GPS Tracker Buying Guide Australia: How It Gets Power Decides Everything

By Leo, Product Specialist at Securitylab

Almost every GPS tracker sold does the same thing. What separates them is how they get power, and that single question decides which of the fifty-two models here you should be looking at.

A tracker wired into a vehicle never needs charging and never needs thinking about. One on a magnet under a wheel arch goes anywhere in ten seconds and has to be retrieved and recharged on a cycle you have to remember. One worn by a person is charged like a phone. A Bluetooth tag has no GPS in it at all and costs nothing to run.

Get that decision right first and the rest is detail. Get it wrong and you have a flat tracker on a vehicle you can no longer find.

Before you buy: these are sold for tracking your own vehicles, trailers, equipment and pets, and family members who know about it. Tracking a person without their consent can be an offence in Australia, and listening to a conversation you are not part of is an offence in every state and territory. How a device is used is the buyer's responsibility. Read the section below before you order anything on this page.

Contents

GPS Tracker or Bluetooth Tag

Two completely different products sold under similar words, and buying the wrong one is the most expensive mistake on this page.

A GPS tracker knows where it is. It reads its position from satellites and reports it over the mobile network. It works anywhere with coverage, updates on a schedule you set, and needs a SIM and a data plan.

A Bluetooth tag has no idea where it is. It sits there broadcasting, and waits for somebody else's phone running Apple Find My or Google Find Hub to walk past, notice it, and report the location. No SIM, no plan, no charging beyond a coin cell.

The rule that decides it

A tag works in proportion to how many phones pass through the area. In a suburb, a school route, a car park, a city street, the Find My network is dense and a tag performs remarkably well for nothing per month. On a country road, a farm, a bush block or an industrial estate at night, there are no phones to borrow and a tag will tell you nothing.

So the question is not what you are tracking. It is where the thing goes when it goes missing.

How It Gets Power, Which Decides Everything Else

Five answers, and each one rules out most of the range.

Hardwired into the vehicle

Wired to the loom, usually behind the dash. Never needs charging, cannot be knocked off, and the good ones carry a backup battery so they keep reporting if the power is cut, which is exactly what a thief does first. The cost is installation: this is an auto electrician's job unless you are comfortable with vehicle wiring.

Buy hardwired when the tracker lives in one vehicle permanently and you never want to think about it again.

OBD2, plugged into the diagnostic port

Every car built since the mid-2000s has an OBD2 port under the dash. The tracker plugs in, takes power from it, and works in about ten seconds with no tools. It also moves between vehicles just as fast.

Buy OBD2 when you want vehicle power without an install, or the tracker needs to move between cars. The trade is that it is visible to anyone who looks in the footwell.

Battery and magnet

The largest group. A sealed unit with a strong magnet that attaches to anything ferrous in seconds, with no install and no wiring. Battery capacity runs from 3000mAh to 20000mAh and decides how long between retrievals.

Buy magnetic when the tracker has to go on something quickly, or on something with no wiring to use, such as a trailer, a machine or a container.

Worn or carried

Personal trackers and watches, charged like a phone every few days. Built around a person rather than a vehicle, which is why they carry SOS buttons and two-way calling rather than ignition alerts.

A coin cell, or nothing at all

The Bluetooth tags. A replaceable cell that lasts about a year and no charging.

The Battery Numbers, and Why They Disagree So Wildly

You will see the same tracker quoted at 440 days on one line of a spec sheet and a month or two on another. Both are true. They are measuring different things and this is the single most misread specification in the category.

Real-time mode against sleep mode

  • Real time means the tracker holds a live connection and reports every few seconds. This is what you want while something is being stolen, and it burns battery fast: in this mode a battery unit lasts days or weeks, not months.
  • Sleep or standby means the tracker wakes on a schedule, reports once, and goes back to sleep. VIM-GPS4G-22 quotes up to 440 days in deep sleep.

The number you should buy on is neither. It is how long the tracker lasts at the reporting interval you actually intend to use. A tracker reporting every ten minutes sits somewhere between the two quoted figures, usually far closer to the shorter one.

Set the interval before you deploy it

Almost every unit here lets you choose. One report a day for an asset that should not be moving. Ten minutes for a work vehicle. Every ten seconds when something is actually happening, which is a mode you switch into rather than live in.

A useful habit: set the interval, charge it fully, deploy it, then check the battery after a week and multiply. That tells you the real retrieval cycle for your settings, which no specification can.

Two ways around the problem entirely

On a vehicle, hardwiring removes the question completely. For a battery unit you cannot easily retrieve, a 20000mAh power bank lets you recharge it where it sits rather than bringing it in.

A collage of Vimel 4G GPS trackers showing OBD2 plug in, hardwired and magnetic battery models

Quick Picks

Best for one vehicle, permanently: VIM-GPS101G, $259

Hardwired and dual band, which is the feature worth paying for. L1 and L5 reception is harder to jam and less thrown by signals bouncing between tall buildings, and an inertial sensor keeps estimating position in tunnels and underground car parks where no satellite reaches, which is exactly where a stolen vehicle goes. Positioning is quoted to under 1.5 metres.

Do not buy this one if you are not having it installed. It is a wiring job.

Best without an install: VIM-OBD2B, $179

Plugs into the diagnostic port, takes vehicle power, works in seconds and moves between cars just as fast. Live listening built in.

Do not buy this one if you want it out of sight. Anyone who glances into the footwell will see it.

Largest rechargeable battery in the range: VIM-GPS4G-22, $229

20000mAh on a magnet, quoted at up to 440 days in deep sleep. For a trailer, a container, a boat or a machine that should not be moving, this is the one you fit and forget.

Do not buy this one if you need continuous real-time reporting. That figure is a sleep-mode number.

Best for a child or an older person: VIM-4GPSP6, $189

A 4G watch, five to seven days per charge, with two-way calling and an SOS button rather than only an alert. The difference matters: a button that sends a location is useful, a voice call to you is what a frightened person actually needs. Heart rate, step count and medication reminders are built in.

Do not buy this one if the person will not wear a watch. VIM-GPSLUX5 also has two-way calling and SOS, and charges on a dock.

Best pet tracker: VIM-PET7, $249

Fifteen days of battery with live monitoring, which is roughly five times what most collar trackers manage and the difference between a device you charge fortnightly and one you charge every third day and eventually stop bothering with.

Do not buy this one if the animal is a cat in a dense suburb. A Find My tag pack costs $69 for two and nothing per month.

Cheapest way in: VIM-TAG, $35

$35, no SIM, no plan, replaceable coin cell, works with Apple Find My and Google Find Hub. For keys, a bag or a laptop case in a populated area it is all most people need.

Do not buy this one if the thing goes somewhere without people. It has no GPS in it.

A Bluetooth locator tag shown beside two 4G GPS watch trackers

Bluetooth Find My Tags

Eight products, $35 to $69, all working on Apple Find My and Google Find Hub with no SIM and no monthly cost. The two-packs pair the same tag with a purpose-made holder, and VIM-SMARTCARD is the same idea pressed into a 1.7mm card that lives in a wallet slot and recharges on a wireless pad instead of taking a coin cell.

SKU Price Holder What it suits
VIM-TAG $35 Bare tag Keys, bags, luggage. Replaceable coin cell View
VIM-SMARTCARD $49 Card, 1.7mm A wallet, a passport sleeve or a laptop bag. Rechargeable on a wireless pad, up to 10 months a charge View
VIM-TAG-A1 $60 Keyring, 2 pack Two sets of keys View
VIM-TAG-P1 $60 Dog collar mount, 2 pack Two dogs. Silicone mounts that slide onto the collar they already wear View
VIM-TAG-K9 $65 Sport loop, 2 pack Bags, gear, kit. An item finder, not a personal safety device View
VIM-TAG-P9 $69 Cat collar, 2 pack Two cats. Breakaway buckle, bell, reflective strip View
VIM-TAG-A37 $69 Waterproof screw-close case, 2 pack A bike, a toolbox, a vehicle or gear that gets wet View
VIM-TAG-K4 $69 Wristband, 2 pack Wearing a tag on the wrist. An item finder, not a personal safety device View

Swipe the table sideways to see every column. Prices are the Securitylab Australia range in October 2026, including GST, and change; the product pages are current.

Hardwired Trackers

Wired into the vehicle, so charging never comes up. The ones with a backup battery matter more than they look: a thief who finds the tracker will cut its power, and a backup cell means it keeps reporting for long enough to matter.

VIM-GPS101G is the one worth understanding. Dual band means it receives two satellite bands, L1 and L5, rather than one, which makes it harder to jam and more accurate in city streets with tall buildings either side. Tunnels and underground car parks block satellites altogether, and there an inertial sensor keeps estimating position until the signal returns. Those are precisely the places a single-band tracker drops out, and precisely where a stolen vehicle ends up.

SKU Price Install Notes
HARDWIRE $29 Accessory Fused 12V and 24V hardwire kit for a tracker or dash camera View
VIM-GPSMINI4 $139 Hardwired, 200mAh backup Small body, remote immobiliser relay, ACC ignition sensing View
VIM-MINI2-4G $169 Hardwired, 10 to 100V, 200mAh backup Live listening, optional fuel cut-off, geofence 1 to 99km View
MAS-GPS4G-B $189 Hardwired, 12 to 36V, 700mAh backup SOS, speed and motion alerts, geofencing View
VIM-GPS4G-B2 $189 Hardwired, 12 to 36V, 700mAh backup External 4G antenna, several vehicles under one login View
VIM-4GPS22 $249 Hardwired, 9 to 90V, 60mAh backup Harsh acceleration, braking and cornering alerts, remote immobilisation View
VIM-GPS101G $259 Hardwired, 9 to 30V Dual band L1 and L5, an inertial sensor for tunnels, fuel cut-off View

OBD2 Trackers

Plug into the diagnostic port under the dash. Power without an install, and they move between vehicles in seconds. All three units here also carry audio and listen live. VIM-OBD2SL records a clip from the cab on request and adds a driving score built from harsh braking, acceleration and cornering, which makes it the one to look at for a work vehicle.

The trade-off is visibility. An OBD2 tracker is in plain sight in the footwell, so it suits fleet and family vehicles where everyone knows it is there.

SKU Price Install Notes
VIM-OBD2B $179 Plugs into the OBD2 port Live listening, moves between vehicles in seconds View
VIM-OBD22 $199 Plugs into the OBD2 port Live listening, harsh driving and collision alerts View
VIM-OBD2SL $199 Plugs into the OBD2 port Audio from the cab on request, harsh braking and cornering scores, no platform fee View

Two magnetic 4G GPS trackers shown with a square external antenna

Magnetic Battery Trackers

The most flexible group. A sealed body, a strong magnet, no install and no wiring. Under a wheel arch, inside a chassis rail, on a trailer drawbar, on a machine.

Choose on battery capacity against the reporting interval you intend to use, and read the section above on why the quoted numbers disagree so much.

SKU Price Battery Quoted life Live audio Notes
VIM-GPS4G-20 $149 6000mAh 120 days standby, 240 days sleep No IP67, several trackers under one account View
VIM-GPS4G-21 $179 10000mAh Not quoted No Motion and tamper alerts, geofence radius 1 to 99km View
VIM-GPS4G-22 $229 20000mAh Up to 440 days deep sleep No Largest rechargeable battery in the range View
VIM-TOUGH-ONE $239 7500mAh Up to 80 days at 2 hours a day No Four satellite systems, 6 months of route history, IP67 View

Personal Trackers for Kids and Elderly

Built around a person rather than a vehicle, which changes what matters. SOS is the feature people buy for, and it comes in two grades: a button that sends an alert with a location, and a button that opens a two-way voice call. For a frightened child or an older person who has fallen, the second is worth considerably more than the first.

Geofencing is the other one that gets used daily: draw a zone around home or school and get told when they arrive or leave, without watching a map.

SKU Price SOS Quoted life Notes
VIM-4GPS4 $149 No Not quoted Battery or wired power, geofence and tamper alerts View
VIM-PET6 $179 Yes 2 to 4 days Kids and pets View
VIM-PET5 $189 Yes 72 hours Kids and elderly, same platform as the pet unit View
VIM-4GPSP5 $189 Yes Up to 72 hours A watch, with two-way calling and a removal alarm View
VIM-4GPSP6 $189 Yes 5 to 7 days Two-way calling, a watch with heart rate and medication reminders View
VIM-4GTRACK $299 Yes 72 hours active, 7 days standby Two-way calls and a charging dock View
VIM-GPSLUX5 $299 Yes Not quoted Two-way calling, health monitoring, charging dock View

GPS Watches

The same capability in a form a person will actually keep on. That is the entire argument, and it is a strong one. A tracker in a school bag gets left in the school bag; a watch stays on the wrist.

VIM-GPSWATCH4GN and VIM-GPSWATCH4GW share the same specification at the same price: 500mAh, up to 48 hours active, IPX7 and video calling. VIM-GPSWATCH4GW comes on a white strap. Pick the one the person will wear.

SKU Price Quoted life Notes
VIM-GPSWATCH4GN $169 Up to 48 hours active One-press SOS, video calling View
VIM-GPSWATCH4GW $169 Up to 48 hours active White strap, one-press SOS, video calling View
VIM-GPSWATCH4G $189 Up to 48 hours working Kids and elderly, SOS View

A GPS dog collar tracker beside a compact magnetic tracker

Pet Trackers

Two different answers here and the right one depends on where the animal goes, not what animal it is. See the tag section above for the full argument, but briefly: a Find My tag works where there are people, costs nothing per month and comes two to a box. A GPS collar works anywhere with mobile coverage and costs a data plan.

Battery is the practical difference between these units. VIM-PET7 at fifteen days is in a different class from the two-to-four-day units, and battery life is what decides whether a pet tracker is still being used in six months.

The collar must break away. A cat that snags a fixed collar on a branch is in serious trouble, and it is a safety requirement rather than a preference.

SKU Price Quoted life Notes
VIM-PET4G $149 90 hours Dog and cat collar tracker View
VIM-PET6-B $179 2 to 4 days Collar, two-way audio and SOS, IP66 View
VIM-PET5-B $189 72 hours Collar mount, waterproof case, two-way audio View
VIM-PET7 $249 15 days Live monitoring, longest pet battery here, anti-tamper collar lock View

Trackers With Live Audio

Twelve units are built around listening to the surroundings from your phone, and several others carry a microphone too, including VIM-MINI2-4G, VIM-4GTRACK and the door alarm trackers. It is the most capable group here, and the one where the law matters most.

What they are for: your own vehicle when nobody should be in it, such as a car parked overnight or one that has been stolen, with the recovery done through the police. A fleet or work vehicle where the drivers have been told in writing and have agreed. A family car where everyone who drives it knows the tracker is there.

Read this before buying one. Tracking and listening are treated differently in Australian law, and listening far more strictly. Listening to or recording a private conversation you are not part of is an offence in every state and territory. A device left in a vehicle you are not in is never a party to the conversation happening inside it, whoever the vehicle is registered to. How a device is used is the buyer's responsibility.

Several go further and record rather than only listen live: VIM-4GPS25, VIM-GPS105 and VIM-GPS106 among the magnetic units, and VIM-OBD2SL from the OBD2 port. Recording raises the same issues and leaves a file. The voice recorders guide covers the audio side in full.

SKU Price Form Quoted life Notes
VIM-OBD2B $179 OBD2 plug Vehicle power Live listening, power cut alert View
VIM-OBD22 $199 OBD2 plug Vehicle power Live listening, driver behaviour alerts View
VIM-OBD2SL $199 OBD2 plug Vehicle power Records a clip from the cab on request, plus driver scores View
VIM-4GPS-1022 $250 Magnetic Up to 15 days standby Live listening, IPX4, 3400mAh View
VIM-GPS103 $250 Magnetic 14 days continuous Live listening to about 5m, 90 day standby View
VIM-GPS105 $250 Magnetic Up to 10 days Live listening, recordings up to 10 minutes View
VIM-4GPS-1032 $270 Magnetic Not quoted Live listening, 6800mAh, route playback View
VIM-GPS104 $270 Magnetic Up to 30 days standby Live listening, mileage report View
VIM-4GPS31 $280 Magnetic 20 days at 2 hours a day Live listening to about 3m, tamper alert View
VIM-GPS106 $289 Magnetic Up to 75 days standby Live listening and recording, IP65 View
VIM-4GPS25 $320 Magnetic Up to 28 days real time Records as well as listens View
VIM-4GPS30 $320 Magnetic Up to 3 years power saving Live listening to about 5m, three power modes, IPX4 View

Assets, Containers and Door Alarms

Long-deployment units for things rather than people. VIM-4GCONT has a sealed battery rated for up to seven years, and VIM-4GCONT2 one rated for up to five years at one location update a day. VIM-4GCONT3 goes further: a sealed 20,000mAh battery rated for up to ten years at one report a day, magnets or two bolt ears to fix it to a machine, and a light sensor under the base that raises a removal alarm the moment it comes off. It is sold for plant and hire equipment, and it suits a container just as well. All three need your own SIM with a data plan.

VIM-4GPSP3 and VIM-4GPSP4 add a door alarm sensor, so they report movement of the door as well as movement of the object. On a shipping container, a shed or a trailer that is often more useful than position alone, because the thing has usually been opened before it has been moved.

SKU Price Quoted life Notes
VIM-4GPSP4 $169 40 to 50 days standby Door alarm sensor as well as a tracker View
VIM-4GPSP3 $179 20 to 30 days Door alarm sensor and siren View
VIM-4GCONT $279 Sealed battery, up to 7 years Shipping container tracker View
VIM-4GCONT2 $299 Sealed battery, up to 5 years at one update a day Asset protection View
VIM-4GCONT3 $299 Up to 10 years at one report a day Machinery and hire plant: sealed 20,000mAh battery, removal, tilt and collision alarms, no platform fee View

Accessories

SKU Price Capacity What it is for
MSBANK-1000 $59 10000mAh Topping up a battery tracker without removing it from the vehicle View
MSPWB-20000 $99 20000mAh Recharging a battery tracker on site during a long deployment View

SIMs, Plans and Coverage

Every GPS tracker on this page except the Bluetooth tags needs its own SIM with a data plan, and that is a permanent cost per tracker. Any Australian SIM works: Telstra, Optus, Vodafone or a provider that runs on their networks. Outside the cities Telstra covers the largest area, so check coverage where the tracker will actually be, not where you live. Every 4G tracker here is tested before despatch.

Prepaid SIMs in Australia need proof of identity to activate, so set the SIM up in a phone first, check that data works, then move it to the tracker.

Data use is small. A tracker reporting position is sending a few hundred bytes at a time, so the cheapest prepaid plan is usually sufficient for position alone. Live audio uses far more. What catches people is expiry rather than data: a prepaid SIM that has not been recharged in months can expire, and the first you know is a tracker that has silently stopped reporting. Check the expiry terms, not just the price.

Australia no longer has a 3G network. There is no slower fallback. A tracker either has 4G coverage where it is or it has nothing, and an older 3G tracker no longer works here at all regardless of its condition.

A set of Vimel GPS trackers including a USB and SD card device, an OBD2 plug in and hardwired modules

Mistakes That Cause Returns

Reading a sleep-mode figure as a real-time one

440 days and a month or two can describe the same device. Buy on the runtime at the interval you will actually use.

Buying a battery tracker for a vehicle you own

If it lives in one vehicle permanently, hardwire it or use OBD2. Battery trackers exist to solve the absence of power, and you have power.

Buying a Bluetooth tag for a rural property

No passing phones means no position. Tags need people.

Forgetting the SIM expiry

A prepaid SIM that lapses takes the tracker offline silently. Set a reminder or use a plan that does not expire.

Mounting a magnetic tracker somewhere with no sky

GPS needs a view of the sky. Deep inside a metal chassis, in a steel toolbox or under a metal tray, accuracy collapses. Under a plastic bumper, in a wheel arch or in a boot works far better.

Assuming the magnet is enough on its own

The magnets are strong, but a corrugated road or a long trip at speed will find any surface that is not clean and flat. Clean the metal first, and check the placement after the first long run.

Buying live audio without reading the law

Listening to a vehicle you are not in while people are talking in it is a criminal offence, not a grey area. This is the most serious mistake available on this page.

Tracking a person because you can

Tracking a partner, a former partner or an adult family member without their knowledge can amount to stalking or a family violence offence. Whose name is on the vehicle makes no difference.

Key Specs Explained

Real-time interval

How often the tracker reports. Adjustable on nearly everything here, from seconds to once a day, and the single biggest influence on battery life.

Sleep and deep sleep

Low-power modes where the tracker wakes, reports and sleeps again. Where the very long battery figures come from.

Dual band

Receiving two satellite bands, L1 and L5, instead of one, which resists jamming and holds accuracy among tall buildings. On VIM-GPS101G, alongside an inertial sensor that carries the position through tunnels.

Geofencing

A zone on a map with an alert when the tracker enters or leaves it. The feature people use daily rather than the one they buy for.

SOS: alert against calling

An SOS alert sends a message and a position. SOS calling opens a two-way voice call. For a child or an older person the second is worth considerably more.

Backup battery on a hardwired unit

Keeps the tracker reporting when vehicle power is cut, which is the first thing done to a stolen vehicle.

ACC and ignition detection

Hardwired trackers can sense when the vehicle is started, which gives an alert on unauthorised movement rather than on any movement.

IP ratings

First digit dust, second water. IP65 suits a sheltered mount, IP67 handles a wheel arch on a wet, muddy road.

Choose by Situation

Your own car, permanently

VIM-GPS101G hardwired for the dual band reception, or VIM-GPSMINI4 for a smaller hardwired unit with a backup battery.

A car, without an install

VIM-OBD2B in the diagnostic port. Ten seconds, no tools, moves between vehicles.

A trailer, caravan, boat, machine or container

VIM-GPS4G-22 for the 20000mAh battery, or VIM-4GCONT where a sealed battery rated for up to seven years suits an asset that is rarely touched, or VIM-4GCONT3 at $299 to bolt on a sealed battery rated for up to ten years, with a removal alarm. Add VIM-4GPSP4 if you want to know the door was opened as well as that the thing moved.

Something outdoors you cannot easily retrieve

VIM-GPS4G-22 for the 20000mAh battery, with a power bank to recharge it where it sits if it has to stay out for a season.

A fleet

Hardwired units for ignition detection and no charging. Tell drivers in writing before installation and record their agreement. In NSW and the ACT that written notice is required by law before work vehicles are tracked.

A child walking to school

VIM-GPSWATCH4GN or VIM-GPSWATCH4GW, which share the same specification, because a watch stays on and a tracker in a bag stays in the bag. Set a geofence around home and school.

An older person living alone

VIM-4GPSP6, a watch with two-way calling, an SOS button and medication reminders, or VIM-GPSLUX5 with a charging dock if a watch will not be worn.

A dog on a farm or acreage

VIM-PET7 for the fifteen-day battery. A Find My tag will not work out there.

A cat in a suburb

VIM-TAG-P9, two tags and two breakaway collars for $69, nothing per month.

Keys, a bag or a laptop

VIM-TAG at $35 or VIM-TAG-A1 for two on keyrings. For a wallet or a passport, VIM-SMARTCARD at $49 is the card-shaped version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do GPS trackers need a SIM card?

Every one except the Bluetooth tags, and each tracker needs its own with a data plan. A prepaid Australian SIM with data, in the size the tracker takes, is all it needs, and any Australian provider works.

How much data does a tracker use?

Very little for position alone, a few hundred bytes per report, so the cheapest prepaid plan is usually enough. Live audio uses far more, and the expiry terms matter as much as the data allowance.

Will an older 3G tracker still work?

No. Australia no longer has a 3G network, and there is no fallback.

What is the difference between a GPS tracker and a Bluetooth tag?

A GPS tracker knows where it is and reports over the mobile network. A tag does not know where it is and waits for a passing phone to report it. Tags are excellent where there are people and useless where there are not.

How long does the battery last?

Anywhere from 48 hours to ten years depending on the unit and, far more importantly, on the reporting interval you set. Sleep-mode figures and real-time figures are different numbers.

How accurate are they?

Typically within 5 to 15 metres in the open, and quoted under 1.5 metres on VIM-GPS101G. Accuracy degrades under heavy tree cover and between tall buildings, and disappears in tunnels, which is what the dual band reception and the inertial sensor on that unit are there to address.

Can I hear what is happening as well as see where it is?

Twelve units are built around live audio and several more carry a microphone. Before buying one, read the legal position: listening to or recording a private conversation you are not part of is an offence in every state and territory.

Can I track my own car if someone else drives it?

Tracking a vehicle you own is generally lawful. Tracking a person is a different question, and if the vehicle is effectively that person's, the tracking is of them. Tell them.

Can I track my employees' vehicles?

Yes, with notice. Tell staff in writing what is tracked, when, and who sees it, and record their agreement. In NSW and the ACT written notice is required by law, and the Privacy Act 1988 applies to larger businesses.

Can I put a tracker on my partner's car?

No. This is the question that most often ends badly. Tracking a partner or former partner without their knowledge can amount to stalking or a family violence offence, and fitting a tracking device to track a person without their consent is an offence in most states. Whose name is on the registration does not change it.

Where should I mount a magnetic tracker on my vehicle or trailer?

Somewhere with a view of the sky. A wheel arch, behind a plastic bumper, in a boot. Deep inside a steel chassis or a metal toolbox and accuracy collapses.

Is there a monthly fee to Securitylab?

No. You buy the tracker and supply your own SIM. The only ongoing cost is the mobile plan, and the Bluetooth tags do not even have that.

Responsible Use in Australia

These trackers are sold for keeping track of your own vehicles, assets and pets, and family members who know about it. The rules differ by state and territory, and how a device is used is the buyer's responsibility. The main points are these.

  • Your own things. Tracking your own vehicle, trailer, boat, plant or equipment, an asset your business owns, a pet, or a child you are the guardian of is straightforward.
  • Tracking a person. Fitting a tracking device to track a person without their consent is an offence in most states, and tracking a partner, former partner or adult family member can amount to stalking or a family violence offence anywhere in Australia. Whose name is on the vehicle makes no difference.
  • Listening is treated separately, and more strictly. Listening to or recording a private conversation you are not a party to is an offence in every state and territory, and sharing a recording made that way is a further offence. A device that tracks and listens does not merge the two questions.
  • Employers and fleets. Tell drivers in writing what is tracked, when and who sees it, before the trackers go in. In NSW and the ACT that written notice is required by law, and the Privacy Act 1988 applies to larger businesses: a clear purpose, secure storage, and use only for what the data was collected for.
  • Using a recording later. Keep the original file unedited and note the date, time and who was present. Improperly obtained material can be excluded, so how a recording was made matters as much as what it captured.
  • Publishing what you collect. Do not post location histories, screenshots of a tracking map or recordings of identifiable people online. Give them to the police instead.

This is general product information for Australian customers, not legal advice. The rules differ between states and territories and can change. If you are unsure whether your situation is lawful, get advice specific to it before you deploy anything.

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Last reviewed October 2026.

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