Disclaimer
This resource is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice.
United States Do Not Call Laws
Last reviewed:
The United States has a federal National Do Not Call Registry enforced by the FTC and FCC under the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the TCPA, and FCC rules. Consumer and residential telemarketing is fully covered, while many business-to-business calls are exempt from the national registry framework but not from all federal calling restrictions.
Compliance at a Glance
B2C Calls
Yes
B2B Calls
Partial
Scrubbing Frequency
Every 31 days.
Maximum Fine
$50,120 per call.
Primary Regulators
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Communications Commission (FCC)
Relevant Regulations
Telephone Consumer Protection Act
FCC Do-Not-Call Rules
Telemarketing Sales Rule
Do you need to screen phone numbers against the National Do Not Call List?
Before making outbound sales calls into the United States, screen covered consumer and residential numbers against the National Do Not Call Registry using a registry version obtained no more than 31 days before the call, and suppress seller-specific opt-outs as they are received. Most calls to businesses are generally exempt from the national registry rules, but that exemption is narrow and does not cover every "B2B" scenario; business/sole proprietor lines that are actually personal or residential may still be protected, and separate TCPA restrictions can still apply to cell phones, fax numbers, and prerecorded telemarketing calls. There is no general federal telemarketer license identified here, but organizations that access registry data must create an account, certify permitted use, and maintain compliance procedures, records, and training.
How often do you need to scrub against the National Do Not Call List?
Scrubbing requirements
TSR-covered sellers and telemarketers must suppress numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry before covered outbound sales calls and must maintain written procedures, train personnel, monitor compliance, and keep records supporting the process. They also may not call a consumer who has made an entity-specific request not to receive further calls by or on behalf of that seller. Registry data may be used only for compliance/prevention purposes and may not be shared except as permitted for authorized compliance operations. Principal exceptions to the National Registry prohibition include calls made with the consumer's express written agreement and calls where the seller has an established business relationship, unless the consumer has made a seller-specific do-not-call request; calls that are not telemarketing, including genuine survey calls without a sales component, are outside the TSR DNC restriction. FCC rules independently apply the National Registry nationwide to interstate and intrastate telemarketing and impose company-specific DNC obligations; certain nonprofit calls are outside the National Registry coverage.
Scrubbing frequency
National Do Not Call Registry: use a Registry version obtained no more than 31 days before each covered call—operationally, synchronize/scrub calling lists at least every 31 days—under 16 C.F.R. § 310.4(b)(3)(iv). Registry access subscriptions are renewed annually. Entity-specific opt-outs must be captured and suppressed as received; the cited FTC materials do not establish a separate periodic batch-scrub cadence for those requests.
Do US Do Not Call laws apply to B2B calls?
B2C Calls —
Yes
This rule clearly applies in B2C contexts because it is designed to protect consumers and residential subscribers from unwanted telemarketing calls. Businesses contacting individuals must screen numbers against the registry, honor company-specific do-not-call requests, and follow timing and consent-related requirements. Consumer-facing marketing teams should treat these obligations as a core part of compliant outreach.
B2B Calls —
Partial
This rule only partially applies in B2B settings. Calls made to a business are generally outside the National Do Not Call Registry, but that exemption is narrow and does not cover every business-related call, especially when the call targets an individual for personal use or involves categories with separate restrictions. Companies making B2B outreach should not assume they are fully exempt and should check whether the number called or the type of solicitation changes the result.
What requirements apply when making outbound calls in United States?
• Before calling a consumer on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, obtain and document express written authorization that identifies the telephone number and the specified seller.
• Obtain prior express written consent for telemarketing calls using an artificial or prerecorded voice, including telemarketing robocalls to wireless numbers; consent cannot be made a condition of purchase.
• Absent prior consent, call residences only from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time where the called person is located.
• At the start of the call, truthfully identify the seller, state that the purpose is to sell goods or services, and describe the goods or services being offered.
• Transmit accurate caller-ID information, and do not block caller ID except as allowed by the limited technical safe harbor.
• Honor seller-specific do-not-call requests and do not interfere with a consumer's right to make one.
• For prerecorded telemarketing calls, use the required written consent and provide a prompt automated opt-out; voicemail messages must include a toll-free opt-out number.
• Keep abandonment within the 3% safe harbor, meet the ring and connection timing rules, retain required TSR records for five years, use Registry data only for authorized compliance, and assess TCPA/FCC requirements and stricter state laws for each campaign.
What are the penalties for violating US Do Not Call laws?
TSR/National DNC violations are unfair or deceptive acts under the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act. The FTC may seek civil penalties on a per-violation basis, federal injunctive relief, consumer redress, and other equitable remedies; the maximum civil-penalty amount is inflation-adjusted and should be checked against the FTC's current civil-penalty schedule at the time of enforcement. States and private persons meeting statutory requirements may also bring actions under 15 U.S.C. § 6103 or § 6104. Separately, the TCPA provides a private action for actual monetary loss or $500 per violation, whichever is greater, with discretionary trebling up to $1,500 for willful or knowing violations (47 U.S.C. § 227(c)(5)); the FCC and state attorneys general also have enforcement authority. Exact current FTC maximum: Could not be verified from the reviewed primary pages.
What exemptions apply to US Do Not Call laws?
In the National Do Not Call List, only personal phone numbers can be registered. Business phone numbers and fax lines are not covered by the Registry, so they cannot be added to it.
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Under the National Do Not Call List rules, business-to-business telemarketing calls are generally exempt when the telemarketer is calling a business to sell goods or services, or to ask the business for a charitable contribution. However, this exemption does not cover calls about personal purchases or contributions by individual employees. It also does not apply to calls for retail sales of nondurable office or cleaning supplies, although those calls are still treated as exempt from the Do Not Call Registry provision and recordkeeping rules.
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In the National Do Not Call List, calls that promote a political party or candidate, as well as political polls, are exempt from the Do Not Call rules. Political solicitations are not covered by the TSR at all, so they are outside that rule entirely.
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Under the National Do Not Call List rules, a caller may still call if the consumer gave prior express written permission or signed an agreement to be called. The permission must clearly name the seller, list the phone number to be called, and include the consumer’s signature, which may be electronic.
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On the National Do Not Call List, some calls are exempt when the customer or donor makes the call first. This includes calls that are not prompted by a solicitation, or calls made after a general media ad or a direct mail ad that meets the rules. However, the exemption does not cover every follow-up call, and it has limits for upselling and certain high-risk offers.
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Under the National Do Not Call List rules, calls or messages that are only for information are exempt. These are communications not meant to get the person to buy something. Examples include appointment or service confirmations, flight status updates, and school closing notices.
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Under the National Do Not Call List rules, some entities are not covered by the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) because they fall outside FTC jurisdiction. This includes banks, common carriers when acting as common carriers, state-regulated insurance businesses, and airlines. However, these entities are generally still covered by the FCC’s national Do Not Call rules under the TCPA.
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On the National Do Not Call List, calls made only for surveys or polls are exempt. The exemption applies only when the call’s sole purpose is research and the caller does not make any sales pitch or offer goods or services.
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On the National Do Not Call List, calls made to collect a debt are allowed under FTC rules. This exemption does not cover sales calls. In other words, the rule lets debt collectors call for collection purposes, but not to market or sell products or services.
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In the National Do Not Call List rules, pay-per-call services (900-number services) and franchise or business-opportunity sales get only a limited exemption. They are not fully exempt, and the main telemarketing bans still apply.
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On the National Do Not Call List, calls made by or for a charity to ask for donations are generally not covered by the Do Not Call Registry rule. If a charity makes the calls itself, the Telemarketing Sales Rule does not apply. But if a for-profit telemarketer calls for a charity, it must still honor the charity’s own do-not-call requests.
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On the National Do Not Call List, a caller may still contact a person under an established business relationship for a limited time. That relationship lasts up to 18 months after the last purchase, payment, or delivery, or up to 3 months after an inquiry or application. This exception does not override a person’s own do-not-call request to that specific entity.
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On the National Do Not Call List, calls made by or for a tax-exempt nonprofit are not treated as “telephone solicitation” under the FCC rule. That means this exemption removes those calls from that specific definition. It applies only to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and their calls.
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