Can I record a call in Pennsylvania?

Not without everyone agreeing. Pennsylvania requires the consent of all parties to record a call or 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

The Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act covers wire, electronic and oral communications, so phone and video calls are included.
Consent has to come from every party before recording starts. An announcement at the start that nobody objects to is the usual method.
Using or sharing a recording made without consent is a separate violation.

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

18 Pa.C.S. § 5703 (interception, disclosure or use)
18 Pa.C.S. § 5704 (exceptions)
18 Pa.C.S. § 5725 (civil action)

A violation is a felony, and the person recorded can bring a civil claim.

When the others are somewhere else

Treat any call with a participant in Pennsylvania 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.

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 Pennsylvania, tell them and get their agreement first.

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