Is it legal to record a call in South Carolina?
South Carolina 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
It is lawful under this chapter for a person acting under color of law to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication, where the person is a party to the communication or one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to the interception.
S.C. Code Ann. 17-30-30(C). Last verified 2026-07-03.source
Penalties under the South Carolina statute
The operative penalty language, quoted from the same archived official source:
(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), whoever violates the provisions of Sections 17-30-20 through 17-30-45, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both.
S.C. Code Ann. 17-30-30(C).source
Civil liability in South Carolina
On civil exposure, the archived statute text provides:
Any person whose wire, oral, or electronic communication is intercepted, disclosed, or used in violation of this chapter has a civil cause of action against any person or entity who intercepts, discloses, or uses, or procures any other person or entity to intercept, disclose, or use the communications
S.C. Code Ann. 17-30-30(C).source
Frequently asked questions
Can I record a phone call I am on in South Carolina?
South Carolina 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 South Carolina statute provide?
The archived statute text provides: "(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), whoever violates the provisions of Sections 17-30-20 through 17-30-45, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both." See the quoted provision above and the official source for full context. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can someone sue over an unlawful recording in South Carolina?
The archived statute text provides: "Any person whose wire, oral, or electronic communication is intercepted, disclosed, or used in violation of this chapter has a civil cause of action against any person or entity who intercepts, discloses, or uses, or procures any other person or entity to intercept, disclose, or use the communications" See the quoted provision above and the official source for full context. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- S.C. Code Ann. 17-30-30(C) 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.