How to check your car for a GPS tracker

Start with your phone, which can detect many Bluetooth trackers in seconds, then check the places hidden trackers usually go: the OBD-II port, bumpers, wheel wells, undercarriage, seats and trunk. If someone dangerous may have put it there, make a safety plan before you remove anything.

Updated November 5, 2026 · Sources linked below

Before you start: safety first

If you suspect an abusive partner or a stalker, removing a tracker can tip them off and destroy evidence. Domestic-violence technology advocates recommend documenting it first and deciding with an advocate or police when to disable it (NNEDV Safety Net, Tech Safety Canada). The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. In an emergency, call 911.

The four kinds of car tracking

1. Bluetooth item trackers (AirTag, Tile, SmartTag): coin-sized, battery-powered and easy to hide.
2. Battery GPS trackers: often a small box with a magnet, stuck to metal under the car.
3. Plug-in or hardwired GPS units: plugged into the OBD-II diagnostic port under the dash or wired into the car's power.
4. Built-in telematics: the car's own connected services, its app, roadside assistance or a "safe driver" program can share location with anyone who has the account (Safety Net).

Step 1: Scan with your phone

iPhone: make sure Bluetooth, Location Services and Tracking Notifications are on, and that the phone isn't in Airplane Mode. iPhones alert you when an unknown AirTag or compatible tracker is moving with you (Apple). Android: go to Settings → Safety & emergency → Unknown tracker alerts → Scan now (Google, Android Authority). Take a drive with the phone in the car, since alerts are based on a tracker moving with you over time.

Step 2: Search the car

Use a flashlight and, ideally, an inspection mirror. Look for anything that doesn't belong: a small box, unfamiliar wires, tape, zip ties or a magnet.

1. OBD-II port, under the dashboard on the driver's side. Anything plugged in that you didn't install is a red flag.
2. Front and rear bumpers: reach up behind the plastic bumper covers.
3. Wheel wells: feel around the inside lip of all four.
4. Undercarriage: frame rails and flat metal surfaces where a magnet would hold.
5. Under and between the seats, seat pockets, the center console and glovebox.
6. Trunk: under the floor mat and in the spare-tire well.
7. Under the hood and behind the grille (Tech Safety Canada).
8. Accounts: who has access to your car's app, shared digital keys, and family location-sharing apps.

Step 3: If you find one

• Photograph it in place before touching it, and note the date and time.
• For an AirTag, hold the top of your iPhone or NFC-capable phone near its white side to open a page with its serial number. Apple's alert flow explains how to disable it (Apple).
• Decide with police or an advocate whether to remove it now or keep it in place while you make a plan (Safety Net).
• Report it to police. Someone hiding a tracker on your car may be committing a crime under state law, and stalking with electronic means can be a federal crime (18 U.S.C. § 2261A).

When to get a professional

A trusted mechanic, police or a private investigator can check places you can't safely reach (Safety Net). Handheld "bug detectors" can help, but trackers that only transmit now and then, or only log data, may not show up on one.

What about police trackers?

The Supreme Court held in United States v. Jones (2012) that police attaching a GPS device to a car and monitoring it is a Fourth Amendment search (Oyez). If you believe police put a device on your car, talk to a criminal defense lawyer before doing anything with it.

Trackers vs. plate-reader cameras

A tracker follows your car everywhere. Plate readers only log your car when it passes a camera, but there are a lot of cameras. See how many mapped readers are on your daily drive.