Guide · 5 min read
Am I being followed? How to tell, and what to do
The feeling that someone is watching you is unsettling, and it is sometimes right. Here is how professionals check for it, how to stay safe, and how to turn suspicion into evidence.
- Written byOur Nashville detectives
- UpdatedOctober 25, 2026
- Reading time5 minutes
- Related serviceStalking & harassment
- Your safety comes first. If you feel in danger, drive to a police station or call 911.
- Test a suspicion with simple route changes rather than confrontation.
- Write down plates, descriptions, times and places. Documentation turns a feeling into evidence.
If you think you are being followed right now
- Don’t drive home. Head to a busy, well-lit public place or a police station.
- Call 911 if you feel threatened. Give your location and the vehicle description.
- Note the plate, make, model and color if you can do it safely.
- Don’t confront the driver.
How to test a suspicion safely
Professionals check for surveillance by making small, natural changes: taking a different exit, making three right turns around a block, or stopping at a gas station. A car that keeps making the same unusual choices is worth noting. One car going your way on a busy road is not.
Other ways people track you
- A GPS or Bluetooth tracker on your car or in your bag (see how to check)
- Shared location settings left on in a phone, smartwatch or family app
- A shared account, such as a cloud account or a car’s connected app
- Social media check-ins or photos that reveal your location
Document everything
Keep a log: date, time, place, vehicle, description, and what happened. Photos and dashcam footage help. This record is what police and courts need, and it is the starting point of our stalking investigations.
When it becomes a crime
Tennessee criminalizes stalking: a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-315). Victims may also seek an order of protection.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different; talk to a Tennessee attorney about your case. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.
When you’re ready
How we can help
Licensed Tennessee private detectives, lawful methods, and reports written for the people who will read them.
How can I tell if I am being followed by car?
Make a few natural route changes, such as three right turns or an unplanned stop. A vehicle that keeps repeating your unusual choices is a red flag.
Can a private investigator find out who is following me?
Often, yes. Counter-surveillance and plate research can identify who is following you, and the documentation can support a police report.
Talk it through with a detective.
Confidential, no-pressure. We’ll tell you honestly whether a detective is worth it for your situation.