GPS tracking without a warrant
United States v. Jones
In brief
The Supreme Court agreed with the appeals court: putting a GPS tracker on Jones's vehicle and using it to follow the vehicle was a Fourth Amendment search.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · January 23, 2012 · Opinion by Justice Scalia
- What it’s about
- The Supreme Court ruled that the government’s attachment of a GPS tracker to Antoine Jones’s vehicle and use of it to monitor the vehicle’s movements was a search under the Fourth Amendment. It agreed with the lower court (affirmed its ruling).
- Who it affects
- For Jones, attaching the GPS device to his vehicle and using it to monitor the vehicle counted as a Fourth Amendment search.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The government installed a GPS tracker on Jones's Jeep without a valid warrant or his consent, then monitored its movements for four weeks.
The dispute concerned how the Fourth Amendment applies when the government attaches a device to a car to track its movements over time.
Question presented
Did the warrantless use of a tracking device on Jones's vehicle to monitor its movements on public streets violate Jones' Fourth Amendment rights?
What the Court decided
Holding
The Government’s attachment of the GPS device to the vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle’s movements, constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. 615 F. 3d 544, affirmed.
- Result
- Affirmed
The Court's reasoning
The Court focused on the government's physical attachment of a tracker to Jones's car to get information; it treated that physical intrusion as a search under the Fourth Amendment.
The vote
- Joined the judgment
- Concurred in a separate opinion
- Wrote an opinion
- Majority · 5joined the Court's opinion
What's next
The appeals court's ruling remains in place in Jones's case. The Supreme Court's review is complete.
Documents
Opinions
Audio
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
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AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Audio Recording added: Oral Arguments - Jones
Opinion added: Jones
More questions
- Did the Court rule that every kind of GPS tracking is unlawful?
- No. It decided that attaching and using a GPS device on Jones's vehicle was a search; it did not say that every form of GPS tracking is unlawful.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.