Can you record a phone call in Ohio?
One-party consent: you may record a call you take part in without telling the others. Ohio's interception law allows it unless you record to commit a crime, a civil wrong or another harmful act.
- Phone calls
- Ohio's interception law (Ohio Rev. Code 2933.52) bans intercepting a wire, oral or electronic communication. Under division (B)(4), a person who is not a police officer may intercept a communication they are a party to, or where one party has given prior consent, unless the purpose is a criminal offense, a tortious act or any other injurious act. Ohio courts confirm only one party's consent is needed.
- Business calls
- Ohio law requires no announcement, but announce on calls with people in all-party states. Ohio has no general consumer privacy law as of 2026. The Ohio Data Protection Act only gives businesses with a recognized cybersecurity program a defense in data breach lawsuits.
- What counts as consent
- Your own consent as a party is enough; no beep or announcement is required. In-person talk is protected only where the speaker reasonably expects privacy. A defendant told her calls were monitored had no expectation of privacy (State v. Voss, 2008).
- Penalties
- A fourth-degree felony: possible prison of 6 to 18 months and a fine up to $5,000. Civil damages: the largest of actual damages, $200 per day or $10,000, 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
- 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).
- Ohio kept the words any other injurious act, which Congress removed from federal law in 1986, so Ohio's ban on recording for a harmful purpose reaches further than federal law.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- Ohio Revised Code 2933.52, Interception of wire, oral or electronic communicationsstatute
- State v. Bell, 2008-Ohio-592 (one-party consent under R.C. 2933.52)court
- RecordingLaw.com: Ohio recording lawsguide
- RecordingLaw.com: Ohio data privacy lawsguide
- Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney, California Supreme Court (2006)court
Other states
More free tools
Questions
Is Ohio a one-party consent state?
Yes. One-party consent: you may record a call you take part in without telling the others. Ohio's interception law allows it unless you record to commit a crime, a civil wrong or another harmful act.
Can a business record calls in Ohio?
Ohio law requires no announcement, but announce on calls with people in all-party states. Ohio has no general consumer privacy law as of 2026. The Ohio Data Protection Act only gives businesses with a recognized cybersecurity program a defense in data breach lawsuits.
What counts as consent in Ohio?
Your own consent as a party is enough; no beep or announcement is required. In-person talk is protected only where the speaker reasonably expects privacy. A defendant told her calls were monitored had no expectation of privacy (State v. Voss, 2008).
What happens if you record a call illegally in Ohio?
A fourth-degree felony: possible prison of 6 to 18 months and a fine up to $5,000. Civil damages: the largest of actual damages, $200 per day or $10,000, 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.
