Is Washington a one-party consent state?
No. Washington is an all-party consent state for recording calls, under Wash. Rev. Code § 9.73.030.
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 Washington
Washington 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.
§ 9.73.030(1)(a) bars recording a private telephone call without first getting the consent of all participants. Under § 9.73.030(3), consent is given when a party announces the recording in a reasonably effective manner and the announcement is itself recorded.
Reporters Committee summary for WashingtonWashington lets a party announce the recording in a reasonable manner on the recording itself, which is the pattern the example opening line follows.
Recording a private phone call without the consent of all participants is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both (§§ 9.73.080, 9.92.020). The person recorded can sue for actual damages, including mental pain and suffering, or liquidated damages of $100 per day of violation up to $1,000, plus attorney fees (§ 9.73.060). The statute does not provide for punitive damages.
General information, not legal advice. Citations checked October 2026. Ask a Washington lawyer about your own calls.
Using an AI agent to answer your Washington line
Washington 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 Washington'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 Washington
An answering service mostly takes calls. Callbacks and reminders are outbound, and outbound calls follow the federal rules plus Washington'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)Washington bars telephone solicitation calls that would be received before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. (§ 80.36.390(8)).
Statute textWashington bars using an automatic dialing and announcing device, which dials numbers and plays a recorded message, for commercial solicitation of people in the state (§ 80.36.400). The statute has no consent exception. It does not say whether AI-generated speech counts as a recorded message, so this page treats automated AI sales calls into Washington as covered.
Statute textWhere Washington callers are
Time zone: Pacific. You set your business hours in your own time zone, and the agent takes messages outside them.
206
Seattle
253
Tacoma
360
Western Washington
425
Eastside
509
Spokane
564
Western Washington, with 360
States near Washington
Enterprise-grade security
HIPAA compliant
SOC 2 Type 2
GDPR
Washington call recording law FAQs
Is Washington a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Washington is an all-party consent state for recording calls, under Wash. Rev. Code § 9.73.030. Washington lets a party announce the recording in a reasonable manner on the recording itself, which is the pattern the example opening line follows. 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 Washington?
Plan on yes. Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington?
Managed Agents cost $0.03/min, plus telephony and LLM usage. See pricing.
Which time zone and area codes cover Washington?
Time zone: Pacific. Main area codes: 206, 253, 360, 425, 509, 564. The agent answers calls from any number, and you set your business hours in your own time zone.
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