Alaska Phone Recording Laws: One-Party Consent

Is Alaska a one-party or two-party consent state?

One person in the conversation can decide, so Alaska isn't a two-party state. Both Alaska statutes use the word "party," which means a person on the call or in the conversation.

• Calls and other private communications. AS 42.20.300(b) says "a person not authorized by a party to the communication may not intentionally intercept a private communication." It also bars passing along what was intercepted.
• In-person talks. AS 42.20.310(a)(1) says a person may not "use an eavesdropping device to hear or record all or any part of an oral conversation without the consent of a party to the conversation."

The Alaska Supreme Court has said an older statute with the same eavesdropping words doesn't apply "where one of the participants recorded the conversation" (Palmer v. State, 1979). That was a police case, not a business call. It means the ban is about listening in on other people, not recording your own talk.

A contractor's quote versus your neighbors' talk

• Fine: You record your own phone call with a contractor.
• Not fine: You hide a recording device to catch two neighbors talking, and neither of them agreed.

Penalties for illegal recording in Alaska

	What the law says
The crime	A misdemeanor (class A)
Jail	Not more than one year
Fine	Up to $25,000 for a person
Company fine	Up to $500,000, three times the gain, or three times the loss, whichever is most

Alaska's recording statutes don't set damages, and we didn't find another state statute that does. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says they don't authorize civil suits.

For a civil claim, look to federal law, which lets a person sue over an illegal recording. A court may award $10,000, $100 for each day of violation, or actual losses plus the violator's profits, whichever is most. The filing deadline is two years from your first reasonable chance to discover the violation.

Can a business record your call in Alaska?

Yes, a business on the call can record.

If you run a business: Alaska's wording doesn't make you warn callers. Their state may require consent, so warn them at the start. "This call may be recorded" isn't what makes the recording legal in Alaska, since your own consent is enough under state law. Say "we record" instead, because it's a clearer warning.

A business on the call is a party, and the statutes ask for consent from "a party." A separate company that isn't on the call, like a vendor, needs a party's okay.

If you're the customer: a notice tells you what's happening, and you're free to hang up. Under federal law, staying on can count as consent if you knew about the recording, as a federal appeals court found in Griggs-Ryan v. Smith.

What if the other person is in another state?

Alaska's rule may not be the last word on a call to another state. Say your call reaches someone in California, where state law wants everyone to agree. California's Supreme Court held its law applied to a business in a one-party state that was recording calls with Californians.

Courts disagree on which state's law applies. The safe course is to follow the stricter state's rule, which means telling the other person at the start that you're recording.

Running a call center or sales team in Alaska?

Our advice: announce the recording at the very start of every call, inbound and outbound. Alaska's own rule may not require it, but the law where the other person is may require consent, and this covers them without working out where each one is.

1. Ask first. "We record our calls for quality and coaching. Is that okay with you?"
2. Using AI or other software? Say that too. "We record our calls and use software to review them. Is that okay with you?"
3. Start recording after they say yes. Then say "This call is being recorded, and you said that's okay" so it's on the recording. Some states want consent first, and others look for the notice on the recording, so this is a sensible default for both.
4. If someone says no, don't record. Deleting the recording when someone says no limits the harm, but it may not undo the problem.
5. Check your phone system. If it records from the moment a call connects, change that setting first.

Using a vendor or AI coaching tool? Whether a separate company counts as someone on the call isn't settled, so mention the software in the script. Our checklist for phone teams has the details.

How to protect yourself from phone fraud in Alaska

People in Alaska filed 4,917 fraud reports with the FTC in 2024 and reported about $26.9 million lost, with a median loss of $525. These are reports people filed, and the FTC doesn't verify them. They cover all fraud, not only phone calls.

Can I record a scammer in Alaska?

A person on the call can generally record it in Alaska, unless the recording is meant to commit a crime or wrong someone. If the caller is in a stricter state, that state's rule may apply too.

What can a crook do with a recording of my voice?

The FCC warned in 2017 about callers who record your "yes" as a "voice signature", so hang up if someone asks "Can you hear me?" If you already answered, check your statements for unauthorized charges.

The FTC warned in 2023 that scammers can clone a relative's voice to ask for money, so call that person back on a number you know.

A voice alone doesn't tell a scammer your account details, so don't give those out on a call you didn't start.

Where to report it

Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Consumer Protection Unit, Alaska Department of Law, 907-269-5200. Our phone safety guide covers how to spot a scam and what to do if you paid.

If you think someone recorded you illegally, talk to a lawyer in your state. The federal deadline to sue is two years after you first had a reasonable chance to discover it.

Your credit card number on a recorded call in Alaska

CallTutor's analysis of 191 calls from Alaska area codes, August through October 2026, found a credit card number read out loud on 16.2% of them, a small sample, compared with 21.1% across all states in our data. These are calls to companies that take payments by phone, so that isn't every call in Alaska. Here's how we counted.

Before you read your credit card number out loud, ask if the call is recorded and if the number stays in the recording. If the agent doesn't know, ask to pay another way, like a secure link or a website.

If you think your number got out, check your statements and call your bank. For unauthorized charges, federal law caps what you owe at $50.

If your team takes payments by phone, CallTutor takes credit card numbers out of Zendesk Talk and Aircall recordings and transcripts minutes after hangup. See it on a real call.

Alaska recording law FAQ

Is Alaska a one-party consent state?

Yes. In Alaska, one person in the call or conversation has to agree to the recording, and that can be you.

Is Alaska a two-party consent state?

No. Alaska doesn't require everyone's consent to record a call or a private conversation. One party's consent is enough.

In Alaska, can someone record me without telling me?

Yes, if that person is in the call or conversation, or one person in it agreed. Someone outside it, with no one's okay, commits a crime in Alaska.

What's the penalty for illegal recording in Alaska?

It's a misdemeanor in Alaska, with up to one year in jail and a fine up to $25,000. An organization can face $500,000 or more.

Can I sue someone in Alaska for recording me?

We didn't find an Alaska statute that sets damages. Federal law allows a suit within two years of your first reasonable chance to discover the violation.

Recording laws in nearby states

• Washington phone recording laws (two-party)
• Oregon phone recording laws (one-party)
• Hawaii phone recording laws (one-party)

See all one-party consent states, or every state in our call recording laws by state guide.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change. We last checked these sources on November 2, 2026. If you have a legal question about a recording, talk to a lawyer in your state.