United States v. Karo

A plain-English summary from Criminal Defense Resources™, a free resource for pro per/pro se defendants and their families.

General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. This page describes what a court decided in general terms. It does not tell you what to do in any case.

Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Decided: July 3, 1984
Citation: 468 U.S. 705 (1984)
Topics: GPS & Location Tracking Devices Search & Seizure (Fourth Amendment)

What did the court decide?

The Court held that monitoring a beeper inside a private home, in a place not open to visual surveillance, is a Fourth Amendment search that generally requires a warrant.

Why does it matter?

Tracking that reveals information from inside a home is treated very differently from tracking on public roads.

Where can I read the full opinion?

Read the full opinion on Cornell Law School LII →

Always read the full opinion and check whether later cases have limited or changed it. A summary can leave out important details.

Related rulings

Chatrie v. United States (U.S. Supreme Court, 2026)
United States v. Smith (5th Circuit, 2024)
State v. Mixton (Arizona Supreme Court, 2021)
United States v. Cano (9th Circuit, 2019)

General educational information, not legal advice. Not a law firm.