute. Respect the law. Protect your license.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Locaters International does not give or provide legal advice; we are private investigators, not lawyers. Laws regarding surveillance and privacy are subject to change, and vary by State or jurisdiction. Always consult with a qualified attorney regarding specific legal questions in your jurisdiction.