Los Angeles, CA Privacy & Surveillance: Recording & Consent Laws (2026)

California Penal Code Section 632 makes it a crime to use any electronic device to record or eavesdrop on a confidential communication without the consent of all parties. A confidential communication is one carried on under circumstances reasonably indicating that the parties intended it to be confidential. This applies to both in-person and telephone conversations. Key aspects: You cannot record a private conversation even if you are a party to it without the other party's consent. Public conversations where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy may be recorded. Business calls that are preceded by a recording notification are considered to have implied consent. PC 631 additionally prohibits wiretapping of telephone lines. Federal law (18 USC 2511) provides a floor of one-party consent, but California's stricter standard applies within the state. Illegally obtained recordings are inadmissible in California courts under PC 632(d). California also has a public recording exception: public officials performing their duties in public may be recorded.