Arizona Phone Recording Laws: One-Party Consent

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

Arizona is one-party, so it isn't a two-party state. A "party" is a person on the call or in the conversation, and Arizona's criminal code says it twice.

The crime is in A.R.S. § 13-3005(A), which treats the two kinds of recording separately:

• Phone calls and other electronic communications. It's a crime to intercept one "to which he is not a party" and "without the consent of either a sender or receiver thereof."
• In-person talks. It's a crime to intercept "a conversation or discussion at which he is not present" and "without the consent of a party to such conversation or discussion."

Another section, § 13-3012(9), adds an exemption for interception "with the consent of a party to the communication or a person who is present during the communication." So the okay of someone in the room counts, even if that person isn't doing the talking.

You can record your own call with a contractor, because you're a party and no one else has to agree. You can't leave a recorder running in a meeting you aren't at, if nobody in the meeting agreed.

Penalties for illegal recording in Arizona

	What the law says
The crime	A felony (class 5)
Prison, first offense	A standard term of 1.5 years, up to 2, or 2.5 if aggravated
Prison, repeat offenders	Longer. The top term is 3.75 or 7.5 years, depending on the person's record
Fine	Up to $150,000 for a person
Company fine	Up to $1,000,000
Who can sue	A person whose communication was intentionally and illegally intercepted, disclosed or used
Damages	$10,000, $100 for each day of violation, or actual losses plus the violator's profits, whichever is most
Punitive damages and fees	Punitive damages in appropriate cases, plus reasonable attorney fees and costs
Deadline to sue	One year from the first reasonable chance to discover the violation

Arizona's one-year deadline is shorter than the two years in federal law, which also allows a suit over an illegal recording.

Can a business record your call in Arizona?

Yes, a business on the call can record.

If you run a business: Arizona doesn't make you announce a recording. Your caller's state may require consent, so give notice at the start. Arizona's text doesn't ask for "this call may be recorded." Say "we record" instead, because it's a clearer warning.

The ban only reaches people who aren't parties, and a business on the call is a party. A vendor that isn't on the call needs the consent of someone who is.

The law also reaches anyone who "aids, authorizes, employs, procures or permits another" to intercept without that consent, so hiring someone else to record doesn't get a company off the hook.

If you're the customer: a notice mostly tells you what's happening. If you'd rather not be recorded, you can end the call. Under federal law, consent can be implied from what you knew. One federal appeals court found it where a person was warned again and again (Griggs-Ryan v. Smith). Another said courts shouldn't imply it casually (Watkins v. L.M. Berry).

What if the other person is in another state?

Arizona shares a border with California, so this comes up. California's law wants everyone's consent for a confidential call. Its Supreme Court ruled that a business in a one-party state had to follow California law going forward when recording Californians.

Courts disagree on which state's law applies. The safe course is to follow the stricter state's rule. For a business with customers in both states, that means giving notice at the start of every call.

Running a call center or sales team in Arizona?

Our advice: announce the recording at the very start of every call, inbound and outbound. Arizona'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 Arizona

People in Arizona filed 54,367 fraud reports with the FTC in 2024 and reported about $336.7 million lost, with a median loss of $600. 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 Arizona?

A person on the call can generally record it in Arizona, 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 Arizona Attorney General's Office, (602) 542-5025. 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 Arizona

CallTutor's analysis of 2,110 calls from Arizona area codes, August through October 2026, found a credit card number read out loud on 27.6% of them, 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 Arizona. 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.

Arizona recording law FAQ

Is Arizona a one-party consent state?

Yes. In Arizona, you can record a call or conversation you're in, or one where a person in it agrees.

Is Arizona a two-party consent state?

No. Arizona doesn't require everyone's consent for calls or in-person conversations. One party's consent is enough.

In Arizona, can someone record me without telling me?

Yes, if that person is on the call or in the conversation, or has one party's consent. Without that, it's a felony in Arizona.

Is illegal recording a felony in Arizona?

Yes. For a first offense in Arizona, the maximum is 2 years in prison, or 2.5 if aggravated.

Can I sue someone who illegally recorded me in Arizona?

Yes, within one year of your first reasonable chance to discover it. Arizona damages are $10,000, $100 a day, or actual losses plus profits, whichever is most.

Recording laws in nearby states

• California phone recording laws (two-party)
• Nevada phone recording laws (two-party)
• New Mexico phone recording laws (one-party)
• Utah 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.