Can They Record Me? Situation Finder by State
Worried that someone is recording you, or wondering whether you can record them? Pick the situation and your state. You will see what the law there generally allows for each part of that situation, the statute behind it, the main exceptions, and a link to our full guide for that state.
This finder summarizes the law; it does not decide whether a specific recording is legal. Facts like where the recording happened, who took part, and why it was made can change the answer.
Pick a situation and a state to see the answer.
What the answers mean
- Generally allowed: The law generally permits this kind of recording.
- Allowed, with limits: Permitted, but the law sets real limits (places, audio versus video, notice, or purpose).
- Consent or notice required: The person recorded (or every party) must consent, or advance notice is required.
- Generally prohibited: Generally a crime or otherwise unlawful.
- Law unsettled: The state’s own law is unresolved or conflicting; the cautious reading is the strict one.
- Not assessed: Our guides do not address it for this state. Not the same as “no rule”.
Patterns that hold in most states
Two different sets of rules sit underneath almost every situation. Audio recording of conversations is governed by each state’s wiretap or eavesdropping law, which is where the one-party and all-party consent labels come from. Video without sound is usually governed by privacy and voyeurism laws instead, which turn on whether you had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the place you were filmed.
That split is why the finder often gives different answers for video and audio in the same situation: a camera that is lawful as a silent video camera can raise a very different question once it also captures what people say.
We count 13 states as all-party consent states for at least one major kind of conversation. Several of them are partial, which is why the finder answers phone calls, in-person conversations and video calls separately.
Where the answers come from
The situation answers are drawn from our published state guides: the recording-law guide for each state and its pages on workplace, school, police, medical, landlord, dashcam, security-camera, voyeurism and public recording, plus our Ring doorbell, nursing-home camera, smart-glasses and AI meeting-recording guides. Each of those pages was fact-checked against the statutes and court decisions it cites before it was published.
The finder does not add anything those guides do not say. Where a guide does not address part of a situation for a state, the finder shows it as not assessed rather than guessing, and links you to the guide so you can read the full context.
The phone, in-person and video-call answers use the same per-state rules as our recording consent checker, so the two tools always agree. Compare with the consent checker
What this finder does not do
- It does not tell you whether a particular recording was legal. That depends on facts a short form cannot capture.
- It covers state law in the 50 states and DC. Federal rules, local ordinances, and contracts or workplace policies can add limits.
- Calls and meetings between states can be governed by the stricter state’s law. Use the consent checker for interstate calls.
- Laws change. Each answer links to the guide it comes from; the guide carries its own review date and sources.
This finder provides general legal information, not legal advice. If you think you have been recorded illegally, or you plan to rely on a recording, talk to a lawyer licensed in your state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone record me without my permission?
It depends on the state, the place and whether sound is recorded. In one-party consent states, a person taking part in a conversation can generally record it without telling you; in all-party consent states, everyone in a private conversation generally has to agree. Silent video is usually judged by whether you had a reasonable expectation of privacy where you were filmed. Pick your situation and state above for the specific rule.
Why does the finder say “not assessed” for some answers?
Because the guide the answer would come from does not address that part of the situation for that state. We show that honestly instead of guessing. “Not assessed” never means there is no rule; follow the link to the full guide, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state.
Why are video and audio answered separately?
Because different laws usually govern them. Recording what people say falls under wiretap and eavesdropping statutes and their consent rules, while silent video is mostly governed by privacy and voyeurism laws. The same camera can be treated very differently once its microphone is on.
What is the difference between this and the consent checker?
The consent checker answers one question in depth: which consent rule controls when you record a call or conversation, including calls between two states. This finder starts from the situation you are in (work, home, school, police, a neighbor’s camera) and covers video as well as audio. The phone, in-person and video-call answers come from the same data, so they always agree.
I think I was recorded illegally. What should I do?
Write down what happened, when and where, and keep any evidence you have. Read the full guide for your state, which covers the criminal penalties and any civil remedies, and talk to a lawyer licensed in your state or report it to local police if a crime may be involved.
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