Recording a Conversation
15 M.R.S. § 710 — a party to a conversation may record it; intercepting others' is a Class C crime
Intentionally or knowingly intercepting a wire or oral communication, or getting someone else to, is a Class C crime. So is disclosing or using what was intercepted, knowing how it was obtained.
Who handles this in Maine: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
- Intercepting means hearing or recording the contents of a call or conversation with a device, by anyone other than the sender or receiver, someone within normal unaided hearing, or a person given prior authority by the sender or receiver.
- So a person who is part of the conversation, or has the go-ahead of someone who is, does not intercept it.
- An oral communication is protected only when the speaker expects it is not being intercepted, in circumstances that justify the expectation.
Sources for this section (2)
- 15 M.R.S. § 709 — Definitions
- 15 M.R.S. § 710 — Offenses
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.