Louisiana Phone Recording Laws: One-Party Consent

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

Louisiana isn't a two-party consent state. One person's consent is enough, and it can be yours.

The ban is in La. R.S. 15:1303(A): no one may willfully intercept, or "procure any other person to intercept," any "wire, electronic or oral communication."

The same law lifts that ban for a private person "where such person is a party to the communication or where one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception."

A party is a person on the call or in the talk. You lose that protection if your purpose is to commit a crime, to wrong someone in a way they could sue over, or to commit "any other injurious act."

"Any other injurious act" goes further than the federal wording, which stops at crimes and wrongs a person could sue over. Its reach isn't settled, so don't count on the exception for a recording made to hurt someone.

Phone calls and in-person talks both fall under the same words. For in-person talk, there's one extra step. Louisiana's definition limits "oral communication" to speech by someone "exhibiting an expectation that such communication is not subject to interception under circumstances justifying such expectation."

A contractor's quote vs. a neighbor's call

• Fine: You record your own call with a contractor in New Orleans, so you have a record of the quote.
• Not fine: You record a neighbor's call with someone else, and neither of them agreed.

Penalties for illegal recording in Louisiana

	What the law says
The crime	Illegal recording, under 15:1303
Prison	2 to 10 years at hard labor
Fine	Up to $10,000
Who can sue	Any person whose communication was illegally intercepted, disclosed or used, under La. R.S. 15:1312
Damages	At least $1,000. More if $100 a day, or your actual losses, comes to more
Punitive damages	Yes
Fees	A reasonable attorney's fee and other litigation costs

The statute says a person "shall be fined" and "imprisoned," so a conviction means both, with at least two years in prison.

Louisiana court cases

If you run a business, don't share a recording that may be illegal. In Louisiana, sharing one can draw a suit, not only making one.

Central Newspapers v. Johnson (1999). This wasn't a typical business call. Newspapers published excerpts of an allegedly illegal recording of two public officials' call. A Louisiana appeals court reversed a trial court ruling for the newspapers, so civil liability could apply. These rulings came before trial, and none decided that a recording broke the law.

Can a business record your call in Louisiana?

The statute's words let a business on the call record without a notice. The other person's state may require consent, so announce it anyway.

The business is a party, so it can record unless its purpose is a crime, a wrong or other harm.

If you run a business: skip "this call may be recorded." Say "we record" instead, because it's a clearer warning.

If you're the customer: if you stay on the line after that notice, federal law may treat that as consent. A federal appeals court inferred consent from clear, repeated warnings (Griggs-Ryan v. Smith). That isn't a Louisiana ruling. Hanging up is always an option.

What if the other person is in another state?

A call from New Orleans to Los Angeles is a good example. California's law requires everyone's consent, and that state's top court applied its law to a business recording calls with Californians.

Courts disagree on which state's law applies. The safe course is to follow the stricter state's rule.

Running a call center or sales team in Louisiana?

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

People in Louisiana filed 20,534 fraud reports with the FTC in 2024 and reported about $89.4 million lost, with a median loss of $425. 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 Louisiana?

A person on the call can generally record it in Louisiana, 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 Louisiana Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section, 1-800-351-4889. 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 Louisiana

CallTutor's analysis of 5,053 calls from Louisiana area codes, August through October 2026, found a credit card number read out loud on 20.1% 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 Louisiana. 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.

Louisiana recording law FAQ

Is Louisiana a one-party consent state?

Yes. In Louisiana, you can record a call or talk you're part of, or one person in it can give prior consent, unless the purpose is a crime, a wrong or other harm.

Is Louisiana a two-party consent state?

No. Louisiana doesn't require everyone's consent for calls or in-person conversations.

In Louisiana, can someone record me without telling me?

Yes, if that person is on the call or one person on it agreed first. Doing it to commit a crime or harm you loses that protection.

What's the penalty for illegal recording in Louisiana?

A fine up to $10,000 and 2 to 10 years at hard labor. A person can also sue for at least $1,000, or $100 a day if that comes to more.

Can I get in trouble for sharing a recording in Louisiana?

Yes, it's possible. Louisiana's civil suit covers communications "intercepted, disclosed, or used" in violation of the law.

Recording laws in nearby states

• Arkansas phone recording laws (one-party)
• Mississippi phone recording laws (one-party)
• Texas 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.