The Telephone Consumer Protection Act applies nationwide, on top of whatever your state adds.
📄 Download this guide as PDFBased on the recipient's local time, not the caller's.
National Do Not Call Registry, maintained by the FTC
Per violation. Up to $1,500 when a court finds the violation was willful or knowing.
Required under the TCPA for autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to wireless numbers, for most marketing purposes.
Numbers on the registry can't be called for telemarketing purposes without an established business relationship or opt-in.
Telemarketing calls must identify the caller and the business on whose behalf the call is being made.
Businesses must maintain their own do-not-call list and honor requests within a reasonable time, generally interpreted as 30 days.
United States v. Dish Network (2017), one of the largest TCPA-related judgments on record, tied to telemarketing calls made on the company's behalf in violation of the TCPA and related state laws.
State laws stack on top of these federal rules, and some are much stricter.
Browse statesGeneral information for awareness purposes, not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney before making compliance decisions.