Ohio recording consent laws
Last reviewed: . Checked against the official statute text.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change; consult an attorney about your situation.
Quick Answer
Ohio law uses the same rule for recording in-person conversations and phone calls.
- In person: One-party consent.
- Phone calls: One-party consent.
In-person conversations: One-party consent
The statutory prohibition against intercepting communications does not apply to an individual who is not a law enforcement officer and who intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication if that individual is a party to the communication or if one of the parties has given prior consent to the interception, provided the communication is not intercepted to commit a criminal offense, a tortious act, or any other injurious act.
(4) A person who is not a law enforcement officer and who intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication, if the person is a party to the communication or if one of the parties to the communication has given the person prior consent to the interception, and if the communication is not intercepted for the purpose of committing a criminal offense or tortious act in violation of the laws or Constitution of the United States or this state or for the purpose of committing any other injurious act;
Phone calls: One-party consent
The statute's interception provisions do not apply to a person who is not a law enforcement officer and intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication if that person is a party to the communication or one of the parties gave prior consent, so long as the communication is not intercepted for the purpose of committing a criminal offense, a tortious act, or any other injurious act.
The same statute text quoted above applies (Ohio Rev. Code § 2933.52(B)(4)).
What this means in common sales settings
- In-home sales visits
- A sales conversation in a customer's home is an in-person conversation, which the in-person rule describes: One-party consent.
- Dealership and retail floors
- A conversation on a showroom, dealership or store floor is also an in-person conversation: One-party consent.
- Field sales
- A field rep's face-to-face meetings follow the in-person rule above. Calls follow the phone rule: One-party consent.
- Calls across state lines
- When a call connects people in different states, more than one state's law can be relevant. This page describes Ohio law only; the guide's index lists the other jurisdictions it covers.
How the Itero app handles consent
The Itero mobile app for iPhone and Android asks the rep to confirm that everyone present agreed before every in-person recording, and Itero keeps a timestamped record of that consent. The app is in English. Virtual ride-alongs in the Itero app