Can I Record A Conversation In Tennessee?

As easy as it is to record a conversation today, doing so is not always legal. Tennessee laws are less restrictive than laws in states like Florida, but it is crucial to understand how to comply with both state and federal recording law to reduce your exposure to criminal and civil liability and to ensure the admissibility of any recordings as evidence in court.

Tennessee State Law

Tennessee is a "one-party consent" state, meaning only one person in a phone or in-person conversation needs to consent to a recording of that conversation. In other words, you can record a conversation that you are a part of without the permission of the other individual. However, you may not record a conversation that you are not part of (often referred to as a "wiretap") unless you obtain advance consent from one of its participants.