Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act (18 Pa.C.S. chapter 57)
Law. Placed at Pennsylvania. Read 30 Sep 2026; 5 provisions cited by the planner.
What does 18 Pa.C.S. 5703 and 5704 require?
A person must not intentionally intercept, try to intercept, or procure another to intercept a wire communication (a telephone call over carrier facilities) unless a chapter 57 exception applies. Also cited: 5703(1), in-person conversations: record only with the prior consent of all parties where interception is not expected; 5703(1), electronic communications in transit: intercept only with the prior consent of all parties.
18 Pa.C.S. 5703(1)Phone calls: intercept or record only with the prior consent of all parties A person must not intentionally intercept, try to intercept, or procure another to intercept a wire communication (a telephone call over carrier facilities) unless a chapter 57 exception applies. For a business or private person the general exception is 5704(4): all parties to the call have given prior consent. Penalty: third-degree felony.
18 Pa.C.S. 5703(1)In-person conversations: record only with the prior consent of all parties where interception is not expected A person must not intentionally intercept an oral communication, meaning words spoken with a justified expectation that they are not being intercepted, unless all parties have given prior consent (5704(4)) or another exception applies. For an employer this covers audio on CCTV, meeting and interview recording, and covert microphones.
18 Pa.C.S. 5703(1)Electronic communications in transit: intercept only with the prior consent of all parties A person must not intentionally intercept an electronic communication in transmission, such as chat, messaging or email content, unless all parties have given prior consent (5704(4)) or another exception, such as the provider or publicly accessible system exceptions, applies.
18 Pa.C.S. 5704(15)Telemarketing and customer service monitoring: training, quality control or monitoring only, with one party's consent Personnel of a business engaged in telephone marketing or telephone customer service may intercept those marketing or customer service communications only for the sole purpose of training, quality control or monitoring by the business, and only where one party to the communication has consented. Other monitoring of calls needs the consent of all parties.
18 Pa.C.S. 5704(15)Use monitored calls only for training or quality control and destroy them within one year Communications recorded under the telemarketing and customer service exception may only be used by the business for training or quality control, and unless federal or state law requires otherwise must be destroyed within one year of recording.