Is it legal to record a call in Ohio?
Ohio is a one-party consent state for recording conversations. In a one-party consent state, a party to the conversation may record it.
The statute
A law enforcement officer who intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication, if the officer is a party to the communication or if one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to the interception by the officer; (4) A person who is not a law enforcement officer and who intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication, if the person is a party to the communication or if one of the parties to the communication has given the person prior consent to the interception, and if the communication is not intercepted for the purpose of
Ohio Rev. Code 2933.52. Last verified 2026-07-03.source
Penalties under the Ohio statute
The operative penalty language, quoted from the same archived official source:
(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications, a felony of the fourth degree.
Ohio Rev. Code 2933.52.source
Frequently asked questions
Can I record a phone call I am on in Ohio?
Ohio is a one-party consent state for recording conversations. In a one-party consent state, a party to the conversation may record it. See the statute quoted above and confirm at the official source linked below. This is general information, not legal advice.
What penalties does the Ohio statute provide?
The archived statute text provides: "(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications, a felony of the fourth degree." See the quoted provision above and the official source for full context. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Ohio Rev. Code 2933.52 Tier D last verified 2026-07-03
Important
This page is general information, not legal advice. Recording laws have edge cases that this summary does not cover, including in-person versus phone recording, calls that cross state lines, and law-enforcement exceptions. Laws change. Confirm the current statute at the official source linked below, and consult your own counsel before relying on it.