Nevada Phone Recording Laws: Two-Party Consent for Calls

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

Both, depending on the kind of talk. Treat phone calls as two-party, which here means all parties, or everyone on the call. In-person talks are one-party.

The Nevada Supreme Court says everyone on the call must consent. One person's consent counts only with a judge's approval, so private callers need everyone's consent. Treat the all-party rule as the law, though a court could differ. The phone statute is NRS 200.620.

In-person talks are simpler. NRS 200.650 bars secretly recording a private conversation "unless authorized to do so by one of the persons engaging in the conversation."

What the courts have said:

• The phone statute stops at the state line. In Ditech Financial v. Buckles (2017), the Nevada Supreme Court held that "NRS 200.620 does not apply when the act of interception takes place outside Nevada."
• Nevada's top court describes phone calls as all-party. Ditech says the statute "prohibits a person from recording a telephone call unless both parties participating in the call consent to the recording." It reads Lane v. Allstate (1998) the same way. Lane says "No exceptions are made for private parties," and found that a man who taped his own calls broke the law.

What's less settled:

• The phone rule rests on a split decision. No majority joined the opinion in Lane that sets the rule, and Ditech only had to decide a question about location. A court could differ, but follow the rule.
• Cell phones. It's unclear if the consent rule reaches cell calls, so treat them the same way. Sharpe v. State (2015), a police case and not a typical business call, treated them as covered by the wiretap law.

Same person, phone versus in person:

• Fine. You record a private in-person talk you're part of. One person's okay is enough, and that can be yours.
• Not fine. You're in Reno and you secretly record your own phone call with your boss. Nevada's top court found that illegal in the Lane case.

Penalties for illegal recording in Nevada

	What the law says
The crime	A felony for a willful and knowing violation, under NRS 200.690
Prison	A state prison sentence runs 1 to 4 years
Fine	A court may add up to $5,000, unless another statute allows more
Repeat offense	This recording law sets no higher penalty
Who can sue	A person whose call or conversation was intercepted without consent, for a willful and knowing violation
Damages	At least $1,000. More if your actual losses, or $100 for each day of the violation, come to more
Also	Punitive damages, plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee

NRS 193.130 sets the prison range and fine.

Nevada court cases

If you run a call center, announce every call and know Ditech. Where the recording happens decides whether Nevada's phone law applies. Lane shows that a person who records can lose the use of the tapes.

• Ditech Financial v. Buckles (2017). A Nevada resident alleged that a mortgage servicer recorded calls without consent at call centers in Arizona and Minnesota. The court ruled for the company on this point: "Interceptions and recordings occur where made."
• Lane v. Allstate (1998). An employee who sued Allstate had secretly taped over 700 calls. The main opinion said he broke the phone law. The court reversed the dismissal of his suit, but all evidence from the recordings stayed out.

Can a business record your call in Nevada?

A business recording calls in Nevada should get everyone's consent. Under the 2017 Ditech ruling, a call center that records outside Nevada falls outside Nevada's phone law, even if the customer is in Nevada.

The other state's law can still apply. Ditech says recordings occur where made, but where a cloud recording is made isn't settled. If your team or phone system is in Nevada, treat the call as covered.

If you're the customer: You can't rely on Nevada's phone law against a call center that records in Arizona, say.

The written exception covers emergency lines of police, fire agencies, and public utilities. It doesn't cover an ordinary business.

What does "this call may be recorded" do here? It's unclear if those words, or staying on the line, count as consent in Nevada. Say "we record" instead, because it's a clearer warning.

Ask for a clear yes. No Nevada case we read applies the all-party rule to a customer call. Federal law can treat staying on the line as consent, as in Griggs-Ryan v. Smith.

What if the other person is in another state?

Nevada gives a clearer answer than most. The answer depends on where the recording is made. If the recording is made in Nevada, Nevada's phone law applies. If it's made elsewhere, that law doesn't.

That only answers the Nevada question. A recording made in another state may fall under that state's law. And California's top court has applied California law to a business recording calls with people in California. So on a call from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, tell the other person.

Running a call center or sales team in Nevada?

Our advice: announce the recording at the very start of every call, inbound and outbound. In Nevada, getting everyone's agreement is the point of the law, and an announcement at the start is how you ask for it.

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 Nevada

People in Nevada filed 24,331 fraud reports with the FTC in 2024 and reported about $138.5 million lost, with a median loss of $519. 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 Nevada?

Not secretly. Nevada requires everyone's consent, so say you're recording first. If a scammer hangs up, you lost nothing.

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 Nevada Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, (888) 434-9989. 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 Nevada

CallTutor's analysis of 502 calls from Nevada area codes, August through October 2026, found a credit card number read out loud on 21.3% 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 Nevada. 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.

Nevada recording law FAQ

Is Nevada a one-party consent state?

For in-person conversations, yes. For phone calls recorded in Nevada, no. The state's Supreme Court says everyone has to consent.

Is Nevada a two-party consent state?

For phone calls recorded in Nevada, yes, under its Supreme Court's reading. For in-person conversations, no. One person's authorization is enough.

In Nevada, can someone record me without telling me?

On a phone call recorded in Nevada, no, not without your consent. In a private in-person talk, one participant's authorization is enough.

Does Nevada law apply to a call center in another state?

Not the Nevada phone statute. The state's top court held that the statute doesn't apply when the recording happens outside Nevada. The other state's law may apply.

Can I sue over an illegal recording in Nevada?

Yes, for a willful and knowing violation. Nevada damages are at least $1,000. More if actual losses, or $100 a day, come to more. Punitive damages and attorney's fees are also available.

Recording laws in nearby states

• Arizona phone recording laws (one-party)
• California phone recording laws (two-party)
• Idaho phone recording laws (one-party)
• Oregon phone recording laws (one-party)

See all two-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.