National Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry is a list maintained by the Federal Trade Commission of phone numbers whose owners do not want telemarketing calls. Registering at DoNotCall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to add is free, and registration does not expire. The Registry does not block calls. It tells law-abiding sellers which numbers they cannot call, so it will not stop scammers who ignore the law.

The FTC says a new number should appear on the Registry the next day, but it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop, because telemarketers must update their call lists at least every 31 days. Some calls are still allowed, including political calls, charitable calls, surveys, debt collection, and calls from companies you have an existing business relationship with or have given written permission to call.

The Registry has real legal teeth through the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Under 47 U.S.C. 227(c)(5), a person who receives more than one telemarketing call within any 12-month period from the same company in violation of the do-not-call rules may sue for actual losses or $500 per violation, whichever is greater, and a court may triple that amount if the violation was willful or knowing. Because those damages add up across thousands of people, do-not-call violations are a common basis for TCPA class actions, including cases over sales texts.

Save screenshots of calls and texts, the date you registered, and any voicemails. See our robocall lawsuit page, how to stop robocalls and spam texts, and the TCPA explainer.