Can I record a phone call in the UK?

Yes. An individual may record their own phone call for their own personal use without telling the other party. You need a lawful basis and must tell people if you go on to share the recording or use it for business purposes, which is where UK GDPR and the ICO's guidance apply.

Do I need consent to record a call in the US?

Federal law and most states allow one-party consent, meaning your own consent is enough because you are part of the call. A minority of states require every party to consent. If the people on the call are in different states, assume the stricter rule applies.

Is it legal to record a family member?

Recording a family conversation you are part of, for your own keeping, is normally fine in one-party jurisdictions. Telling them anyway is both safer legally and better for the recording — people speak differently when they are not being secretly taped.

Can I share or publish a recorded call?

Sharing is a separate question from recording. Publishing a private conversation without consent can breach privacy and data protection law even where recording it was lawful. Ask before you share.

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Is it legal to record a phone call?

The short answer for families: in the UK and in most of the US you may record your own call for your own use. Where it gets complicated is sharing — and which US state the other person is sitting in.

Updated August 2026 · Ana by Rememora

This is general information written for families recording their own calls, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and by US state, and they change. If a recording might end up in a dispute, a court, or anything commercial, take proper advice.

The United Kingdom

In the UK, recording a call that you are part of, for your own personal use, is lawful and you are not required to announce it. The regulated part is what happens next. Once a recording of an identifiable person is shared, published or used for business purposes, it is personal data and UK GDPR applies — you need a lawful basis, and the person normally needs to be told.

Ofcom's rules and the ICO's guidance are aimed mostly at organisations, which is why every customer-service line tells you the call may be recorded. A daughter recording her mother is not in that regime. The practical rule for families is simple: record freely, tell them anyway, ask before you share.

Primary sources: ICO guidance for the public.

The United States

Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2511) permits recording where one party to the conversation consents. Because you are a party to your own call, your consent counts. Most states follow the same one-party rule.

A minority of states require the consent of every party. These are usually listed as:

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Illinois
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Washington

Several of those states have been litigated in different directions, and the list is not the same in every summary you will read. Treat it as a prompt to check your own state rather than the final word.

Reference: Reporters Committee — Reporter's Recording Guide (state-by-state).

Calls that cross a border

A call between London and Los Angeles, or between Texas and California, sits under more than one set of rules at once. There is no tidy answer to which one wins, so the only safe practice is the strictest: assume everyone must agree, and get it on the recording.

The one habit that solves nearly all of this

Say it out loud, at the start, and let it be recorded: "I'm recording this so we keep it — is that all right with you?" Their yes is now part of the file. It costs nine words and removes almost every problem discussed above.

This is why Ana asks both sides before capture rather than hiding it. A recording of someone you love should not be something you have to keep quiet about.

Common questions

Question	Short answer
Can I record a phone call in the UK?	Yes. An individual may record their own phone call for their own personal use without telling the other party. You need a lawful basis and must tell people if you go on to share the recording or use it for business purposes, which is where UK GDPR and the ICO's guidance apply.
Do I need consent to record a call in the US?	Federal law and most states allow one-party consent, meaning your own consent is enough because you are part of the call. A minority of states require every party to consent. If the people on the call are in different states, assume the stricter rule applies.
Is it legal to record a family member?	Recording a family conversation you are part of, for your own keeping, is normally fine in one-party jurisdictions. Telling them anyway is both safer legally and better for the recording — people speak differently when they are not being secretly taped.
Can I share or publish a recorded call?	Sharing is a separate question from recording. Publishing a private conversation without consent can breach privacy and data protection law even where recording it was lawful. Ask before you share.