If you think someone is following you, the single most important rule is this: do not go home. What to do when someone is following you comes down to getting to a public, well-lit place with other people, calling 911 if you feel you’re in danger, and then — once you’re safe — writing down everything you can remember and reporting it to police. Everything else builds on those first few minutes.
Get to Safety First
Head toward people and light. A busy store, a restaurant, a gas station, or a police or fire station are all better destinations than your house. Revealing where you live to someone who may be dangerous is a mistake that’s hard to undo.
If you’re driving, stay on well-traveled roads and keep your doors locked and windows up. You can take an unexpected exit or turn to test whether the car stays with you. If the follower becomes aggressive or tries to force you to stop, keep driving toward the nearest police station and call 911 while you move. Do not pull over in an isolated area.
On foot, walk briskly toward the nearest crowded, well-lit place. Skip the shortcuts through alleys, parking garages, or parks — fewer witnesses, fewer exits. Step into a business and tell an employee what’s happening. Most people will help when you say plainly, “I think I’m being followed and I need to stay here for a few minutes.”
If you feel you’re in immediate danger, call 911. Give the dispatcher your exact location, your direction of travel, and as much description of the follower as you can. Stay on the line until help arrives.
How to Confirm Someone Is Actually Following You
Your instincts are usually ahead of your conscious mind. If something feels off about the person walking behind you or the car that’s been in your mirror for the last ten turns, pay attention.
On foot, the clearest sign is seeing the same person across multiple spots along your route, especially if they match your pace and your direction changes. You can cross the street, reverse direction, or duck into a store and see whether the person lingers outside or follows you in.
In a vehicle, watch for a car that mirrors your speed changes or stays behind you through an unusual sequence of turns. The classic test is to make four consecutive right turns, which brings you around a full block. No one following you by coincidence stays with you through that. The point isn’t to confront anyone. It’s to confirm your suspicion so you know how urgently to act.
Use Your Phone’s Emergency Features
Modern smartphones have built-in tools that go well beyond dialing 911, and they’re worth setting up before you ever need them.
On iPhones, Emergency SOS calls emergency services and simultaneously notifies your emergency contacts with your location. When activated, your phone shares your Medical ID, GPS coordinates, elevation, and remaining battery life with responders. iPhones running iOS 14 or later can also detect severe car crashes and hard falls and contact emergency services automatically if you don’t respond.
On Android phones running version 12 or later, Emergency SOS lives under Settings, then Safety & Emergency. You can configure it to call for help, share your real-time location with emergency contacts, and record video automatically. One setting triggers these actions after a five-second countdown with an alarm; another requires manual confirmation. Emergency SOS won’t work if your phone is in airplane mode or Battery Saver is on.
Beyond the emergency features, share your live location with a trusted person whenever you’re walking alone or feel uneasy. Both Apple’s Find My and Google Maps offer real-time location sharing. It takes seconds to turn on and gives someone else eyes on where you are.
Document What Happened
Evidence is what turns “I felt like someone was following me” into a case law enforcement can act on. Start collecting details as soon as it’s safe, never at the expense of your physical safety.
For a person on foot, note approximate height, build, hair color, clothing, and any distinguishing features like tattoos or glasses. For a vehicle, get the make, model, color, and license plate if you can. Write down the time, date, and the specific locations where you noticed the follower. If you can safely take photos or video with your phone, do it. Visual evidence is far more useful to police than a verbal description.
Save Digital Messages
If the person has also been contacting you through text, social media, or email, those messages are evidence. Screenshot them immediately and print them or paste them into a document right away. Delays between capturing a screenshot and preserving it can give opposing counsel room to argue the evidence was manipulated. Make sure each screenshot shows the sender’s name or number, the timestamp, and the full content. For conversations that span multiple screens, capture each screen separately.
Be aware that some messaging apps notify the other person when you screenshot a conversation. Before capturing evidence from someone you believe may be dangerous, consider whether that notification could escalate things. Also check that your phone and cloud accounts haven’t been compromised; if the person has access to your iCloud, Google Drive, or device passwords, they could see what you’re doing.
Keep an Incident Log
A single incident is alarming. A documented pattern is what gets protective orders granted and criminal charges filed. The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) recommends logging each incident with:
- Date and time
- What happened, in your own words
- Location — physical address, or the technology or online platform involved
- Names and contact information for any witnesses
- Photos, videos, screenshots, or physical items attached as evidence
- The name, agency, and badge or ID number of any officer or official you reported it to
Log everything, not just physical following. Harassing calls, repeated texts, unwanted gifts, property damage, rumors being spread about you, account hacking, or threats passed through other people all belong in the log. Keep copies somewhere the person cannot access.
One important caution: your log could become evidence in court and may be shared with the other party during legal proceedings. Don’t put anything in it you wouldn’t want the stalker to see, such as the address of a safe house or a friend’s home where you’re staying.
Report It to Police
Report the incident even if you’re not sure it rises to the level of a crime. A single report creates an official record, and if the behavior continues, that record builds the pattern law enforcement and courts need to see. Bring your incident log, any photos or screenshots, and a written timeline when you go in.
Stalking is a crime in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and under federal law. Definitions vary by jurisdiction, but the core concept is consistent: a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or experience substantial emotional distress.
At the federal level, 18 U.S.C. § 2261A covers stalking that involves interstate travel, crossing into Indian country, or using electronic communications like email, social media, or text messages. Penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 2261(b) range from up to 5 years in prison for stalking without bodily injury, up to 10 years if the victim suffers serious bodily injury or the offender uses a dangerous weapon, up to 20 years for permanent disfigurement or life-threatening injuries, and life imprisonment if the victim dies. There is a mandatory minimum of 1 year if the stalking violates an existing protective order. When the victim is under 18, the maximum sentence increases by an additional 5 years under 18 U.S.C. § 2261B. State penalties generally range from misdemeanors for first offenses to felonies when aggravating factors are present, such as prior convictions, weapons, or violating a protective order.
Get a Protective Order
A protective order (called a restraining order or no-contact order in some states) is a court order that legally prohibits the person from contacting, approaching, or following you. Violating it is a separate criminal offense that can result in immediate arrest.
You file a petition at your local courthouse describing the stalking behavior and why you fear for your safety. Many courts can issue a temporary or emergency order the same day, based only on your petition, without the other person being present. A full hearing is then scheduled, usually within a couple of weeks, where both sides can present evidence and the judge decides whether to issue a longer-term order that can last anywhere from several months to several years.
Filing fees vary significantly by jurisdiction. Many states waive the fee entirely for stalking and domestic violence cases. Service fees — the cost of having the order officially delivered to the respondent — also vary and are sometimes covered by the court or law enforcement. If cost is a concern, ask the court clerk about fee waivers before filing. Victim advocates at local organizations can often walk you through the paperwork at no charge.
Check for Tracking Devices
If someone seems to know exactly where you are despite your efforts to vary your routine, they may be using a tracking device. Small GPS trackers can be attached to a vehicle in seconds and are cheap to buy online. At least 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws addressing the unauthorized use of location-tracking devices on another person, with penalties ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
Common hiding spots on vehicles include inside wheel wells, under the bumper, beneath the undercarriage near the frame, and inside the trunk or under seats. A physical inspection with a flashlight is the simplest first step. For magnetically attached devices, running your hand along metal surfaces underneath the car can help locate them. If you find one, don’t destroy it. Photograph it in place, then bring it to law enforcement.
Bluetooth Trackers Like AirTags
Both major phone platforms have built-in detection for small Bluetooth trackers. iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later alert you automatically if an unknown AirTag or Find My accessory appears to be traveling with you. Starting with iOS 17.5, iPhones also detect unknown Bluetooth trackers from other manufacturers that follow an industry-standard protocol. Android phones running version 6.0 or later provide similar unwanted-tracking alerts through Google’s built-in detection.
If you get an alert, your phone can play a sound on the tracker to help you find it. Once you locate the device, you can view its serial number and partial owner information. Take a screenshot of that information and bring the device to police. If you can’t find it but believe you’re being tracked, contact law enforcement — they may have more sophisticated detection equipment.
Build a Longer-Term Safety Plan
When following or stalking is ongoing rather than a one-time scare, you need a plan that extends beyond any single incident. Stalking tends to escalate, and hoping it will simply stop is rarely a sound strategy.
Vary your daily routine. Take different routes to work, leave at different times, and switch up where you park. If your commute allows it, alternate between driving and public transit. Keep your phone charged and have emergency numbers programmed. If you’re worried the person might access your phone, save those numbers under different contact names.
Tell people. Stalking thrives on isolation, and the instinct to handle it quietly often works against you. Let your employer, your neighbors, and your close contacts know what’s happening and what the person looks like. If you have children in school, notify the school administration. The more people who are aware, the harder it is for the stalker to operate unnoticed.
Review your digital security. Change passwords on email, social media, and cloud storage accounts. Enable two-factor authentication everywhere. Check whether you’re inadvertently sharing your location through social media check-ins, photo metadata, or fitness apps that broadcast your running routes. If you suspect the person has or had access to your devices, consider having them professionally inspected for monitoring software.
At home, make sure exterior lighting is adequate; motion-activated lights are cheap and effective. Keep doors locked even when you’re inside. If the stalker has ever had access to your keys, change the locks. A doorbell camera or basic security system provides both a deterrent and an evidence source.
Where to Get Help
Being followed or stalked takes a psychological toll that often catches people off guard. It can disrupt your sleep, your focus, and your sense of safety. Getting support is a practical step, the same as changing your locks or filing a police report.
SPARC provides information, safety planning guidance, and connections to local services for people experiencing stalking. The Office for Victims of Crime maintains resources and referrals through the VictimConnect helpline, which can be reached by phone or text at 855-484-2846, or through online chat, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. VictimConnect provides emotional support, information, and referrals for all crime victims across the United States.
Local victim service providers can help you develop a detailed safety plan, understand your legal options, navigate the protective order process, and connect you with counseling. Many of these services are free and confidential. If you’re not sure where to start, calling VictimConnect or visiting the SPARC website will point you to resources in your specific area.