Can you record a phone call in Kansas?
You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. The Kansas breach of privacy law only bans intercepting a telephone message without the consent of the sender or the receiver.
- Phone calls
- The Kansas breach of privacy law (K.S.A. 21-6101) makes it a crime to knowingly intercept a message by telephone or other private means without the consent of the sender or receiver. A participant's own consent is enough. The Kansas Supreme Court applied the same one-party rule to in-person recording (State v. Roudybush, 1984). Federal law (18 U.S.C. 2511) is also one-party.
- Business calls
- No notice is needed when your own staff take part in the call. Announce the recording when you call people in all-party states, since the stricter law may apply. Do not hide recorders in private places: recording sounds there that are not normally audible, without consent of the people entitled to privacy, is a separate crime.
- What counts as consent
- Your own consent as a participant is enough in Kansas. For calls with people in stricter states, say at the start that you record; a person who is warned and keeps talking is generally treated as consenting.
- Penalties
- Intercepting or disclosing a call unlawfully is a class A misdemeanor: up to 1 year in jail and a fine up to $2,500. Victims can sue for at least $100 a day or $1,000, plus punitive damages and fees.
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
- K.S.A. 21-6101 was amended in 2024 and 2025; the current text also covers intimate images altered by AI. The call rule still turns on the consent of the sender or receiver.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- K.S.A. 21-6101, Breach of privacy (Kansas Revisor of Statutes)statute
- K.S.A. 22-2518, Civil action for interception (Kansas Revisor of Statutes)statute
- 18 U.S.C. 2511, federal Wiretap Act (U.S. Code on GovInfo)statute
- RCFP Reporter's Recording Guide: Kansasguide
- RCFP: Introduction to the Reporter's Recording Guideguide
Other states
More free tools
Questions
Is Kansas a one-party consent state?
Yes. You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. The Kansas breach of privacy law only bans intercepting a telephone message without the consent of the sender or the receiver.
Can a business record calls in Kansas?
No notice is needed when your own staff take part in the call. Announce the recording when you call people in all-party states, since the stricter law may apply. Do not hide recorders in private places: recording sounds there that are not normally audible, without consent of the people entitled to privacy, is a separate crime.
What counts as consent in Kansas?
Your own consent as a participant is enough in Kansas. For calls with people in stricter states, say at the start that you record; a person who is warned and keeps talking is generally treated as consenting.
What happens if you record a call illegally in Kansas?
Intercepting or disclosing a call unlawfully is a class A misdemeanor: up to 1 year in jail and a fine up to $2,500. Victims can sue for at least $100 a day or $1,000, plus punitive damages and fees.
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.
