This is a plain-English reference, not legal advice. Laws change and the details matter. If you record calls regularly for work, it's worth twenty minutes with an attorney in your state.
The short version
Most of the United States, and all of Canada, follow one-party consent: if you're on the call, you can record it. You are the consenting party.
Twelve US states are different. In those, everyone on the call has to agree before you record — and getting it wrong is a criminal offense, not a fine.
The twelve states where you need permission
If you or the person you're calling is in one of these, get their okay first.
| State | Maximum penalty for getting it wrong |
|---|---|
| California | 1 year jail + $2,500 ($10,000 repeat) |
| Connecticut | 5 years + $5,000 |
| Delaware | 5 years |
| Florida | 5 years + $5,000 |
| Illinois | 1–3 years (Class 4 felony) |
| Maryland | 5 years + $10,000 |
| Massachusetts | 5 years + $10,000 |
| Montana | 6 months–5 years, escalating |
| New Hampshire | 7 years |
| Oregon | 5 years + $125,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 years + $15,000 |
| Washington | 5 years + $10,000 |
Source: Recording Law, 2026. Connecticut and Oregon treat in-person conversations differently from phone calls. Michigan is sometimes listed here; its courts have recognized a participant exception since 1982.
Calling across a state line? Assume the stricter rule applies. If you're in Texas calling a supplier in California, treat it as a California call.
How to ask, without making it weird
Nobody minds being recorded on a work call. They mind being surprised. Say it in the first ten seconds and move on:
“Hey Marcus — heads up, I record my work calls so I don't lose the details. That alright with you?”
Then wait for the yes. That's it. That's the whole thing.
If they say no, that's fine — skip recording for that call, or mark them as a protected contact and Iron Notes will never record them again.
Canada
Canada is one-party consent nationwide under s.184(2)(a) of the Criminal Code. If you're on the call, you can record it.
There's a second layer for businesses. Under PIPEDA, if you're recording calls as part of running a business, you're expected to tell the caller at the start, say why you're recording, use it only for that reason, and offer another way to do business for anyone who'd rather not be recorded. British Columbia and Alberta have their own equivalents, and Quebec's Law 25 is stricter again.
What Iron Notes does about it
- Skip any call. Turn recording off for one call, no explanation needed and no record kept.
- Protected contacts. Mark anyone as never recorded and the app won't touch those calls.
- Nothing trains an AI. Your calls and recaps are never used to train any model, ours or anyone else's.
- Deleted at 24 months. Audio and transcript both, permanently.
- Only you see it. No shared dashboard, no admin view of your calls unless you set one up.
The honest bottom line. The law puts the responsibility on the person making the call, not on the app. We give you the controls and the information. Knowing the rule where you're working is on you — and in the states above, it genuinely matters.
Last reviewed: September 2026