Vermont 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

Vermont is unique: it has no wiretap or eavesdropping statute at all. No Vermont criminal law generally bars recording conversations, so the default is federal one-party consent (18 U.S.C. § 2511) — a participant may record. But Vermont courts protect privacy through the state constitution: in State v. Geraw, the Vermont Supreme Court held Article 11 bars warrantless secret in-home audio recording (a rule aimed at government actors).

Because there's no statute, treat covert recording of clearly private conversations cautiously. The federal overlay still applies.

Recording law enforcement

Recording on-duty police in public is protected by the First Amendment — Vermont sits in the Second Circuit — as long as you don't physically interfere. With no state wiretap statute, openly recording a public encounter raises no interception problem.

GPS & vehicle tracking

Vermont has no statute written only for GPS trackers, but secretly tracking someone can be charged under the stalking law (13 V.S.A. § 1062). 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

Vermont requires a state license to work as a private investigator, under 26 V.S.A. Chapter 59 (Private Investigative and Security Services), through the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), Secretary of State. Applicants need qualifying experience and must pass a background check.

Out-of-state investigator reciprocity

Vermont's OPR doesn't publish a general reciprocity license we could confirm — an investigator licensed elsewhere normally needs Vermont licensure to work here. Confirm current terms with the Office of Professional Regulation before working a Vermont case.

Hidden cameras in private areas

Intentionally surveilling, photographing, filming, or recording a person without consent where they reasonably expect privacy — within a home or residence — is a crime in Vermont (13 V.S.A. § 2605). The statute exempts bona fide private investigators and security guards acting lawfully within their employment. Hidden cameras in private areas are otherwise 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 § 2605 — and remember that even without a state wiretap statute, capturing others' clearly private conversations can raise constitutional and civil issues.

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. Aim at your property, not through someone else's walls.

Workplace & employee recording

Vermont has no wiretap statute, so federal one-party consent governs workplace recording — a participant may record. But secretly recording others' clearly private conversations can raise civil and constitutional issues. Employers who monitor email or work systems should give clear notice, and federal workplace rules apply.

Drone surveillance

Vermont regulates law-enforcement drone use (Act 169 of 2016 requires a warrant), but has no dedicated statute governing private drone surveillance. A drone used to spy into a home can be reached by the surveillance statute (13 V.S.A. § 2605) and trespass law. General flight and filming from public vantage points remain legal; treat drone surveillance of people as a lawyer question. 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 Vermont Codes and consult a licensed Vermont attorney before recording, tracking, installing cameras, or gathering evidence.