pen register

noun

pen reg·is·ter

Legal Definition of pen register

: a device that registers the numbers dialed from a telephone — compare wiretap

Note: A court order is always required for the use of a pen register in a criminal investigation, but such use has not been considered a search or interception of communication by the U.S. Supreme Court. Some states have disagreed and discern a privacy interest in such information.

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Pentagon Papers Case

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