The rule in California
California requires everyone's consent (often called "two-party" consent, though it means all parties): before you record a private conversation, tell everyone in it and get their agreement. Recording without it can be a crime and can expose you to a lawsuit.
The law: Cal. Penal Code §632 — confidential communications require all-party consent.
Can I record a phone call in California?
Only with the consent of everyone on the call. Say at the start that you’d like to record and get each person’s agreement.
Do I need consent to record a meeting at work in California?
Yes: under California law everyone in the meeting must agree before you record it. Ask at the start, on the recording, and again if someone joins later. Your employer’s policies may add their own rules.
Can I record my doctor’s appointment in California?
Only if the doctor and everyone else in the room agree. Ask at the start: most doctors say yes when you explain it helps you remember their instructions.
What if the other person is in another state?
Follow the stricter state’s rule. When anyone in the conversation is in an all-party consent state, get everyone’s agreement before you record.
What to say before you record
Before we start: is everyone OK with me recording this meeting so I have accurate notes? It stays private to me.
Great. For the record, I’m recording now and everyone here has agreed.
Ask before anything substantive is said, so the agreement is on the recording itself. If anyone says no, don’t record.
Record with consent built in
Bonfiyah records in-person conversations on iPhone, iPad and Mac, tells you who said what by voice and remembers what everyone said. It shows California’s rule before you record, keeps each person’s consent status, and can pick up a spoken “yes” at the start of a recording. New accounts get 14 days of Pro and Pro AI, no card needed; after that the Free plan includes 120 minutes of cloud transcription a month.
Download on the App StoreGeneral information, not legal advice. Laws change and courts read them differently; when in doubt, get everyone’s consent before you record. Rules from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press state guide (2024) and Bonfiyah’s per-state counsel cross-check: the same table Bonfiyah’s app shows before you record. Updated 2026-10-25.
All-party consent states
Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Washington.
Every state
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