Recording law · United States
Can I record a call in Maryland?
Not without everyone agreeing. Maryland requires the consent of all parties to record a wire, oral or electronic communication.
All-party consent Everyone in the conversation has to agree before it is recorded.
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 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.
Is Maryland a one-party or all-party consent state?
All-party consent. Everyone in the conversation has to agree before it is recorded.
- Phone and video calls are covered as wire or electronic communications. In person, the law protects words spoken in private conversation (§ 10-401).
- A participant may record only with the prior consent of every party, and never to commit a criminal or tortious act (§ 10-402(c)(3)). Get agreement from every participant before recording starts.
- Disclosing or using a recording you know, or have reason to know, was made unlawfully is a separate violation (§ 10-402(a)).
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
- Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 10-401 (definitions)
- Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 10-402
- Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 10-410 (civil liability)
A violation is a felony punishable by up to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both (§ 10-402(b)). The person recorded can sue for actual damages of at least $100 a day of violation or $1,000, whichever is higher, plus punitive damages and reasonable legal costs (§ 10-410).
The official texts these lines were checked against, in October 2026:
When the others are somewhere else
Treat any call with a participant in Maryland as an all-party call. Video meetings are treated like phone calls, and the strictest rule that applies to anyone on the call is the one to follow.
Do I have to tell people I'm recording a call in Maryland?
Yes, and everyone has to agree. Say it at the start, before anything else, wait for agreement, and say it again when someone joins late.
“Quick note before we start: I’m recording and transcribing this meeting on my own machine 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
- One-party consent covers only conversations you take part in. Recordist records whatever your microphone picks up and whatever plays through your computer's sound output, so it can also record a call or a room you aren't part of, and that needs the consent the law sets for it. No bot joins the call.
- By default it asks before it records a call. A detected call is recorded only after you click Record, unless you add that app to Record without asking for in Settings → Detection or allow agents to start recordings in Settings → Integrations; both are off by default. The confirm card shows a one-line reminder that consent is your responsibility, so keep the sentence above to hand.
- The notice is still yours to give. Software cannot give consent for the other people. In Maryland, tell them and get their agreement first.
More questions
Is it enough to tell people in Maryland that the call is recorded?
The law asks for the prior consent of every party (§ 10-402(c)(3)). Say it before you start recording and wait for each person to agree.
What happens if someone records a Maryland call without consent?
It is a felony punishable by up to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The person recorded can also sue for actual damages of at least $100 a day or $1,000, whichever is higher, plus punitive damages and legal costs.