Can you record a phone call in Colorado?
One person on the call can record it, and that can be you. Colorado's wiretapping and eavesdropping laws only cover people who are not part of the conversation.
- Phone calls
- Colorado's wiretapping law (Colorado Revised Statutes 18-9-303) applies only to someone who is not a sender or intended receiver of a phone or electronic communication, and only when neither the sender nor a receiver consented. A participant may record a call without telling anyone. In-person talks follow the same one-party rule under the eavesdropping law (18-9-304).
- Business calls
- Colorado's recording laws do not require a beep or announcement when you or your staff take part in the call. Recording on your own premises for security or business purposes is allowed with reasonable public notice. Larger data handlers (100,000 Colorado consumers a year, or 25,000 plus data sales) must follow the Colorado Privacy Act.
- What counts as consent
- Your own consent as a participant is enough, and no announcement is required. The business-premises exception needs reasonable notice to the public. Tell callers in all-party states such as California at the start of the call.
- Penalties
- Wiretapping and eavesdropping are class 2 misdemeanors: up to 120 days in jail, a fine up to $750, or both. State law gives no general civil claim, but federal law does.
Say this at the start
Telling everyone and asking is the safe habit everywhere.
- English
Before we start: I record my calls so I can keep accurate notes. Is that OK with you?
Worth knowing
- Older guides list wiretapping as a felony. It became a class 2 misdemeanor on 1 October 2023 under House Bill 23-1293. Eavesdropping became one on 1 March 2022 under Senate Bill 21-271.
- The Colorado Privacy Act has applied since 1 July 2023. Only the Attorney General and district attorneys enforce it; consumers cannot sue under it.
- If the other person is in an all-party state such as California, that state's law can apply to your call (Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney, California Supreme Court, 2006).
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- Colorado General Assembly: SB21-190, Protect Personal Data Privacy (Colorado Privacy Act)statute
- Colorado General Assembly: SB21-271, Misdemeanor Reformstatute
- Colorado General Assembly: HB23-1293, Felony Sentencing Commission Recommendationsstatute
- Colorado Revised Statutes 18-9-303, Wiretapping (Colorado Public Law)guide
- Colorado Revised Statutes 18-9-305, Exceptions (FindLaw)guide
Other states
More free tools
Questions
Is Colorado a one-party consent state?
Yes. One person on the call can record it, and that can be you. Colorado's wiretapping and eavesdropping laws only cover people who are not part of the conversation.
Can a business record calls in Colorado?
Colorado's recording laws do not require a beep or announcement when you or your staff take part in the call. Recording on your own premises for security or business purposes is allowed with reasonable public notice. Larger data handlers (100,000 Colorado consumers a year, or 25,000 plus data sales) must follow the Colorado Privacy Act.
What counts as consent in Colorado?
Your own consent as a participant is enough, and no announcement is required. The business-premises exception needs reasonable notice to the public. Tell callers in all-party states such as California at the start of the call.
What happens if you record a call illegally in Colorado?
Wiretapping and eavesdropping are class 2 misdemeanors: up to 120 days in jail, a fine up to $750, or both. State law gives no general civil claim, but federal law does.
Hang up. The notes are done.
Superscribe records your business calls on the number you already have and writes the note when you hang up. You say one line at the start, and it does the rest.
