{"id":10435,"date":"2026-09-10T18:51:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T18:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voicit.com\/?page_id=10435"},"modified":"2026-09-10T18:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T18:53:56","slug":"recording-consent-interviews-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/interview-questions\/recording-interviews-consent-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Legal to Record a Job Interview? Consent Laws by State (US), UK and EU"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.ast-article-single .entry-title{max-width:820px;text-wrap:balance}\n.vq{font-family:Manrope,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',sans-serif;color:#161616;max-width:820px;margin:0;font-size:18px;line-height:1.7;counter-reset:vqq}\n.vq h2{font-size:1.5em;line-height:1.25;margin:2.4rem 0 1rem;color:#161616;text-wrap:balance}\n.vq h3{font-size:1.15em;margin:1.5rem 0 .55rem;color:#161616;text-wrap:balance}\n.vq p{margin:0 0 1.05rem}\n.vq a{color:#046bd2}\n.vq .vq-crumb{font-size:.88em;margin:0 0 1.2rem;color:#6E6E6E}\n.vq .vq-crumb a{color:#6E6E6E;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #DCDCDC}\n.vq .vq-crumb a:hover{color:#161616;border-bottom-color:#161616}\n\/* \u2550\u2550 Respiracion vertical \u2550\u2550\n   Medido en vivo: el H1 empezaba en los 58 px exactos del header (0 px de aire)\n   y la caja de autor terminaba justo donde arranca el footer negro (0 px).\n   Astra pinta el H1 fuera del 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Se centran hasta que el grupo crezca. *\/\n.vq--hub .vq-grid:has(>:last-child:nth-child(-n+2)){grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(300px,352px));\n  justify-content:center}\n.vq--hub .vq-howcard{background:#F7F7F4;border-radius:14px}\n.vq--hub .vq-cta{margin-top:3rem}\n.vq--hub .vq-author{max-width:780px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}\n@media(max-width:900px){\n  .vq--hub .vq-grid,.vq--hub .vq-how{grid-template-columns:repeat(2,1fr)}\n  .vq--hub .vq-stat{padding:0 1.2rem}\n}\n@media(max-width:600px){\n  .vq--hub .vq-grid,.vq--hub .vq-how{grid-template-columns:1fr}\n  .vq--hub .vq-stats{flex-direction:column;gap:.9rem}\n  .vq--hub .vq-stat{border-right:0;padding:0}\n  body.page-id-9573 .ast-article-single .entry-title{font-size:1.9em}\n}\n@media(max-width:600px){.ast-article-single .entry-title{margin-top:1.6rem}\n.vq{padding-bottom:2.6rem;font-size:17px}.vq table{font-size:.88em}\n  .vq .vq-toc ol{columns:1}\n  .vq .vq-author{flex-direction:column;gap:.7rem}}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"vq\" data-no-translation>\n<p class=\"vq-crumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/interview-questions\/\">Interview Questions Library<\/a> &nbsp;\/&nbsp; Is It Legal to Record a Job Interview? Consent Laws by State (US), UK and EU<\/p>\n<div class=\"vq-byline\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9606a7cf8a077e463d66ccba5e8cd71f?s=96\" width=\"36\" height=\"36\" alt=\"\u00c1lvaro Arrescurrenaga\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Updated: August 2026 \u00b7 By <b>\u00c1lvaro Arrescurrenaga<\/b>&nbsp;\u00b7 CEO of Voicit<\/span><\/div>\n<ul class=\"vq-chips\">\n<li>Free download<\/li>\n<li>Scoring rubric 1&ndash;5<\/li>\n<li>Updated August 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vq-answer\"><span class=\"vq-lbl\">Short answer<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the US, recording a job interview you take part in is legal under federal law with the consent of one party \u2014 you. But eleven states require every participant&#8217;s consent, and a remote interview can involve two states at once. In the UK and the EU, the recording is personal data: you need a lawful basis, a clear notice and a retention period. The safe rule everywhere is the same: tell the candidate at the start, say why, and record the consent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Recording interviews is the single best way to stop interviewer notes from being reconstructions \u2014 but the first question every HR team asks is whether it is allowed. The answer depends on where the interviewer and the candidate are, and the rules are less complicated than they look once you separate three questions: can you record, what do you have to tell the candidate, and what happens to the file afterwards. This guide covers the US state by state, the UK and the EU, and ends with the sentence to say before you press record. It is general information, not legal advice; check with counsel for your jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<nav class=\"vq-toc\"><span class=\"vq-lbl\">On this page<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-1\">The three questions to answer before you record<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-2\">United States: one-party vs all-party consent<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-3\">Why you should ask for consent even where you do not have to<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-4\">United Kingdom: UK GDPR, the ICO and the Employment Practices Code<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-5\">European Union: GDPR and national rules<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-6\">What to say before you press record<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-7\">After the interview: storing, sharing and deleting the recording<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"sec-1\">The three questions to answer before you record<\/h2>\n<p>Most of the confusion around recording interviews comes from mixing up three different rules. Answer them in order and the picture is clear.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vq-tw\">\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>Question<\/td>\n<td>What governs it<\/td>\n<td>Practical answer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Can I record at all?<\/td>\n<td>Wiretapping and eavesdropping laws (US federal and state; UK RIPA\/IPA; national laws in the EU)<\/td>\n<td>Yes in most places, as long as the required parties consent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What do I have to tell the candidate?<\/td>\n<td>Consent rules plus privacy law (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA\/CPRA)<\/td>\n<td>Who is recording, why, who will hear it, how long it is kept, how to object<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What happens to the file?<\/td>\n<td>Privacy and data retention law; company policy<\/td>\n<td>Store it securely, limit access, delete it on a schedule, honor access requests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sec-2\">United States: one-party vs all-party consent<\/h2>\n<p>Federal law (18 U.S.C. \u00a7 2511) allows recording a conversation if at least one participant consents \u2014 and as the interviewer, you are that participant. State law can be stricter. The states below require the consent of everyone on the call for a private conversation; for a remote interview, the conservative reading is that you need consent if either the interviewer or the candidate is in one of them. Laws change and courts read them differently; verify before relying on this list.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vq-tw\">\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>Rule<\/td>\n<td>States<\/td>\n<td>What it means for an interview<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>All-party consent<\/td>\n<td>California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Washington<\/td>\n<td>Get the candidate&#8217;s explicit yes before recording; a notice alone is not enough<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mixed or context-dependent<\/td>\n<td>Connecticut (civil penalties for calls), Michigan and Oregon (differ by call vs in-person), Nevada (courts have required all-party consent for calls)<\/td>\n<td>Treat as all-party consent to be safe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>One-party consent<\/td>\n<td>The remaining states and Washington, D.C.<\/td>\n<td>Legal without the candidate&#8217;s consent \u2014 but see the next section on why you should ask anyway<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sec-3\">Why you should ask for consent even where you do not have to<\/h2>\n<p>Four reasons that have nothing to do with wiretap law. First, the candidate may be in an all-party state, and you often do not know where they are sitting. Second, a candidate who discovers a secret recording later is a reputational and legal risk far bigger than the recording itself. Third, once the file is processed with AI, transcribed and stored, privacy laws such as California&#8217;s CCPA\/CPRA give the candidate rights over it regardless of consent rules. Fourth, it changes nothing in practice: told that the interview is recorded so that notes are accurate, virtually every candidate says yes. Structured interviews with recordings are also easier to defend in a discrimination claim than interviewer memory.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-4\">United Kingdom: UK GDPR, the ICO and the Employment Practices Code<\/h2>\n<p>In the UK, recording a job interview is not prohibited, but the recording is personal data under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. That means you need a lawful basis (usually legitimate interests, documented), a privacy notice that mentions recording before the interview, a retention period, and security around the file. The ICO&#8217;s guidance on employment practices is explicit that covert recording of candidates is very unlikely to be justified. Candidates can make a subject access request for the recording and the transcript, so write the notes as if they will read them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vq-tw\">\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>Requirement<\/td>\n<td>How to meet it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lawful basis<\/td>\n<td>Legitimate interests assessment on file: accurate notes, fair comparison, less bias<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Transparency<\/td>\n<td>Recording mentioned in the candidate privacy notice and announced at the start<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Retention<\/td>\n<td>A defined period \u2014 six months after the decision is common \u2014 then deletion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Access<\/td>\n<td>Only the hiring panel; a process for subject access requests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>AI processing<\/td>\n<td>Mention it in the notice; the decision stays with a human<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sec-5\">European Union: GDPR and national rules<\/h2>\n<p>The GDPR treats the recording as personal data of the candidate (and of the interviewer). You need a lawful basis, information given before the recording starts (Article 13), a retention period proportionate to the purpose, and technical and organizational security. Consent is one lawful basis but not the only one; many employers rely on legitimate interests with a documented balancing test, because consent in a hiring context is hard to consider freely given. National laws add detail: in Spain, for example, recording a conversation you take part in is lawful, but distributing it without a legal basis is not, and the AEPD expects clear information before recording. In France and Germany, works council rules and stricter interpretations apply to employee monitoring. Where the file is stored matters too: EU-hosted processing avoids transfer questions altogether.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vq-tw\">\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>Country<\/td>\n<td>Recording by a participant<\/td>\n<td>What to watch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spain<\/td>\n<td>Lawful (Constitutional Court doctrine)<\/td>\n<td>Information duty under GDPR\/LOPDGDD; no distribution without a legal basis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>France<\/td>\n<td>Lawful only with the other party&#8217;s knowledge<\/td>\n<td>CNIL guidance; covert recording is inadmissible and can be an offence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Germany<\/td>\n<td>Requires consent of all participants (\u00a7 201 StGB)<\/td>\n<td>Strictest regime in the EU; always get explicit consent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Italy<\/td>\n<td>Lawful for a participant<\/td>\n<td>Garante guidance on employee data; information duty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Netherlands, Portugal, others<\/td>\n<td>Generally lawful for a participant<\/td>\n<td>GDPR information and retention rules apply in full<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"sec-6\">What to say before you press record<\/h2>\n<p>One sentence at the start of the interview, in plain language, and a note in the invitation or the confirmation email. A template you can adapt: \u00abThis interview will be recorded and transcribed so that our notes are accurate and every candidate is assessed on the same basis. Only the hiring team will have access, the recording is kept for six months and then deleted, and you can ask us for a copy or ask us to stop at any time. Are you okay with that?\u00bb Wait for the answer, and note it. If the candidate says no, do not record \u2014 take notes by hand and move on; a refusal is not evidence of anything.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-7\">After the interview: storing, sharing and deleting the recording<\/h2>\n<p>The recording is only useful if it feeds the evaluation, so the workflow should end with a rating and a decision, not with an archive of audio files. Keep the file and the transcript in one system with access limited to the panel, never in personal folders or chat threads. Share the report, not the recording, with people outside the panel. Set the retention period in the policy and enforce it automatically \u2014 six months after the hiring decision covers most claim windows in the US and the UK; check your local rules. If you use AI to transcribe or summarize, say so in the notice and make sure the provider processes data under a contract (a DPA in the EU\/UK) and, ideally, on servers in your region. Voicit stores recordings and transcripts on EU servers, lets you delete any file at once, and keeps the candidate&#8217;s literal answers next to the questions on your <a href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/interview-questions\/interview-evaluation-form\/\" style=\"color:#046bd2;text-decoration:underline;\">evaluation form<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vq-cta\">\n<p><strong>Stop writing up interviews by hand.<\/strong> Voicit records the interview, transcribes it and fills your scorecard against the competencies you defined &mdash; so you can listen instead of typing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/human-resources\/\">See how it works<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"vq-faq\">\n<h3>Is it legal to record a job interview in the US?<\/h3>\n<p>Under federal law, yes, as long as one participant \u2014 you \u2014 consents. Eleven states require every participant&#8217;s consent for a private conversation, including California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington. For remote interviews, assume the stricter rule applies if either person is in one of those states, and ask the candidate before recording regardless.<\/p>\n<h3>Can an employer record an interview without telling the candidate?<\/h3>\n<p>In one-party consent states it is not a crime, but it is a bad idea: the candidate may be in an all-party state, privacy laws still apply to the file, and a covert recording discovered later is a reputational and legal problem. In the UK and the EU, covert recording of candidates is very unlikely to be lawful. Tell the candidate at the start; almost everyone agrees.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I need written consent to record an interview?<\/h3>\n<p>Written consent is the easiest to prove, but verbal consent captured at the start of the recording works in most places: state the notice, ask, and let the candidate answer on the recording. Mention the recording in the interview invitation as well, so nobody is surprised.<\/p>\n<h3>How long can we keep interview recordings?<\/h3>\n<p>As long as you have a documented reason, and no longer. Six months after the hiring decision is a common retention period in the US and the UK; some EU regulators expect shorter periods for unsuccessful candidates. Write the period into your policy and delete automatically.<\/p>\n<h3>Can a candidate ask for the recording?<\/h3>\n<p>In the UK and the EU, yes: the recording and the transcript are their personal data and fall under subject access requests. In California and several other US states, similar rights exist under state privacy laws. Write notes and reports you would be comfortable sharing with the candidate.<\/p>\n<h3>Does recording with an AI note taker change the rules?<\/h3>\n<p>It adds a processor: the tool&#8217;s provider handles the candidate&#8217;s data on your behalf. In the EU and the UK you need a data processing agreement with the provider and should mention AI transcription in the notice. The decision must remain with a human; the AI only documents the interview.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Keep reading<\/h2>\n<div class=\"vq-rel-grid\"><a class=\"vq-relcard\" href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/interview-questions\/interview-notes-template\/\">Interview notes template (and how to take notes that hold up)<\/a><a class=\"vq-relcard\" href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/interview-questions\/interview-evaluation-form\/\">Interview evaluation form (free Word, Excel and PDF)<\/a><a class=\"vq-relcard\" href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/interview-questions\/phone-interview-questions\/\">Phone interview questions (the screen)<\/a><a class=\"vq-relcard\" href=\"https:\/\/voicit.com\/en\/security\/\">How Voicit protects interview data (security and GDPR)<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"vq-author\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9606a7cf8a077e463d66ccba5e8cd71f?s=160\" width=\"64\" height=\"64\" alt=\"\u00c1lvaro Arrescurrenaga\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"vq-author-name\">\u00c1lvaro Arrescurrenaga<\/div>\n<div class=\"vq-author-role\">CEO and co-founder of Voicit<\/div>\n<p>Voicit records interviews and meetings, transcribes them and writes the report against the template each team defines. These question sets come from working with recruitment consultancies and in-house talent teams across Europe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is it legal to record a job interview in the US?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Under federal law, yes, as long as one participant \u2014 you \u2014 consents. Eleven states require every participant's consent for a private conversation, including California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington. 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Consent Laws by State (US), UK and EU Updated: August 2026 \u00b7 By \u00c1lvaro Arrescurrenaga&nbsp;\u00b7 CEO of Voicit Free download Scoring rubric 1&ndash;5 Updated August 2026 Short answer In the US, recording a job interview you take part in is legal under federal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":9573,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Recording Job Interviews: Consent Laws by State, UK & EU","rank_math_description":"Can you record a job interview? 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