Recording Public Meetings

To get the conversation going in the forums, I'll ocassionally post a question that we've received via email, followed by an answer from our legal guide.  Here goes...

"Can I record a public meeting?"

Generally, when you attend a public meeting of a government body that is required to be open to the public by law, you are free to record that meeting, so long as the method of recording used is reasonable and not disruptive. There are, however, limitations on your ability to record under state law. Therefore, it is important that you check the law of your state before recording.

For general guidelines on recording meetings, see the Practical Tips for Recording Phone Calls, Conversations, Meetings, and Hearings section of the CMLP's Legal Guide. For state-specific information about using recording equipment in public meetings, see the State Law: Recording section.

For information on your right of access to the meetings of government bodies, please consult the Access to Government Information section of the guide and the Open Government Guide prepared by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.