Utah Recording, Tracking & Surveillance Laws

At a glance

Adult subject — e.g., a spouse

Your own minor child

As a parent you generally have broad authority to monitor your own minor child — especially on a phone, computer, or vehicle you own or provide. The gray area is recording the child's conversations with other people, where wiretap law and the “vicarious consent” doctrine come in and outcomes vary — and if you're co-parenting, custody orders and the other parent's rights matter. Those are marked “seek legal advice.”

General (any subject)

Recording & consent

Utah is a one-party consent state. Under Utah Code § 77-23a-4 you may record a wire, electronic, or oral communication if you're a party or one party consents — unless it's for a criminal or tortious purpose. Recording others' private communications without consent is a third-degree felony, with a $10,000 civil floor.

Public statements with no reasonable expectation of privacy fall outside the statute. The federal overlay still applies.

Recording law enforcement

Recording on-duty police in public is protected by the First Amendment — Utah sits in the Tenth Circuit — as long as you don't physically interfere. One-party consent means openly recording a public encounter you're part of raises no wiretap problem.

GPS & vehicle tracking

Utah has no statute written only for GPS trackers, but secretly tracking someone can be charged under the stalking law (Utah Code § 76-5-106.5). Tracking a vehicle you own is generally fine; secretly tracking someone else can be criminal. Treat non-consensual tracking as a lawyer question.

Private-investigator licensing

Utah requires a state license to work as a private investigator. Under the Private Investigation Licensing Act (Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 92), the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) regulates PI agencies, agents, and apprentices (the DOPL framework took effect in 2026). Applicants meet experience and background requirements.

Out-of-state investigator reciprocity

Utah's PI licensing framework is newly consolidated under DOPL, and it doesn't publish a general reciprocity license we could confirm. An investigator licensed elsewhere should verify current requirements with DOPL before working a Utah case.

Hidden cameras in private areas

Using any technology — including a hidden camera — to secretly record a person's body where they reasonably expect privacy, without consent, is voyeurism in Utah (Utah Code § 76-9-702.7). Hidden cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms, and changing areas are off-limits.

Cameras in your own home / nanny cams

You can put cameras in your own home, including nanny cams in common areas. The limits: don't aim a camera at a space a guest, tenant, or worker would reasonably treat as private (a bathroom, or a live-in caregiver's bedroom) — that risks the voyeurism statute — and remember audio follows the one-party recording law. Recording others' private conversations you're not part of can be unlawful.

Doorbell & outdoor cameras

A doorbell or outdoor camera covering your own porch, yard, or the street is fine — no reasonable expectation of privacy in public view. Trouble starts if you point a camera into a neighbor's window or fenced yard, or capture private conversations you're not part of. Aim at your property, not through someone else's walls.

Workplace & employee recording

Utah's one-party consent rule applies at work: someone who is part of a conversation may record it. Secretly recording conversations you're not part of runs into the interception statute. Employers who monitor email or work systems should give clear notice, and federal workplace rules can apply.

Drone surveillance

Utah's voyeurism statute expressly covers drones: Utah Code § 76-9-702.7 makes it an offense to use any technology, including an unmanned aircraft system, to secretly record a person where they reasonably expect privacy. Using a drone to spy is a crime; general flight and filming from public vantage points remain legal. FAA rules govern the airspace.

See an error or an out-of-date citation? Please let us know.

General legal information only, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by reading it. Statutes and their interpretation change; entries may be incomplete or outdated. We disclaim all warranties and any liability for reliance on this page. Confirm the current law at the official Utah Codes and consult a licensed Utah attorney before recording, tracking, installing cameras, or gathering evidence.