Is Maryland a one-party consent state?
No. Maryland is an all-party consent state for recording calls, under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-402.
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 Maryland
Maryland asks for the consent of everyone on a call before it is recorded. If the agent records the calls it answers, the usual practice is to tell each caller at the start.
§ 10-402 makes it unlawful to willfully intercept a wire, oral or electronic communication. A party may record only when every party has given prior consent, and never to commit a crime or tort (§ 10-402(c)(3)).
Reporters Committee summary for MarylandUnlawfully intercepting a call is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both (§ 10-402(b)). A person recorded can sue for actual damages of at least $100 a day for each day of violation or $1,000, whichever is higher, plus punitive damages, attorney fees and litigation costs (§ 10-410).
General information, not legal advice. Citations checked October 2026. Ask a Maryland lawyer about your own calls.
Using an AI agent to answer your Maryland line
Maryland needs everyone's consent, so the recording notice goes in the agent's first sentence, before the caller says anything. Ask your lawyer whether the notice plus the caller staying on the line meets Maryland's standard for your industry.
“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 Maryland
An answering service mostly takes calls. Callbacks and reminders are outbound, and outbound calls follow the federal rules plus Maryland'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)Maryland's telephone solicitation law needs the called party's prior express written consent for solicitation calls that use an automated dialing system or play a recorded message. It bars solicitation calls between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the called party's time zone, more than 3 calls in 24 hours on the same subject, and caller ID that hides or fakes the caller's number (§ 14-4502).
Statute textMaryland makes a violation of the federal TCPA or the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule a violation of state law as well (§ 14-3201).
Statute textWhere Maryland callers are
Time zone: Eastern. You set your business hours in your own time zone, and the agent takes messages outside them.
227
DC suburbs and Western Maryland, with 301 and 240
240
DC suburbs and Western Maryland, with 301
301
DC suburbs and Western Maryland
410
Baltimore, Annapolis and the Eastern Shore
443
Baltimore, Annapolis and the Eastern Shore, with 410
667
Baltimore, Annapolis and the Eastern Shore, with 410 and 443
States near Maryland
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HIPAA compliant
SOC 2 Type 2
GDPR
Maryland call recording law FAQs
Is Maryland a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Maryland is an all-party consent state for recording calls, under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-402. 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 Maryland?
Plan on yes. Maryland asks for every party's consent, so the agent should say the call is recorded at the start. The sample agent opens with "Thanks for calling. This is an AI assistant, and this call is recorded. How can I help?" and you can change the rest of the line. This is general information, not legal advice.
What if the caller is in a different state than my Maryland 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 Maryland?
Managed Agents cost $0.03/min, plus telephony and LLM usage. See pricing.
Which time zone and area codes cover Maryland?
Time zone: Eastern. Main area codes: 227, 240, 301, 410, 443, 667. The agent answers calls from any number, and you set your business hours in your own time zone.
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