Is It Illegal to Record Phone Calls in the State of Texas?

Life can be crazy sometimes; you can be in situations that are uncomfortable, and you want to protect yourself by recording a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the phone. Is that considered illegal here in the state of Texas.  

It’s an interesting question that I know lots of people want to know the answer to, which is why I wanted to dig into the research and find out what the laws actually are when it comes to recording phone calls. According to TX Crime Defense, Texas is known as a “one-party consent” state, that means as long as one person on the phone agrees to be recorded, then it is perfectly legal to record the conversation. 

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There Are Some Stipulations to This Law 

This law pertains only to the state of Texas. So, if you’re recording a phone conversation that involves someone from outside of Texas there could be other laws that apply. Before you record a conversation with anyone do your research and have a plan, that way you don’t end up getting yourself in trouble with the law.  

Recording Calls Without Any Consent Could Mean Jail Time 

In Texas we know that as long as you have one person's permission you can record the call, but you could be in huge trouble if you don’t have any consent and record the call. That would be a violation of Chapter 16.02 of the Texas Penal Code, which makes it a second-degree felony. Which could mean up to 20 years in state prison and up to a $10,000 fine.