Recording Police and Conversations
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-571j — an officer's employer is liable for interfering with someone filming an officer at work
- The employer of a peace officer who interferes with a person taking a photograph or video of an officer performing duties is liable to that person.
- Not when the officer had reasonable grounds to believe the interference was needed to enforce a criminal law or ordinance, protect public safety, preserve a crime scene or investigation, protect someone's privacy, a victim's included, or enforce court rules on recording in court facilities.
- An officer found to have committed assault, battery, false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process or malicious prosecution while interfering with someone recording may not claim any privilege or immunity against the civil claim.
Who handles this in Connecticut: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Connecticut directory.
A private telephone call may be recorded only with the prior consent of every party, in writing or at the start of the recording; or after a verbal notice recorded at the beginning; or with an automatic tone that repeats during the call.
- Law enforcement recording in the course of duty is excepted, and so is a person recording a call that conveys threats of extortion or bodily harm, or one that comes repeatedly or at an extremely inconvenient hour.
- Any person aggrieved by a recording made in violation may bring a civil action in the Superior Court for damages, costs and a reasonable attorney's fee.
Eavesdropping is a class D felony. It covers wiretapping a call by someone who is neither the sender nor the receiver, without either one's consent, and mechanically overhearing or recording a conversation without the consent of at least one party, by a person not present at it.
Sources for this section (4)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-571j — Action for interference with a person taking still or video images of police officer in the performance of duty
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-570d — Action for illegal recording of private telephonic communications
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-187 — Definitions. Applicability
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-189 — Eavesdropping: Class D felony
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.