Is it legal to record video in my own dorm room?
<p>I live on a campus in Washington State (at a public/state-funded school) and am interested in recording video (no audio) 24/7 in my dorm room without explicitly informing people who come in. I'm not sure if it's relevant but my dorm is paid for in full by a university scholarship.</p>

<p>All the information I could find about recording video in my own house (dorm) said that it was legal, except for areas with a higher expectation of privacy (bathrooms, bedrooms, etc). </p>

<p>I thought all hope was lost but then I came across a case where a person was recorded while using a living room as her bedroom. The judge ruled that even though the room was usually one of the most public rooms in a house, it was being used as a bedroom and therefore was subject to higher expectations of privacy. </p>

<p>I was wondering if this works the other way as well. It is true that my dorm does have a bed in it and it is where I sleep. However, when guests are over, it is not being used as a bedroom, rather a social area. Is this enough to get away without informing anyone? </p>

<p>Schools typically have rules of conduct and yours may even have rules or notes of cases addressing this very issue, having already determined the parameters. As a public institution in WA, they would probably have administrative rules as authorized or required under various RCWs. </p>

united-states recording washington