Can you record a phone call in Latvia?
You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. Latvian criminal law targets outsiders who breach the secrecy of communications. A business must announce the recording before it starts, under the GDPR.
- Phone calls
- The Criminal Law (Krimināllikums, section 144) punishes breaching the secrecy of correspondence and unlawfully intercepting transmissions in electronic communications networks. In 2014 the State Police said anyone may record their own conversations to use as evidence; obtaining other people's conversations is what is banned. For purely personal use the GDPR does not apply, so you need not tell the other person, as long as you do not share the recording.
- Business calls
- The Data State Inspectorate treats call recordings as personal data. A business can rely on legitimate interest after a balancing test, but must tell the caller at the start of the call, with the purpose and a contact. Recording before that notice is not allowed. Put the details in a privacy notice, fix a retention period in advance, limit access and delete recordings once the purpose is met.
- What counts as consent
- Give a short announcement before recording starts, with the purpose and a contact. The inspectorate's sample: "To provide better customer service, this conversation is recorded", followed by an email address for data questions and a link to the privacy policy.
- Penalties
- Breaching correspondence secrecy: up to 2 years in prison. Intercepting electronic transmissions: up to 3 years. Either for profit: up to 5 years. Fines and lighter penalties are also possible. GDPR fines reach EUR 20 million or 4% of turnover.
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?
- Latvian
Pirms sākam: es ierakstu savas sarunas, lai mani pieraksti būtu precīzi. Vai jums tas ir pieņemami?
Worth knowing
- A 2025 answer on LV portāls, the official publisher's legal portal, says that outside purely personal use you must tell the other person and get consent. The inspectorate's own guidance accepts legitimate interest with prior notice.
- No statute says in so many words that a participant may record. In 2020 the Senate (SKC-276/2020) accepted that an employee may, in some cases, secretly record a talk with the employer and use it in court.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- Krimināllikums (Criminal Law), section 144, likumi.lvstatute
- #DVIskaidro: what businesses must consider when recording calls with clients (2025), Datu valsts inspekcijaregulator
- LV portāls: Sarunas drīkst ierakstīt (State Police answer, 2014)guide
- LV portāls: Telefonsarunas ieraksta veikšanai svarīgs ir mērķis (2025)guide
- Senāts (Supreme Court), case SKC-276/2020: an employee's secret recording as evidence, at.gov.lvcourt
Other countries
More free tools
Questions
Is Latvia a one-party consent country?
Yes. You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. Latvian criminal law targets outsiders who breach the secrecy of communications. A business must announce the recording before it starts, under the GDPR.
Can a business record calls in Latvia?
The Data State Inspectorate treats call recordings as personal data. A business can rely on legitimate interest after a balancing test, but must tell the caller at the start of the call, with the purpose and a contact. Recording before that notice is not allowed. Put the details in a privacy notice, fix a retention period in advance, limit access and delete recordings once the purpose is met.
What counts as consent in Latvia?
Give a short announcement before recording starts, with the purpose and a contact. The inspectorate's sample: "To provide better customer service, this conversation is recorded", followed by an email address for data questions and a link to the privacy policy.
What happens if you record a call illegally in Latvia?
Breaching correspondence secrecy: up to 2 years in prison. Intercepting electronic transmissions: up to 3 years. Either for profit: up to 5 years. Fines and lighter penalties are also possible. GDPR fines reach EUR 20 million or 4% of turnover.
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.
