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Hidden camera laws by state

Hidden camera laws in Minnesota

The actual statute, in plain English — not a paraphrase of a paraphrase.

The statute

Minn. Stat. § 609.746 (Interference with Privacy)

What it prohibits

Minnesota’s interference-with-privacy statute bans secretly installing or using a device to observe, photograph, or record a person through the window or other aperture of a dwelling, hotel room, tanning booth, or similar place where a reasonable person would expect privacy, without that person’s consent. It also separately bans using a device to photograph or record someone’s intimate parts, including "upskirt"-type images captured under or around a person’s clothing, without consent. Penalties rise for repeat offenses and offenses involving minors.

Penalty

Gross misdemeanor for the base offense — up to 364 days imprisonment and/or a fine up to $3,000. Felony (up to 2 years) for a repeat violation or a violation involving a victim under 18; felony (up to 4 years) for device-based violations against a minor by an offender at least 36 months older acting with sexual intent.

This is general public information, not legal advice, verified against the statute text linked below as of this writing — legislatures amend these laws periodically (Florida renamed its own statute in 2024). If this matters for a real situation, read the current text yourself or talk to a lawyer: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.746. Separately, recording audio of a conversation is governed by a different law (wiretap/eavesdropping statutes, which vary by state on whether one party or all parties must consent) — this page covers image/video capture only.

If you've actually found something, the statute matters less than what you do next: read the six steps here.

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Other states

MissouriMo. Rev. Stat. § 565.252 (Invasion of Privacy) Oklahoma21 Okla. Stat. § 1171(B) (Peeping Tom — Use of Photographic, Electronic or Video Equipment) WisconsinWis. Stat. § 942.09 (Representations Depicting Nudity) CaliforniaPenal Code § 647(j) TexasPenal Code § 21.15 (Invasive Visual Recording) New YorkPenal Law § 250.45 (Unlawful Surveillance, Second Degree) FloridaFla. Stat. § 810.145 — renamed “Digital Voyeurism” in a 2024 amendment Illinois720 ILCS 5/26-4 (Unauthorized Video Recording and Live Video Transmission)