Is It Illegal to Record Someone Without Their Permission?

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Is it illegal to record someone without their knowledge, even by accident? In this post, we’ll discuss this further. But first, a summary of what could and should happen if you record someone without their consent.

Case scenario

What could or should happen

Face recording in public

Blur strangers’ faces and remove audio.

Recording someone in your own home

According to U.S. law, you may record people with a hidden camera in your house without them knowing.

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Is it illegal to record someone without their knowledge?

So, is it illegal to record someone without their permission? It is not illegal to record someone without their consent in a public place if they are visible and audible, especially if they don’t have reasonable expectations of privacy. But in a private setting, such as a bathroom or changing area, recording someone without their knowledge is illegal.

When you go out in public, someone will certainly record you without your consent. Office buildings, malls, and stadiums all have security cameras. You see tourists taking panoramic videos as you walk along the sidewalks. News crews, vloggers, or parents may capture you while filming their kids’ birthday parties in the park.

Is it illegal to video record someone without their consent? Read on to learn more about the popular recording cases and laws.

Face recording in public

If you’re recording someone’s face in public, you’ll need to blur strangers’ faces and remove audio. If you want to reproduce people’s faces in a magazine or a newspaper, get their permission in writing first. If it’s a celebrity or president, they are already public figures, so you can reproduce their pictures as long as you don’t defame or lie about them. With the president and his family, you need to be very careful. The famous can sue you easily.

Recording someone in your own home

According to U.S. law, you may record someone in your own home with a hidden camera without them knowing. The law in many states now allows parents to record nannies. Family members can also record caregivers for elderly loved ones to ensure they are safe while receiving care. For this reason, parents and guardians whose workplace is far from home are increasingly turning to nanny cams. To be sure that you are following the laws in your state, it’s a good idea to research hidden cameras and nanny cams before placing one in your home.

If you plan to use your camera in specific ways, you may also want to seek the advice of an attorney.

The difference between audio and video record someone in public is a crucial distinction to keep in mind. In the United States, audio surveillance is subject to many harsher restrictions, which we’ll dig into further in this article. In most states, recording hidden camera videos in areas with reasonable expectations of privacy is illegal. If your subject lives with you – such as a live-in nanny – this may include bathrooms and bedrooms.

Filming in private areas

So, is it against the law to record someone in private areas? You may record both video and audio when you’re in a public place or on private property with permission. This includes restaurants, parking lots, supermarkets, churches, and any other places that are commercial/business. Here, you need to talk to the owner and ask for a pass before recording. Unless you ask permission and your "talent" agrees, it’s probably best to blur the faces in these areas.

There is no federal or state law prohibiting sound recording for property owners, but many businesses may deny it on private property. Always ask, "do you need permission to record someone?" But companies like Airbnb allow short-term rental owners to place recording devices on the property, such as security cameras and baby monitors. The property listing must mention this upfront, even where the gadgets are offline. Private areas like bedrooms and bathrooms cannot have recording devices.

Filming police and other law enforcement officials

When law enforcement officers arrest on public property – even if they ask you to stop recording – you may record them. The ACLU says police officers may not take your phone or camera or require you to show them recordings. In addition, they cannot demand that you delete audio or videos without a court order. If you interfere with law enforcement, which depends on the jurisdiction, you could be in trouble.

Recording someone at work

Recording a conversation in the workplace is not illegal. Employees who engage in such conduct could face disciplinary procedures or dismissal. Employees can use a recording they made in a tribunal case as evidence if they were present at the time of the recording. A general rule established by past cases states that the employee’s presence is required for the recording to be admissible. Therefore, if an employee leaves a secret recording device behind after departing from a room, the recording probably will not be admissible as proof.

This is not a hard and fast rule, and new cases could have different outcomes. Tribunals are likely to take an extremely dim view of employers secretly recording their employees at work. Don’t get tempted. Investigate and follow formal disciplinary procedures before terminating or threatening an employee.

Employees may want to record a conversation for several reasons, such as:

  • In case they need to refer to it later
  • As evidence in court
  • For improper purposes, such as to use as blackmail
  • You can allow the employee to record if they ask for your permission.
  • You should inform your employees ahead of time that you will not allow them to record a meeting or conversation. In your employee handbook, make clear what actions you consider misconduct so that your employees know how to act. A common requirement in disciplinary policies is that all parties must consent to make a recording before it occurs.

    Recording conversations

    In the law corridors, consent is the most critical factor when recording calls. It is polite to inform everyone involved that you may record the conversation as a general rule. But, in certain states, the law only requires a single person to know. As part of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, the government passed the Wiretap Act after the public outcry over the covert recordings of activists in the 1960s. (18 U.S.C. § 2510.)

    The federal Wiretap Act prohibits anyone from secretly recording oral or telephonic communications that other parties believe intimate or private. (18 U.S.C. § 2511.) However, there are varying laws regarding the legality of recording oral, telephonic, and other communications in different states. Unless federal law has stronger privacy protection, a secret recording of a conversation is under the state’s laws in which it happened.

    The Wiretap Act does not apply if:

  • At least one person in the conversation consents to the recording
  • The one recording has permission from the law
  • It means in practice that recording a conversation with the consent of the person making the recording is legal under 18 U.S.C. 2511.

    Observing reasonable privacy expectations

    Each state’s secret recording law and the Wiretap Act only protect individuals who expect their communications to remain private. Whether one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a situation depends upon the context:

  • Did the conversation take place in a public or private setting?
  • Did the person being recorded regard it as a private matter?
  • For example, if a person tells a party he cheated a friend in a business deal and records it, he cannot object if you use it in court if you sue them.

    One-party consent

    With the consent of a party, you can record a conversation if you’re a participant. You can record a conversation or cell phone call if you’re not a party to it, provided the other party consents to it after being notified. The 18 U.S.C.* 2511 (2) (d) only requires approval from one party. Along with this Federal statute, 38 states and the District of Columbia also require one-party consent.

    Consent from all parties

    Eleven states require everyone involved in a conversation or phone call to consent to the recording. Sometimes called "two-party" consent laws, it needs all parties to give verbal consent before recording can occur. As long as one-party consents, the federal Wiretap Act and most state laws that allow secret recordings permit covert recordings.

    Here are some examples of consent:

  • Directly when one party records another.
  • Helpline Calls – a consumer who holds on to a helpline after the mandatory "this conversation is recorded for quality assurance."
  • Explicit – a reporter’s sources who agree to speak "on the record" connected with a news story.
  • What states require approval from two parties? Those include California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Currently, there are no consent laws in Vermont. But based on federal law, Vermont is a one-party state.

    Is it illegal to eavesdrop or wiretap if it does not involve you in the conversation?

    Eavesdropping involves overhearing, recording, amplifying, and transmitting any part of a private conversation behind the parties engaged in the discussion. Placing a "bug" inside the premises of a private business to record private conversations. Or a "wired" government informant recording any conversations happening in their vicinity.

    The term "wiretap" describes the use of covert means to intercept, monitor, and record cell phone conversations. It refers to an unauthorized physical connection with a communication system between the sender and receiver. Where a third person overhears a message during transmission and no disruption of the physical integrity of the communication system has taken place, it may be less clear whether there has been an illegal "interception."

    In the infamous Olmstead vs. the United States decision, the court held that the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure commands did not apply to government wiretapping without trespassing private property. The decision stood for 40 years.

    Calls between states/multistate

    Multiple states (and even countries) may participate in a conference call that one or more parties may record. The possibility of legally recording a conversation presents some problematic legal scenarios.

    Justia.com reports some states to require consent only if participants in exchange have a "reasonable expectation of privacy," which makes the patchwork quilt of recording laws even more confusing. You expect privacy when you’re inside your home and not in a public area like a cafe.

    A consent agreement varies from state to state. As for the remaining states, Justia.com says some require explicit consent, while others are fine with implied permission. For example, Nevada is a one-party consent state, but the Supreme Court views it as an all-party consent law, according to Justia.com.

    The Maryland law says all parties must consent to record conversations, either in person or over the phone. However, the court limits consent to cases where a reasonable expectation of privacy is present. Since state and federal laws differ on recording a conversation, Justia.com recommends following the strictest or getting consent from each individual.

    Maintaining privacy while recording in public

    There is no simple answer to questions related to recording video and audio in public places other than "it’s complicated." Laws, regulations, and rules differ among federal, state, and municipal governments. There is a particular concern about audio-visual recording versus photography and editorial versus commercial use.

    For recording, the general rule is: where there is public access in areas such as a sidewalk or a park (people and buildings), it is permissible to record anything in plain sight because there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in these areas. A mall, for example, may have signs that restrict recording in the regions that are open to the public but owned privately. Before taking any recording, it is always a good idea to ask for permission from property owners.

    Practical tips

    Recording phone conversations and calls

    It is helpful to record conversations, interviews, and phone calls using a recording device, such as a microphone, video recorder, Skype, or camera. It serves as a great way to document events in court or public meetings, whether for personal use or broadcast online. Keep out of legal trouble when you record conversations, phone calls, meetings, and hearings with the following tips.

    • Before recording a phone call or conversation, check the law in your state: You will need to be aware of the law before recording phone calls and conversations without consent, or you may incur criminal or civil liability. As you do your research, consider your state’s consent requirement, e.g., whether one party’s consent makes up consent or whether you need all parties’ consent to record.

    • Record consent: If you want to prove you got consent, record it along with the telephone call or conversation. This will require:

    1. Inform the person you intend to record

    2. Get off-the-record consent

    3. If the person agrees to the recording, start the recording and ask for an on-the-record confirmation from them.

    • Be honest: Secret recordings are illegal in some states, even in public places. If possible, let everyone know you are recording. By being upfront with recording, you give people a chance to object and undercut any argument that you are being secretive.

    Consider your location carefully

    Plan your locations carefully if you intend to record a video for a film competition or share it online. Recordings in private homes and businesses require the owner’s permission. Ensure that people don’t have a reasonable expectation of privacy if you are in a public place. Don’t record in changing rooms, locker rooms, or restrooms. Ensure that you don’t plan to record in an obvious place in your home, and alert people if you plan to record in an area; they might expect privacy.

    The final verdict

    Can you record someone without their consent? That depends on the reasons, intent, and which state you are in. Ensure that you understand both your rights to record and the consequences of recording without the other person’s permission.

    If a person is in a public location, what you may assume to be consent does not mean the individual agrees to you recording them. It may violate their privacy rights. When in doubt, one should apply morality and common sense. But always get consent to avoid legal repercussions.


    Frequently asked questions

    Can I sue someone for recording me without consent?

    In most public places, recording someone happens all the time: security cameras, smart devices, and smartphones are everywhere. In most states, you can voice record or video record in public places as well. Although the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects your right to privacy, you should have a reasonable expectation of privacy. If someone records you without your permission, you may sue them in a small claims court under certain conditions.

    A recording must meet certain circumstances and laws for a lawsuit to be valid. Among them are:

    • The caller didn’t notify you about the recording

    • There was a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as in a doctor’s office or on private property.

    • You expected your conversation or activity to be private, but they recorded it.

    • There was no warrant from federal or state authorities.


    It’s a good idea to check your state’s recording laws before you sue in small claims court. If the person doing the recording consents to the recording, many states allow the recording of a conversation. Single-party consent is what most states call this. Others require consent from all parties. In either case, it violates your privacy if someone records you without being part of the conversation, and you can sue them.

    Can someone record me without my permission?

    Most states and the Wiretap Act allow coveting recordings if one party consents. The consent can be implicit or explicit. By tacit consent, we mean one side of the conversation is openly recording the other. The same thing could happen if a consumer holds on to a customer service call despite a quality assurance recording warning.

    An excellent example of explicit consent is when a journalist’s source agrees to speak "on record" for a news item. There can be consequences if you violate federal and state recording laws. Your punishment may include paying damages to the victim of the crime or jail time.

    When someone records you without your consent while you expect some level of privacy, then that makes up an infringement of your rights, for which you may file a civil lawsuit. You may win the case and receive a handsome settlement. You should contact your local police and file a civil suit against anyone who has violated your right to privacy.

    Is it legal to record a conversation?

    Attorneys will tell you it depends! It is important to remember that if you provide police or a judge with evidence recorded with an illegal device or unlawfully, you may face more severe punishment than the person you caught in the act. Always follow the law and know your rights. Speak with an experienced attorney if in doubt.

    It depends on the situation, but the answer is YES. The rules for recording calls go beyond consent. If there is a valid reason for collecting relevant information, it is possible to record audio conversations. According to the GDPR, recording of conversations is legal. However, there are additional requirements to protect the rights and freedoms of data subjects. Considering GDPR, all parties recording a conversation need to justify their actions.

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