Fact · Voice privacy and security
5 yearsyears of imprisonment, maximum
Under federal law, a person who violates the wiretap ban can be fined or imprisoned for up to five years, or both.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both”
18 U.S. Code 2511: Interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications prohibited, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 2026, 18 U.S.C. 2511(4)(a).
Open the original- What it measures
- The penalty applies to whoever violates the general ban in subsection (1). Subsection (2)(d) is the one-party exception.
- What it does not show
- The ceiling is the statutory maximum, and the federal exception does not apply where the recording is made for a criminal or tortious purpose.