Can I record my child’s IEP meeting?

It depends on where you live. Federal special education law neither allows nor forbids recording an IEP meeting, so your state and school district set the rules. Ask for your district’s written policy, and tell the school ahead of time that you’d like to record. If recording isn’t allowed, a second person taking notes works well.

What to do

Find your state’s rules and your district’s written policy on recording IEP meetings. Your state’s parent training center can point you to both.
64 Fed. Reg. 12477 (Mar. 12, 1999), App. A, Q. 21
Find your state’s parent center →
Tell the school in writing, before the meeting, that you plan to record. Whatever the policy says about notice, giving it avoids a surprise at the table.
If the school says no, ask for the policy in writing and ask whether an exception applies — for example, if recording is necessary for you to understand the IEP or the process.
64 Fed. Reg. 12477 (Mar. 12, 1999), App. A, Q. 21
If you can’t record, bring someone to take notes. You can invite people who know your child or have relevant expertise.
34 CFR § 300.321(a)(6), (c)

What the law says

In guidance published with the 1999 IDEA regulations, the U.S. Department of Education said federal special education law neither authorizes nor prohibits recording an IEP meeting, so states and school districts may require, prohibit, limit, or otherwise regulate it.
64 Fed. Reg. 12406, 12477 (Mar. 12, 1999), App. A, Q. 21
The same guidance said a policy that limits recording must allow exceptions when recording is needed for a parent to understand the IEP or the IEP process.
64 Fed. Reg. 12477 (Mar. 12, 1999), App. A, Q. 21
It also said a recording the school keeps of an IEP meeting is an education record, covered by the same privacy rules as the rest of your child’s file.
64 Fed. Reg. 12477 (Mar. 12, 1999), App. A, Q. 21
You may invite other people with knowledge or special expertise about your child to the IEP meeting, and you decide whether they have it.
34 CFR § 300.321(a)(6), (c)
The school must give you a copy of your child’s IEP at no cost.
34 CFR § 300.322(f)

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Common questions

Do I need the school’s permission to record?

That is exactly what your district’s policy decides, and policies differ on whether and how much notice they need. Asking in writing ahead of time means the answer is settled before the meeting starts, not in the middle of it.

Can the school record the meeting too?

The same state and district rules usually cover everyone at the table. If the school keeps a recording, it becomes part of your child’s education record, which you can ask to review like any other part of the file.

What if the meeting is on a video call?

The recording question is the same: check the policy and ask first. Most video platforms announce a recording to everyone, so mention it at the start rather than letting the notice surprise the team.