General information, not legal advice. Have a Kentucky attorney confirm anything you rely on.
Recording calls
Kentucky’s eavesdropping statute defines to “eavesdrop” as to “overhear, record, amplify or transmit any part of a wire or oral communication of others without the consent of at least one (1) party thereto by means of any electronic, mechanical or other device” (KRS 526.010). Eavesdropping is a Class D felony (KRS 526.020). A business that answers a call is a party to it, so recording its own calls is consistent with that language.
Two cautions. First, a caller in another state may be covered by that state’s rules; roughly a dozen states require every party to consent, and sources disagree on the exact list. Second, many businesses play a short notice anyway, such as “this call may be recorded.”
AI voice
We found no Kentucky statute that requires a private business to tell callers they are speaking with an AI. Kentucky’s Attorney General sued an AI chatbot company in January 2026 under the state’s consumer-protection law, which shows existing law can reach deceptive AI conduct. Some other states have passed AI-disclosure rules. The safe practice is to tell callers up front.
Federal law adds one point. In 2024 the FCC ruled that AI-generated voices count as “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, so calls an AI system places need the person’s prior express consent. Answering inbound calls is a different situation from placing outbound calls.
Which trades need a state license
The state’s license table (Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction) shows:
| Trade | State license required |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | Yes |
| Electrical | Yes |
| Heating, ventilation and air conditioning | Yes |
| General erection and construction | No state license required |
| Sprinklers and suppression, boilers, elevators | Yes |
Roofing, landscaping and tree work do not appear in the table excerpt we reviewed. Local city and county rules vary; check yours.
If your phone is answered by someone else, they should not quote prices, diagnose problems, or promise a licensed technician unless you have given them the words to use.
Sources
- KRS 526.010 and 526.020: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=19948 and https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=19949
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction license requirements table: https://dhbc.ky.gov/Documents/KHBC_Plan%20Submission%20Application%20Guide%2025-0418.pdf
- FCC Declaratory Ruling FCC 24-17: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-24-17A1.pdf
- Kentucky enforcement and state AI-disclosure summaries (law-firm and tracker sources, not statute text): https://ktslaw.com/blog/globalprivacy%20and%20cybersecuritylaw/2026/1/{DFFAF5F0-C63A-42E8-B0BA-07FE33E19AC0}?pdf=1
- Call-recording consent states: https://viirtue.com/call-recording-consent-laws-by-state-2026-guide/
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