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
Wisconsin is a one-party consent state. Under Wis. Stat. § 968.31 you may record a wire, oral, or electronic communication if you're a party or one party consents — unless it's to commit a crime or tort. Recording others' communications without consent is a felony.
Public conversations with no reasonable expectation of privacy are different. The federal overlay still applies.
Wis. Stat. § 968.31Recording law enforcement
Recording on-duty police in public is protected by the First Amendment — Wisconsin sits in the Seventh 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
Wisconsin has no statute written only for GPS trackers, but secretly tracking someone can be charged under the stalking law (Wis. Stat. § 940.32). Tracking a vehicle you own is generally fine; secretly tracking someone else can be criminal. Treat non-consensual tracking as a lawyer question.
Wis. Stat. § 940.32Private-investigator licensing
Wisconsin requires a state license to work as a private detective, under Wis. Stat. § 440.26, through the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). Applicants must meet requirements, post a bond, and pass a background check.
Wis. Stat. § 440.26 · Regulator: Wisconsin DSPSOut-of-state investigator reciprocity
Wisconsin's DSPS doesn't publish a general reciprocity license we could confirm — an investigator licensed elsewhere normally needs Wisconsin licensure to work here. Confirm current terms with DSPS before working a Wisconsin case.
Hidden cameras in private areas
Capturing an intimate representation of a person — a nude or partially nude image — without their knowledge and consent, where they reasonably expect privacy, is a felony in Wisconsin (Wis. Stat. § 942.09). Hidden cameras in bedrooms, bathrooms, and changing areas are off-limits.
Wis. Stat. § 942.09Cameras 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 § 942.09 — and remember audio follows the one-party recording law. Recording others' private conversations you're not part of can be unlawful.
Wis. Stat. §§ 942.09, 968.31Doorbell & 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
Wisconsin'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.
Wis. Stat. § 968.31Drone surveillance
Wisconsin has a drone statute: Wis. Stat. § 942.10 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to use a drone with intent to photograph, record, or observe another person in a place 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.
Wis. Stat. § 942.10 · FAA airspace rulesNeed this handled the right way in Wisconsin?
A licensed Wisconsin investigator knows these lines and how to gather evidence that holds up. A directory to match you with one is on the way.
What to expect →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 Wisconsin Codes and consult a licensed Wisconsin attorney before recording, tracking, installing cameras, or gathering evidence.