Can I record a call in Illinois?

Not in private without everyone agreeing. Illinois requires the consent of all parties to record 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

A private conversation is one where a party reasonably expects it to stay private. Business video calls usually qualify.
The current statute dates from 2014, after the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the earlier, broader version.
Illinois also regulates voiceprints. Software that identifies people by their voice needs informed written consent under the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Recordist does no voiceprint identification unless you turn it on.

Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d)) allows a participant to record unless the recording is made to commit a crime or a tort. State law can ask for more.

The law

720 ILCS 5/14-1 and 5/14-2 (eavesdropping)
740 ILCS 14 (Biometric Information Privacy Act)

Eavesdropping is a felony, and the person recorded can bring a civil claim. Biometric violations carry statutory damages of their own.

When the others are somewhere else

If a participant may be in Illinois, announce the recording and leave speaker identification by voice off unless you have written consent. 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 Illinois, tell them and get their agreement first.

Recordist is opening in small waves. Ask for a place.