Can you tape a phone conversation

In addition to criminal penalties, illegal recording can also give rise to civil damages. Flanagan , 41 P. Code Gen. Order B II A. Colorado In Colorado it is a misdemeanor to record an in-person conversation and a felony to record a phone conversation without the consent of at least one party.

Connecticut Under Connecticut criminal law, it is a felony to record an oral or telephone communication without the consent of at least one party. In the civil context, Connecticut law prohibits recording phone calls without obtaining consent from all parties either in writing or at the beginning of the recording. A notification at the start of the call recording, or a warning tone at second intervals will also suffice.

Delaware At least one party must consent to recording in-person or phone conversations under Delaware law, though state statutes conflict somewhat. This is counterbalanced by a Delaware federal district court opinion, U. Vespe , which interpreted the privacy law to reflect the federal rule that only one party needs to consent to recording.

Violation of the wiretapping law is a felony, and can also provide the basis for actual and punitive damages in a civil suit. Violation of the privacy law is a misdemeanor. Vespe , F. Florida In Florida it is illegal to record an in-person or telephone conversation without the consent of all parties.

Hawaii Recording oral or telephone conversations without the consent of at least one party is a felony in Hawaii, and can also give rise to actual and punitive damages in a civil suit. In the Illinois Supreme Court declared the law overly broad and unconstitutional. The statute was amended later that year to allow recording in public places, but still requires all parties to consent to recording conversations where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Clark , 6 N. Indiana It is illegal to record or intercept any telephone or electronic communication without the consent of at least one party. Iowa Under the state eavesdropping statute, it is a serious misdemeanor to record an oral, telephone, or other communication without the consent of at least one party.

The state wiretapping law provides that it is a felony to intercept or record any oral, wire, or electronic communication without the consent of at least one party. Wiretapping offenses can also lead to civil liability. Kansas Under Kansas breach of privacy law, it is a misdemeanor to record a conversation or other private communication without the consent of at least one party.

Violators may also be subject to civil damages. Maine Maine law prohibits the recording or interception of oral or phone conversations without the consent of one party. Maryland All parties must consent to the recording of oral or telephone conversations under Maryland law, though the courts have interpreted this to be limited to situations where the parties have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Recording with criminal or tortious intent is illegal regardless of consent. State , A. Massachusetts Under Massachusetts law it is illegal to record any oral, telephone, or wire communication without the consent of all parties.

Violations are considered a felony, and carry potential fines, imprisonment, and civil damages. Gray , Mich. Minnesota Minnesota law makes it legal to record an oral or telephone conversation with the consent of one or more parties, provided there was no criminal or tortious intent. Mississippi It is illegal to record in-person or phone conversations under Mississippi law without the consent of at least one party, or with the intent of committing a criminal or tortious act.

Missouri Under Missouri law it is illegal to record a phone conversation without the consent of one party, or to record any conversation with criminal or tortious intent. The other neat thing about Dialpad is that you can even create a playlist of call recordings to help with coaching your agents:. Some software is better with incoming calls, while other options are ideal for recording outgoing calls. Let's look more closely at two options: Google Voice and third-party apps.

Anyone with access to the Play Store can use the Google Voice app, which is designed to help you record incoming calls:. All you need to do is tap the icon in the top-left corner, find Settings, and turn on "Incoming Call Options. You can, of course, also stop part-way through the call if you need to. You can download it to your computer from here, or listen to it right in the inbox. If you have a Google Drive account, you can save the recordings there as well. Unlike Google Voice, some third-party Android apps are able to record both incoming and outgoing calls.

One example of an app that can do both is the Dialpad for Android App. The completed recordings are all saved to your inbox in the app, where you can play them back anytime:.

You can also download the recordings from your Dialpad desktop app. Being able to message your team and share that recording in the same app that you used to record the call? That makes things much easier and that's how our team does it too! In other words, a call recorder app that works for an Android device might not work for a Mac product. Like Dialpad! So how does that work if Apple's blocking the mic?

Well, an app can still record calls on iOS-based devices—by creating a kind of three-way call. It does this by merging your call into the recording line, which counts as a third line joining the call.

That third line can then record both of the other parties throughout the call. The best apps even make it possible to see a transcription of your call in real time and download it for review later. In the Dialpad app, you can just check off a box to turn the transcription feature using our Voice Intelligence, or Vi, which transcribes even more accurately than Google on:. Imagine the person on the other end could see you as well as they would if you were in a video conference , and then act accordingly.

Why, you may ask? If you knew you were about to be recorded in a video call , you'd be more likely to straighten up, make sure your clothes looked neat, and put on your best smile we hope. And that can influence how professionally your voice comes across in that conversation. That can only be a good thing, especially when those recordings might be stored in the company system for a long long time.

Doing this will help you make the best possible impression on customers and fellow employees alike. Another great practice to adopt when it comes to call recording, especially if you're doing it frequently, is something that many people overlook: Check your Wi-Fi connection before the call starts. If you're using a phone system or call recording software that's VoIP -based, then it needs an internet connection to work. If you go into each call with the firm knowledge that your Wi-Fi connection is reliable, then that's one less thing to worry about on the call.

Make sure you test your internet speed and buy any Wi-Fi boosters if you need them. If you're a work-from-agent, we'd also suggest that you find an alternative way of accessing the internet, just in case. Ethernet cables are a good backup. See the section on Risks Associated with Publication in this guide for more information. What if you are recording the activities of the police or other government officials in public? Special considerations apply when recording police officers or other public officials.

You may have a constitutional right to openly record the activities of police and other officials in public, so long as you do not interfere with those activities or violate generally applicable laws. Subscribe to our content! Follow us on Twitter. We are looking for contributing authors with expertise in media law, intellectual property, First Amendment, and other related fields to join us as guest bloggers.

If you are interested, please contact us for more details. Skip to main content. Welcome to the website of the Digital Media Law Project. Due to popular demand the Berkman Klein Center is keeping the website online, but please note that the website and its contents are no longer being updated.

Please check any information you find here for accuracy and completeness. Who must give permission to record a telephone or in-person conversation? When must you get permission from everyone involved before recording? Request new password. Will E. Court's Privacy Ruling Break the Internet? Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Service and Research at the Frontier of Media Law. Disclaimer Information in this guide is based on general principles of law and is intended for information purposes only; we make no claim as to the comprehensiveness or accuracy of the information.