Is It Legal to Use a Hidden Camera in Your Home?
Common areas vs. private spaces, and video vs. audio, drive the answer. Here's the general framework for home cameras.
It depends on placement and whether audio is recorded. Video-only cameras in common areas of your own home are often legal, but recording in spaces where people reasonably expect privacy — bathrooms, bedrooms, guest changing areas — is generally prohibited. Adding audio brings in wiretapping laws, which vary by state.
Home security cameras and nanny cams are common, and using them is often legal — but a few clear lines separate ordinary monitoring from conduct that can break the law.
Common areas are generally fine
Recording video in the common areas of your own home — a living room, entryway, or kitchen — is generally permitted, since people there don't have the same expectation of privacy as in a bathroom or bedroom.
Private spaces are off-limits
Placing cameras in bathrooms, bedrooms used by guests or tenants, or changing areas is generally illegal, even in your own home, because of the strong expectation of privacy. This is one of the clearest lines in surveillance law.
Audio changes the analysis
Many 'hidden cameras' also capture sound. Audio recording brings in wiretapping laws, and in all-party-consent states recording conversations without consent can be unlawful even if the video is fine. See our guide on recording someone without their consent.
Tenants, guests, and employees
If you rent out space, host guests, or employ household workers, additional rules and notice expectations can apply. This is general information — for cameras involving tenants, domestic employees, or family disputes, consult a qualified attorney about your state's law.
This is general information about common U.S. rules and practice. Rules differ by state, city and country and change over time — confirm with an official source for your area before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a security camera inside my house?
Is it legal if the camera records audio?
What about cameras where a tenant or nanny works?
Related answers
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