Can you record a phone call in Rhode Island?
You can record a call you take part in without asking the others. Rhode Island's wiretap law only forbids it when the purpose is a crime, a civil wrong or another harmful act.
- Phone calls
- Rhode Island's wiretap law (General Laws section 11-35-21) bans intercepting calls and other electronic communications, but not when you are a party to the call or one party agreed in advance. That exception does not cover a recording made to commit a crime, a civil wrong or any other harmful act. Federal law (18 U.S.C. 2511) follows the same one-party rule.
- Business calls
- Rhode Island sets no notice rule for a participant who records. If the other person may be in an all-party state such as California or Washington, announce the recording and get consent. Since 1 January 2026 the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act also covers businesses holding personal data of 35,000 Rhode Island customers, or 10,000 if data sales bring over 20% of revenue.
- What counts as consent
- As a participant, your own consent is enough. Rhode Island law requires no beep or announcement. To record a call you are not part of, you need one participant's consent before the recording starts.
- Penalties
- Up to 5 years in prison for illegal interception, disclosure or use. Victims can sue for the greatest of actual damages, $100 a day or $1,000, plus punitive damages and legal fees (General Laws 12-5.1-13).
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 conversations follow the same rule. Consent matters only where the speaker can reasonably expect privacy, so open talk in public places can be recorded.
- Rhode Island's exception also fails for any 'injurious' purpose, a wider test than the federal law's crime or civil wrong test.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- Rhode Island General Laws 11-35-21 (Rhode Island General Assembly)statute
- R.I. Gen. Laws 11-35-21, FindLaw copy current to January 2026guide
- 18 U.S.C. 2511, federal Wiretap Act (govinfo)statute
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: Rhode Island recording guideguide
- Rhode Island data privacy laws (RecordingLaw, reviewed August 2026)guide
Other states
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Questions
Is Rhode Island a one-party consent state?
Yes. You can record a call you take part in without asking the others. Rhode Island's wiretap law only forbids it when the purpose is a crime, a civil wrong or another harmful act.
Can a business record calls in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island sets no notice rule for a participant who records. If the other person may be in an all-party state such as California or Washington, announce the recording and get consent. Since 1 January 2026 the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act also covers businesses holding personal data of 35,000 Rhode Island customers, or 10,000 if data sales bring over 20% of revenue.
What counts as consent in Rhode Island?
As a participant, your own consent is enough. Rhode Island law requires no beep or announcement. To record a call you are not part of, you need one participant's consent before the recording starts.
What happens if you record a call illegally in Rhode Island?
Up to 5 years in prison for illegal interception, disclosure or use. Victims can sue for the greatest of actual damages, $100 a day or $1,000, plus punitive damages and legal fees (General Laws 12-5.1-13).
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.
