Can You Record Your Doctor Appointment in Louisiana?
Last reviewed
Yes. Louisiana is a one-party consent state, so you can record your own doctor visit on your phone without your clinician's permission (one exception since August 1, 2026: if you record an in-person conversation with smart glasses, you must tell everyone first).
- In-person visit
- One-party consentYour consent is enough
- Phone or telehealth visit
- One-party consentYour consent is enough
Main law: La. R.S. 15:1303
Recording an in-person visit
Louisiana's Electronic Surveillance Act says it is not unlawful for a person who is a party to a conversation to record it, so your own consent is enough for a phone or other recorder. Your clinician does not have to know or agree. A new 2026 law (Act 965) adds one limit: you may not use a wearable eyeglass recording device, such as smart glasses, to record or transcribe an in-person conversation unless everyone is specifically told. That rule covers only eyeglass devices, not phones, and it does not change the main recording law.
Phone and telehealth visits
Phone calls and video visits follow the one-party rule, so you may record a call you are on. The 2026 smart glasses law applies only to in-person conversations. If your clinician is in another state, that state's law may also apply, and some states require everyone's consent, so telling your clinician is the safest choice when they are out of state.
When you and your clinician are in different states, for example on a phone or video visit, there is no single national rule for which state's law applies. Courts decide case by case, and they have not all agreed. California's highest court applied California's stricter rule to calls recorded in Georgia with people in California, while a Pennsylvania court declined to apply Pennsylvania's stricter rule to a call recorded in New York. The safest choice is to follow the stricter state's rule: tell everyone you are recording and get their OK.
Things to know
- The one-party rule does not protect a recording made to commit a crime, a tort (a civil wrong), or "any other injurious act." Recording to keep an accurate record of your own care would not normally be that kind of purpose.
- If you use smart glasses or other eyeglass recorders in person, clearly tell everyone in the room before you start. This rule does not apply to phones.
- Do not record a conversation you are not part of, such as leaving your phone recording after you leave the room.
- Clinics and hospitals can still have their own rules about recording on their property.
What happens if you break the law
Illegal interception is punished by a fine of up to $10,000 and 2 to 10 years in prison at hard labor (La. R.S. 15:1303(B)). A person whose call or conversation is illegally recorded can sue for actual damages (at least $100 a day or $1,000, whichever is more), punitive damages and attorney fees (La. R.S. 15:1312). The 2026 smart glasses law allows a civil suit for damages, court costs and attorney fees, but the person suing must show actual damages from intentional recording and sharing (La. R.S. 9:2790.4).
How to ask your clinician
Your state's law doesn't require it, but asking first keeps the visit friendly and makes your reason clear:
“Before we start, is it okay if I record this visit? I want to remember your instructions correctly.”
Wait for a clear yes. If your clinician says no, take notes instead or ask for a written summary. More tips are in our guide to asking to record your doctor visit.
Louisiana law and court decisions
- La. R.S. 15:1303: Bans interception; subsection C(4) allows a party to a conversation to record it unless the purpose is criminal, tortious or otherwise injurious; criminal penalty.
- La. R.S. 15:1302: Definitions, including oral communication (requires an expectation it will not be intercepted).
- La. R.S. 15:1312: Civil damages for illegal interception.
- La. R.S. 9:2790.1 to 9:2790.4 (2026 La. Acts No. 965, HB 410): Effective Aug. 1, 2026: requires a participant using a wearable eyeglass recording device to notify all participants before recording or transcribing an in-person conversation; civil liability only.
- State v. Reeves, 427 So. 2d 403 (La. 1982), on rehearing (La. 1983): On rehearing, the Louisiana Supreme Court held that a hidden device worn by a consenting party to a conversation does not invade the other party's privacy under Article I, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution.
Recent change: Act 965 of the 2026 Regular Session (HB 410), which became law without the Governor's signature and took effect August 1, 2026, created La. R.S. 9:2790.1 to 2790.4. It requires a participant who uses a wearable eyeglass recording device (smart glasses) to record or transcribe an in-person conversation to specifically notify all participants first. It covers only eyeglass devices, carries civil liability only, has exceptions (including recordings in your own home, recordings to preserve evidence for an actual or anticipated civil or administrative proceeding, and recordings by a participant in his own place of business), and states that it does not change the Electronic Surveillance Act. Separately, 2025 La. Acts No. 33 added a law-enforcement wiretap definition ("monitoring post") to R.S. 15:1302, and 2025 La. Acts No. 140 also amended that definitions section; the one-party rule in R.S. 15:1303(C)(4) has not been amended since 2012.
Frequently asked questions
Is Louisiana a one-party consent state?
Louisiana has a one-party consent rule, so your own consent is enough, for in-person conversations and for phone and video calls. Yes. Louisiana is a one-party consent state, so you can record your own doctor visit on your phone without your clinician's permission (one exception since August 1, 2026: if you record an in-person conversation with smart glasses, you must tell everyone first).
Do I need my doctor's permission to record a visit in Louisiana?
Louisiana's Electronic Surveillance Act says it is not unlawful for a person who is a party to a conversation to record it, so your own consent is enough for a phone or other recorder. Your clinician does not have to know or agree. A new 2026 law (Act 965) adds one limit: you may not use a wearable eyeglass recording device, such as smart glasses, to record or transcribe an in-person conversation unless everyone is specifically told. That rule covers only eyeglass devices, not phones, and it does not change the main recording law.
Can I record a telehealth or phone visit in Louisiana?
Phone calls and video visits follow the one-party rule, so you may record a call you are on. The 2026 smart glasses law applies only to in-person conversations. If your clinician is in another state, that state's law may also apply, and some states require everyone's consent, so telling your clinician is the safest choice when they are out of state.
Does HIPAA stop me from recording my doctor?
HIPAA is the federal health privacy law, but it applies to doctors, hospitals, health plans and the companies that work for them. It does not apply to patients. So HIPAA does not stop you from recording your own visit, and it does not give a doctor a right not to be recorded. A recording you keep on your own phone is your personal record, not part of your medical chart. If you give a copy to your clinic and the clinic keeps it, the clinic's copy can become part of its records and HIPAA would then cover that copy.
Can my doctor's office ban recording?
Yes, a clinic or hospital can have a no-recording policy and can ask you to stop. That policy is a rule of the practice, not a law, but in states that require everyone's consent, recording without permission can be illegal on its own. If you keep recording after being asked to stop, the clinician may end the visit, and a practice may stop seeing you as a patient if it gives proper notice (hospital emergency departments still must screen and stabilize anyone with an emergency). Many medical liability insurers advise clinicians to ask why you want to record and to consider allowing it, so asking first often works.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Recording laws change and can depend on the details of your situation. For a legal question, talk to a licensed attorney in Louisiana. AlignCare does not provide medical or legal advice.
