Can you record a phone call in Maine?
You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. Maine's interception law does not apply to the sender or receiver of a communication, or to anyone they authorize in advance.
- Phone calls
- Maine's interception law (15 M.R.S. 709 and 710) makes intercepting a wire or oral communication a Class C crime. The definition of intercept excludes the sender or receiver and a person given prior authority by either of them, so a participant may record a call. 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. Never install a recording device in a private place, such as a changing room or bathroom, without the consent of everyone entitled to privacy there.
- What counts as consent
- Your own consent as a participant is enough in Maine. 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
- Interception is a Class C crime: up to 5 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. Victims can sue for actual damages of at least $100 for each day of violation, plus legal 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
- In-person talks follow the same rule. A person within normal hearing range is not intercepting, and talk with no expectation of privacy is not protected.
- The one-party definition of intercept has not changed since 1979. Section 710 received only a technical correction in 2023.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
Other states
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Questions
Is Maine a one-party consent state?
Yes. You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. Maine's interception law does not apply to the sender or receiver of a communication, or to anyone they authorize in advance.
Can a business record calls in Maine?
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. Never install a recording device in a private place, such as a changing room or bathroom, without the consent of everyone entitled to privacy there.
What counts as consent in Maine?
Your own consent as a participant is enough in Maine. 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 Maine?
Interception is a Class C crime: up to 5 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. Victims can sue for actual damages of at least $100 for each day of violation, plus legal 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.
