VIRGINIA

AI Receptionist for Virginia Businesses

Yes, a Virginia business can use an AI receptionist. Virginia is a one-party consent state for recording. Since January 1, 2026, its Telephone Privacy Protection Act covers sales texts as well as calls, limits them to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and requires honoring STOP replies. Awava only answers calls people place to you, announces recording, and sets it up with missed-call text back and review requests. The AI Receptionist is included in AI Pro ($1,997 setup plus $397 a month), or $97 a month added to the Website or Core plan.

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VIRGINIA AT A GLANCE

  • Recording callsOne-party consent (Va. Code § 19.2-62)
  • Sales calls and textsSales calls and texts 8am-9pm, STOP honored (Va. Code 59.1-510 to 59.1-514)
  • AI voicesOutbound AI calls need prior consent (FCC, 2024)
  • Last checkedOctober 2026
THE RULES

What Virginia law means for an AI front desk.

The three rules that shape how an AI receptionist is set up in Virginia, each with the statute it comes from.

RECORDING CALLS

One-party consent

Virginia law allows a person to record a call “where such person is a party to the communication or one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent.” A business taking part in its own calls may record them. Awava still tells callers when calls are recorded, because your callers may be in all-party states.

Va. Code § 19.2-62

SALES CALLS AND TEXTS

The Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act

Virginia’s telephone solicitation law covers calls and, since January 1, 2026, “any text message sent to any wireless telephone with a Virginia area code.” Sales contacts are allowed only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. at the person’s location unless they agreed otherwise, the federal Do Not Call list applies except for existing customers and people who agreed in writing, and replying STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE to a text must be honored. If no live person comes on within two seconds of an answered call, a recorded message has to play.

Va. Code §§ 59.1-510 to 59.1-514

FEDERAL

AI voices and the federal rules

On 8 February 2024 the FCC ruled that AI-generated voices count as “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, so calls a business places with an AI voice need the called person’s prior express consent. That ruling is about calls you place. An AI receptionist answers calls people place to you, and Awava does not use it to dial lists.

FCC Declaratory Ruling FCC 24-17

HOW AWAVA SETS IT UP

Built around the rules from the first call.

Awava installs the AI receptionist, connects it to your number and manages it for you. These are the defaults for Virginia businesses. How the AI Receptionist works

  • When calls are recorded, the greeting says so, even though Virginia only needs one party’s consent.
  • The AI receptionist answers calls people place to you. It does not make outbound sales calls.
  • Missed-call text back answers someone who just called you, and replying STOP ends the texts for good.
  • Campaign texts go only to customers who agreed to hear from you, and only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. their time.
  • If a caller asks, the AI says it is an AI and offers to have you call back.
FAQ

Questions Virginia businesses ask us.

Yes. Virginia law does not ban AI call answering. The rules that matter are the wiretap statute (Va. Code 19.2-62), which needs only one party’s consent, and the Telephone Privacy Protection Act (Va. Code 59.1-510 to 59.1-514), which covers outbound sales calls and texts.
Yes. A person who is a party to a call, or has one party’s prior consent, may record it. Awava announces recording on every call anyway.
Yes, since January 1, 2026. Sales texts to Virginia area codes follow the same 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window and Do Not Call rules as calls, and a STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE reply has to be honored. A one-off reply to someone who just called you is not a sales solicitation.
Yes. Awava works remotely with businesses across the United States. Everything is set up and managed for you, and there is no software for you to learn.
No. This page is general information, checked October 2026. Laws change, and how they apply depends on your business, so check with a lawyer licensed in Virginia before relying on it.

General information, not legal advice. Checked October 2026 against the official statute text linked above. Laws change, and how they apply depends on your business; check with a lawyer licensed in Virginia.

OTHER STATES

Rules in other states.

All states

Massachusetts

All-party consent to record calls. Sales calls in Massachusetts.

See the rules

Florida

All-party consent to record calls. The Florida Telephone Solicitation Act.

See the rules

California

All-party consent to record calls. Why a beep may not be enough.

See the rules

Texas

One-party consent to record calls. SB 140: texts are telephone solicitation.

See the rules

New York

One-party consent to record calls. New York’s telemarketing law.

See the rules

Washington

All-party consent to record calls. Washington’s commercial text ban.

See the rules

Maryland

All-party consent to record calls. The Stop the Spam Calls Act.

See the rules

Pennsylvania

All-party consent to record calls. The 2026 telemarketing update.

See the rules

Illinois

All-party consent to record calls. Illinois auto-dialer and solicitation rules.

See the rules

Connecticut

All-party consent or notice to record calls. The 2023 telemarketing law.

See the rules

Oklahoma

One-party consent to record calls. The Oklahoma Telephone Solicitation Act.

See the rules

Michigan

One-party consent to record calls. Michigan’s recorded-message sales call ban.

See the rules

Nevada

All-party consent to record calls. Nevada auto-dialer and do-not-call rules.

See the rules

New Hampshire

All-party consent to record calls. New Hampshire telemarketing rules.

See the rules

Montana

All-party consent or warning to record calls. Montana solicitation and recorded-call rules.

See the rules

Ohio

One-party consent to record calls. Ohio’s telephone solicitor law.

See the rules

North Carolina

One-party consent to record calls. North Carolina telephone solicitations, texts included.

See the rules

Arizona

One-party consent to record calls. Arizona telephone solicitations.

See the rules
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