This bill amends New Jersey's wiretapping laws to make it unlawful for any private citizen to record a telephone call or other conversation unless all parties involved provide their consent. The current law allows for one-party consent, meaning that only one participant in the conversation needs to agree to the recording. The proposed change would shift New Jersey to an all-party consent state, aligning it with 11 other states that have similar requirements. The bill maintains existing exceptions for law enforcement activities, which are not impacted by this change.

The bill also clarifies that any interception of communication by a private citizen is only permissible if all parties consent, and it explicitly states that such interception cannot be for the purpose of committing any criminal or tortious act. The violation of these wiretapping laws remains a crime of the third degree, which carries penalties of three to five years of imprisonment, fines up to $15,000, or both. The act is set to take effect 90 days after its enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:156A-4