Is Tennessee a one-party consent state?
Yes. Tennessee is a one-party consent state for recording calls, under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601.
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 Tennessee
Tennessee 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.
§ 39-13-601(a) makes it an offense to intentionally intercept a wire, oral or electronic communication. Under § 39-13-601(b)(5), a person may record a call they are a party to, or one where a party has given prior consent, unless the recording is made to commit a crime or tort.
Reporters Committee summary for TennesseeA 2024 amendment added § 39-13-601(d)(1)(B) to (D), which says the section does not restrict a business from choosing its vendors and disclosing communications to them in the normal course of business, or limit the technology a business uses on its website or apps (Pub. Ch. 1045, 2024).
Tennessee 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, or recording to commit a crime or tort (§ 39-13-601(b)(5)). That interception is a Class D felony (§ 39-13-602), punishable by 2 to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 (§ 40-35-111(b)(4)). Tennessee repealed its civil damages section, § 39-13-603, in 2024 (Pub. Ch. 1045), so the state statute no longer gives the person recorded a right to sue. Federal law does for this kind of interception (18 U.S.C. § 2520).
General information, not legal advice. Citations checked October 2026. Ask a Tennessee lawyer about your own calls.
Using an AI agent to answer your Tennessee line
Tennessee 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 Tennessee
An answering service mostly takes calls. Callbacks and reminders are outbound, and outbound calls follow the federal rules plus Tennessee'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)Tennessee bars using automatic dialing and recorded message equipment for consumer sales calls without prior consent, which can be written consent valid for 2 years or a live operator who gets consent for one call (§ 47-18-1502(b)). These calls may run only from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., must identify the caller, and may not dial randomly or sequentially (§ 47-18-1502(a)).
Statute textTennessee bars knowingly making a telephone or text sales solicitation to a residential subscriber who has told the state commission they object to such calls, which is the state do-not-call list (§ 65-4-404).
Statute textWhere Tennessee callers are
Time zone: Eastern in the east, Central in the middle and west. You set your business hours in your own time zone, and the agent takes messages outside them.
423
Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities
615
Nashville
629
Nashville, with 615
729
Chattanooga, with 423
731
Jackson and West Tennessee
865
Knoxville
901
Memphis
931
Clarksville and Middle Tennessee
States near Tennessee
Enterprise-grade security
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Tennessee call recording law FAQs
Is Tennessee a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Tennessee is a one-party consent state for recording calls, under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601. A 2024 amendment added § 39-13-601(d)(1)(B) to (D), which says the section does not restrict a business from choosing its vendors and disclosing communications to them in the normal course of business, or limit the technology a business uses on its website or apps (Pub. Ch. 1045, 2024). 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
Managed Agents cost $0.03/min, plus telephony and LLM usage. See pricing.
Which time zone and area codes cover Tennessee?
Time zone: Eastern in the east, Central in the middle and west. Main area codes: 423, 615, 629, 729, 731, 865, 901, 931. The agent answers calls from any number, and you set your business hours in your own time zone.
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