Can you record a phone call in North Carolina?
One-party consent: you may record a call you take part in without telling the others. North Carolina's electronic surveillance law makes interception a felony only when no party has consented.
- Phone calls
- North Carolina's electronic surveillance law (N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287) makes it a Class H felony to intercept a wire, oral or electronic communication without the consent of at least one party to it. A participant's own consent is enough, and federal law (18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d)) agrees. A 2023 bill (Senate Bill 367) to require all-party consent stalled in committee.
- Business calls
- North Carolina law requires no announcement, but announce at the start when the other person may be in an all-party state. North Carolina has no general consumer privacy law as of 2026; the 2025 bills (House Bill 462 and Senate Bill 757) had not passed by mid-2026.
- What counts as consent
- Your own consent as a participant is enough. Consent can also be implied when a person is told the call is monitored and keeps talking (State v. Price, 2005). In-person talk is covered only where the speaker reasonably expects privacy.
- Penalties
- A Class H felony. A person recorded unlawfully can sue for actual damages or $100 per day (at least $1,000), plus punitive damages and legal fees (G.S. 15A-296).
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
- Calling someone in an all-party state such as California? Their law may apply. California's Supreme Court applied its all-party rule to calls a broker recorded in Georgia (Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney, 2006).
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287, North Carolina General Assemblystatute
- UNC School of Government: Senate Bill 367 (2023), Intercept Communications/All Parties Consentguide
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: North Carolina recording guideguide
- RecordingLaw.com: North Carolina data privacy lawsguide
- Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney, California Supreme Court (2006)court
Other states
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Questions
Is North Carolina a one-party consent state?
Yes. One-party consent: you may record a call you take part in without telling the others. North Carolina's electronic surveillance law makes interception a felony only when no party has consented.
Can a business record calls in North Carolina?
North Carolina law requires no announcement, but announce at the start when the other person may be in an all-party state. North Carolina has no general consumer privacy law as of 2026; the 2025 bills (House Bill 462 and Senate Bill 757) had not passed by mid-2026.
What counts as consent in North Carolina?
Your own consent as a participant is enough. Consent can also be implied when a person is told the call is monitored and keeps talking (State v. Price, 2005). In-person talk is covered only where the speaker reasonably expects privacy.
What happens if you record a call illegally in North Carolina?
A Class H felony. A person recorded unlawfully can sue for actual damages or $100 per day (at least $1,000), plus punitive damages and legal fees (G.S. 15A-296).
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.
