Is Alabama a one-party consent state?
Yes. Alabama is a one-party consent state for recording calls, under Ala. Code §§ 13A-11-30, 13A-11-31.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and we can get things wrong, so check with a lawyer before relying on any of this. Citations checked October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Recording calls in Alabama
Alabama lets a call be recorded when one person on it agrees. The business is a party to every call its agent answers, so its own consent is generally enough under the statute.
§ 13A-11-31 makes it a crime to use any device to eavesdrop. Under § 13A-11-30(1), eavesdropping means overhearing or recording the private communication of others without the consent of at least one person in the communication. A party to the call, or someone with one party's consent, can record it.
Reporters Committee summary for AlabamaAlabama is a one-party consent state, so the penalty applies to recording a call you are not a party to when no party has consented (§§ 13A-11-30(1), 13A-11-31). Criminal eavesdropping is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and a fine of up to $6,000 (§§ 13A-11-31(b), 13A-5-7(a)(1), 13A-5-12(a)(1)). Knowingly using or sharing what was overheard is a separate Class B misdemeanor (§ 13A-11-35). Alabama's statute does not give the person recorded a right to sue, though federal law does for this kind of interception (18 U.S.C. § 2520).
General information, not legal advice. Citations checked October 2026. Ask a Alabama lawyer about your own calls.
Using an AI agent to answer your Alabama line
Alabama only needs one party's consent, but a caller from California or Florida brings their state's stricter rule onto the call. So the agent opens every call by saying it is recorded.
“Thanks for calling. This is an AI assistant, and this call is recorded. How can I help?”
A Cartesia voice agent answers your business line, says this on every call, then takes messages or transfers the caller to your team.
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If the agent also calls out from Alabama
An answering service mostly takes calls. Callbacks and reminders are outbound, and outbound calls follow the federal rules plus Alabama's own.
Outbound calls that use an AI voice need the called party's prior express consent, unless the call is for an emergency or fits an FCC exemption. AI-voice calls that include telemarketing need prior express written consent. The FCC ruled in February 2024 (FCC 24-17) that an AI-generated voice is an artificial voice under the TCPA, so these calls must also identify the caller and, for telemarketing, offer a way to opt out.
47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(B)47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(a)(2) and (a)(3)FCC ruling on AI voices, February 2024Federal rules allow telemarketing calls from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the called party's local time. Some states set a shorter window, listed below when they do.
16 C.F.R. § 310.4(c)The Alabama Telemarketing Act requires a commercial telephone seller to get a license from the Consumer Division of the Attorney General's office before soliciting buyers in Alabama, including calls placed from other states (§ 8-19A-5). Section 8-19A-4 exempts several groups, such as nonprofits and licensed securities brokers. Within the first 30 seconds of a sales call, the caller must give their true name, the company they call for and what they are selling (§ 8-19A-12).
Statute textAlabama bars telephone solicitations to residential numbers on the state do-not-call database run by the Public Service Commission, which includes Alabama numbers on the national registry (§ 8-19C-2). A caller making a telephone solicitation may not block or get around the called party's caller ID (§ 8-19C-5(b)).
Statute textWhere Alabama callers are
Time zone: Central. You set your business hours in your own time zone, and the agent takes messages outside them.
205
Birmingham
251
Mobile
256
Huntsville
334
Montgomery
States near Alabama
Enterprise-grade security
HIPAA compliant
SOC 2 Type 2
GDPR
Alabama call recording law FAQs
Is Alabama a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Alabama is a one-party consent state for recording calls, under Ala. Code §§ 13A-11-30, 13A-11-31. This is general information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer about your own calls.
Do I have to tell callers an AI agent is recording in Alabama?
Alabama needs one party's consent, and the business is a party. Most businesses announce recording anyway, because a caller in an all-party state such as California or Florida can bring that state's rule into the call. The sample agent opens with "Thanks for calling. This is an AI assistant, and this call is recorded. How can I help?" This is general information, not legal advice.
What if the caller is in a different state than my Alabama business?
The stricter state's rule can apply. In Kearney v. Salomon Smith Barney (2006), the California Supreme Court held that California's all-party rule governs, going forward, calls a Georgia office records with clients in California. A business that takes calls from other states usually announces recording on every call.
How much does a Cartesia agent cost to answer calls in Alabama?
Managed Agents cost $0.03/min, plus telephony and LLM usage. See pricing.
Which time zone and area codes cover Alabama?
Time zone: Central. Main area codes: 205, 251, 256, 334. The agent answers calls from any number, and you set your business hours in your own time zone.
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