Can you record a phone call in the United Kingdom?
You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. Only intercepting a call you are not part of is a crime, but a business that records calls must tell callers.
- Phone calls
- The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 makes unlawful interception a crime (section 3). Interception means making a call's content available to someone who is not the sender or intended recipient (section 4), so a participant who records their own call does not intercept it. A business recording on its own phone system relies on the Interception by Businesses Regulations 2018 for lawful authority.
- Business calls
- Under UK GDPR, the ICO says callers must be told the call is recorded and why. A recorded message is good practice, or staff must say it; other details can follow by email or link. A company system may record only for listed purposes, such as proving facts or checking standards, and its users must be told. FCA rules make investment firms record order-related calls.
- What counts as consent
- A short announcement at the start, recorded or spoken by staff, saying the call is recorded and why. The rest of the privacy information can follow by email or a link. A private person recording a call for their own use does not have to tell anyone.
- Penalties
- Unlawful interception: up to 2 years in prison, a fine, or both. UK GDPR breaches: fines up to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.
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
- Making a recording and sharing it are separate questions. Once a recording is used beyond personal purposes, UK GDPR and privacy law can apply even if making it was lawful.
- Investment firms under FCA rule SYSC 10A must record relevant calls, tell clients in advance, and keep recordings for 5 years, or up to 7 if the FCA asks.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- Investigatory Powers Act 2016, section 4 (definition of interception)statute
- Investigatory Powers Act 2016, section 3 (offence of unlawful interception)statute
- Investigatory Powers (Interception by Businesses etc. for Monitoring and Record-keeping Purposes) Regulations 2018statute
- ICO: Monitoring workers, can we monitor telephone calls?regulator
- FCA Handbook SYSC 10A: recording telephone conversations and electronic communicationsregulator
Other countries
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Questions
Is the United Kingdom a one-party consent country?
Yes. You may record a call you take part in without the other person's consent. Only intercepting a call you are not part of is a crime, but a business that records calls must tell callers.
Can a business record calls in the United Kingdom?
Under UK GDPR, the ICO says callers must be told the call is recorded and why. A recorded message is good practice, or staff must say it; other details can follow by email or link. A company system may record only for listed purposes, such as proving facts or checking standards, and its users must be told. FCA rules make investment firms record order-related calls.
What counts as consent in the United Kingdom?
A short announcement at the start, recorded or spoken by staff, saying the call is recorded and why. The rest of the privacy information can follow by email or a link. A private person recording a call for their own use does not have to tell anyone.
What happens if you record a call illegally in the United Kingdom?
Unlawful interception: up to 2 years in prison, a fine, or both. UK GDPR breaches: fines up to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.
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.
