Dallas, TX Privacy & Surveillance: Recording & Consent Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Consent Type
- One-party consent
- Wiretap Statute
- TX Penal Code §16.02
- Visual Recording
- TX Penal Code §21.15
- Penalty
- State jail felony
Summary
Texas is a one-party consent state. You may legally record a conversation if you are a party to it or have consent from one participant. Texas Penal Code §16.02 governs wiretapping. Audio recording on security cameras is legal if at least one party consents or conversations occur in public areas.
Sec. 16.02. UNLAWFUL INTERCEPTION, USE, OR DISCLOSURE OF WIRE, ORAL, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. (b) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) intentionally intercepts, endeavors to intercept, or procures another person to intercept or endeavor to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication; [...] (c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (b) that: [...] (4) a person not acting under color of law intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication, if: (A) the person is a party to the communication; or (B) one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to the interception, unless the communication is intercepted for the purpose of committing an unlawful act
Full Breakdown
02 (Unlawful Interception, Use, or Disclosure of Wire, Oral, or Electronic Communications). You may legally record a conversation as long as you are a party to the conversation or have the consent of at least one participant. Recording conversations between other people that you are not part of is illegal. For security cameras with audio, recording in public-facing areas of your property is generally permissible because there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. Recording private conversations between others without any party's consent is illegal. 15 separately governs invasive visual recording.
Phone call recording is legal if you are a party to the call. Texas law does not require you to inform the other party that you are recording. Businesses in Dallas may record workplace conversations in common areas but should notify employees of surveillance. Dallas has no city-specific recording ordinance beyond Texas state law.
Violations & Fines
Illegal wiretapping under TX Penal Code §16.02 is a state jail felony (180 days to 2 years, fines up to $10,000). Illegally obtained recordings are generally inadmissible. Civil damages also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record a conversation in Dallas without the other person's consent?
Can my security cameras record audio in Dallas?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dallas
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Dallas to another location·View the Texas privacy & surveillance overview
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Recording & Consent Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle recording & consent laws.