Can you record a phone call in Czechia?
Get the other person's consent before recording, unless you need the recording to exercise or protect rights. Czech civil law bans sound recordings of a person's private life without consent, with that exception.
- Phone calls
- Section 86 of the Civil Code (občanský zákoník) bans intruding on someone's privacy without a legal reason, in particular by making a sound recording of their private life without consent. Section 88 allows recordings made or used to exercise or protect rights. Recording your own call does not breach the secrecy of telephone messages (Constitutional Court, I. ÚS 191/05).
- Business calls
- The GDPR applies: a business needs a legal basis and must tell callers about the recording, its purpose and how long it is kept. Under Section 316 of the Labor Code, an employer may not intercept or record employees' phone calls without a serious reason based on the special nature of its activity, and must then tell employees directly the scope and methods.
- What counts as consent
- Ask first and record only after the other person agrees. In a business dispute, the Constitutional Court allowed a recording as evidence where the other side was told at the start that the call was monitored. Consent to using a recording can be withdrawn later (Section 87).
- Penalties
- Someone recorded unlawfully can sue to stop it, remove its effects and get compensation. GDPR fines apply. Breaching the secrecy of other people's calls: up to 2 years in prison or a ban on activity (Criminal Code 182).
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?
- Czech
Než začneme: hovory si nahrávám, aby byly moje poznámky přesné. Souhlasíte s tím?
Worth knowing
- The Constitutional Court said in 2006 everyone may record their own calls, and courts treat business talk as usually not private. In 2014 it called hidden recording in private and business dealings generally unlawful, so the stricter reading is used.
- The Section 88 exceptions may not be used in a way that is disproportionate to the recorded person's legitimate interests (Section 90).
- If you rely on spoken consent, keep proof. In 2020 the data protection authority (UOOU) found a breach where a company could not show consent given only verbally by phone.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- e-Sbírka: Zákon č. 89/2012 Sb., občanský zákoník (version in force from 1 January 2026)statute
- Ústavní soud, I. ÚS 191/05 of 13 September 2006: recording your own phone calls (NALUS)court
- Ústavní soud, II. ÚS 1774/14 of 9 December 2014: secret recording as evidencecourt
- Ústavní soud, II. ÚS 2299/17: monitored business call as evidence (press release, March 2018)court
- UOOU: Kontrola zpracování osobních údajů při telemarketingu (2020)regulator
Other countries
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Questions
Is Czechia a one-party consent country?
No. Get the other person's consent before recording, unless you need the recording to exercise or protect rights. Czech civil law bans sound recordings of a person's private life without consent, with that exception.
Can a business record calls in Czechia?
The GDPR applies: a business needs a legal basis and must tell callers about the recording, its purpose and how long it is kept. Under Section 316 of the Labor Code, an employer may not intercept or record employees' phone calls without a serious reason based on the special nature of its activity, and must then tell employees directly the scope and methods.
What counts as consent in Czechia?
Ask first and record only after the other person agrees. In a business dispute, the Constitutional Court allowed a recording as evidence where the other side was told at the start that the call was monitored. Consent to using a recording can be withdrawn later (Section 87).
What happens if you record a call illegally in Czechia?
Someone recorded unlawfully can sue to stop it, remove its effects and get compensation. GDPR fines apply. Breaching the secrecy of other people's calls: up to 2 years in prison or a ban on activity (Criminal Code 182).
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.
