Washington DC is a one-party consent jurisdiction under DC Code 23-542. Only one participant in a communication needs to consent to recording. Intercepting communications without any party's consent is a felony.
Washington DC is a one-party consent jurisdiction for recording communications. Under DC Code 23-542, it is lawful to intercept or record a communication as long as at least one party to the communication consents. This means you can legally record your own phone calls, in-person conversations, and video communications without notifying the other party, as long as you are a participant. However, intercepting communications where you are not a party and no party has consented (wiretapping/eavesdropping) is a felony under DC law, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and fines. DC also has voyeurism statutes (DC Code 22-3531) that prohibit photographing or filming someone in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy without consent. Video recording in public places without audio does not require consent. DC is a federal jurisdiction, so federal wiretapping laws (18 USC 2511) also apply. When recording calls with parties in other jurisdictions, the stricter jurisdiction's law may apply.
Wiretapping: felony, up to 5 years prison. Voyeurism: misdemeanor or felony depending on circumstances. Federal penalties may also apply.
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See how Washington's recording & consent laws rules stack up against other locations.
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