Field Manual Books
Practical field manuals by a former CIA officer · calm, sourced, no gadget hype

Hidden camera laws by state

Hidden camera laws in South Dakota

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

The statute

SDCL § 22-21-4 (Use or Dissemination of Visual Recording or Photographic Device Without Consent)

What it prohibits

South Dakota bans using a device to photograph or record another person without clothing, or under or through clothing, or engaged in a sexual act, without consent and with intent to self-gratify, harass, or invade privacy. Disclosing or disseminating such images — including manipulated, "deepfake"-style images — is also covered.

Penalty

Class 1 misdemeanor; Class 6 felony if the victim is 17 or younger and the offender is 21 or older.

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://law.justia.com/codes/south-dakota/title-22/chapter-21/section-22-21-4/. 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.

Cover: The Traveler's Counter-Surveillance Field Manual
The Field Manual — PDF edition

Want the full room-by-room method, not just the legal side? The complete system — every check on this site plus the ten-minute walkthrough, audio devices, your legal rights, and what to do if you find something. 47 printable pages, instant download, keep it on any device.

Skip and go straight to checkout

Prefer Kindle? $7.99 on Amazon.

Other states

UtahUtah Code § 76-12-307 (Recorded or Photographed Voyeurism) Vermont13 V.S.A. § 2605 (Voyeurism) West VirginiaW. Va. Code § 61-8-28 (Criminal Invasion of Privacy) WyomingWyo. Stat. § 6-4-304 (Voyeurism; Penalties) 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