diff --git a/opentelemetry-api/CHANGELOG.md b/opentelemetry-api/CHANGELOG.md
index 6f1d2b4f8e6..3f4ed4f0298 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-api/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/opentelemetry-api/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ Released 2020-11-02
 ## Version 0.14b0
 
 Released 2020-10-13
-
+- Add optional parameter to `record_exception` method
+  ([#1242](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/1242))
 - Add support for `OTEL_PROPAGATORS`
   ([#1123](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/1123))
 - Store `int`s as `int`s in the global Configuration object
diff --git a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py
index 2b206468afa..5cf4c36a3e8 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ def set_status(self, status: Status) -> None:
         """
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
-    def record_exception(self, exception: Exception) -> None:
+    def record_exception(
+        self,
+        exception: Exception,
+        attributes: types.Attributes = None,
+        timestamp: typing.Optional[int] = None,
+    ) -> None:
         """Records an exception as a span event."""
 
     def __enter__(self) -> "Span":
@@ -263,7 +268,12 @@ def update_name(self, name: str) -> None:
     def set_status(self, status: Status) -> None:
         pass
 
-    def record_exception(self, exception: Exception) -> None:
+    def record_exception(
+        self,
+        exception: Exception,
+        attributes: types.Attributes = None,
+        timestamp: typing.Optional[int] = None,
+    ) -> None:
         pass
 
 
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/CHANGELOG.md b/opentelemetry-sdk/CHANGELOG.md
index 2d12e54d98d..fc635bc2392 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ Released 2020-11-02
 ## Version 0.14b0
 
 Released 2020-10-13
-
+- Add optional parameter to `record_exception` method
+  ([#1242](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/1242))
 - Add timestamps to aggregators
   ([#1199](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/1199))
 - Add Global Error Handler
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
index c0189e807e7..ab90c9316cd 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
@@ -680,7 +680,12 @@ def __exit__(
 
         super().__exit__(exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb)
 
-    def record_exception(self, exception: Exception) -> None:
+    def record_exception(
+        self,
+        exception: Exception,
+        attributes: types.Attributes = None,
+        timestamp: Optional[int] = None,
+    ) -> None:
         """Records an exception as a span event."""
         try:
             stacktrace = traceback.format_exc()