Jacksonville, FL Privacy & Surveillance: Recording & Consent Laws (2026)

Florida's Security of Communications Act (FL §934.03) makes it illegal to intercept oral, wire, or electronic communications without the consent of all parties. Florida is one of the strictest two-party consent states in the nation. For security cameras, video-only recording in areas without privacy expectations is legal. Adding audio recording immediately triggers §934.03 requirements—all parties whose conversations may be captured must consent. Phone call recording requires consent of all parties. A first-time violation of §934.03 is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $5,000 in fines. The law applies to both intentional and inadvertent interception of private conversations. Exceptions exist for law enforcement with proper court authorization. Conversations in genuinely public settings where no privacy expectation exists may not be protected, but the line is narrow in Florida. Many security camera manufacturers recommend disabling audio for outdoor cameras in Florida. Civil remedies are available under FL §934.10, including actual damages and punitive damages.