Can I record a call in Australia?

It depends on the state. Recording at your own end is governed by state and territory surveillance-device laws, and most of them require the consent of everyone in a private conversation.

All-party consent Everyone in the conversation has to agree before it is recorded.

General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed September 2026. Laws change and facts differ; check before you rely on any line here, and ask a lawyer licensed where you record for anything that matters.

What the rule means

New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory generally require all parties to consent, with narrow exceptions.
Victoria and Queensland allow a party to record their own conversation, but restrict publishing or sharing it without consent.
The federal Privacy Act applies to larger organisations and requires notice when personal information is collected.
With participants in more than one state, follow the strictest: announce and get agreement.

The law

Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (Cth)
Surveillance Devices Act 2007 (NSW)
Surveillance Devices Act 1999 (Vic)
Invasion of Privacy Act 1971 (Qld)
Surveillance Devices Act 1998 (WA)
Surveillance Devices Act 2016 (SA)

Breaches are criminal offences under the state Acts, with fines, imprisonment or both.

When the others are somewhere else

Treat a call with anyone in Australia as an all-party call unless you know every participant is in Victoria or Queensland. Video meetings are treated like phone calls, and the strictest rule that applies to anyone on the call is the one to follow.

What to say

Say it at the start, before anything else, and say it again when someone joins late.

“Quick note before we start: I’m recording and transcribing this meeting on my own computer for my notes. It isn’t shared with anyone unless I send it to you. Let me know if you’d rather I didn’t.”

How Recordist fits

You are the participant. Recordist records your own microphone and the audio arriving at your computer. No bot joins the call.
It asks before every recording. Nothing records until you confirm, and the confirm card can show the sentence above as a reminder.
The notice is still yours to give. Software cannot give consent for the other people. In Australia, tell them and get their agreement first.

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