The Federal government created the national registry in 2003 to make it easier and more efficient for you to stop getting telemarketing calls you don’t want.
You can sign up for the Do Not Call Registry two ways: The FTC's toll-free phone number is (888) 382-1222 (TTY: (866) 290-4236). Online registration is available at the FTC's web site at www.donotcall.gov.
Your phone number will stay on the Registry for five years - unless you ask for your number to be removed from the list, or until you change your phone number.
If your number is disconnected and then reconnected, perhaps due to a payment lapse, you will need to re-register. If you are able to keep your same phone number when you move to a new location, we advise you to re-register to make sure your number is not de-listed. If your phone number is changed when you move, don't forget to register again. I
f you signed up for the Registry through the FTC, you can verify if your phone number is on the list by going to https://www.donotcall.gov/confirm/Conf.aspx.
You will be able to renew your registration every five years. Not all solicitation calls are covered by the Do Not Call Registry. It depends on the type of call being made. You can still be contacted by:
- Charities
- Survey researchers
- Political campaigns
- Companies with which you have a business relationship
- Companies to which you have given written consent to remain on their calling list.
Companies with which you have an "existing business relationship" as well as their affiliates can call you within an 18-month window. And when you inquire about or apply for a service or product, that company can contact you within three months.
Other rules and regulations:
- It is illegal to fax an unsolicited advertisement.
- It is illegal if a message delivered by artificial voice and autodialer does not state clearly the caller's identity at the beginning of the message, and state during or after the message the telephone number of the caller (other than the autodialer's number).
- It is illegal to make a telephone solicitation before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the callee's location, or if the caller does not have do-not-call procedures.
- The do-not-call procedures must be in writing and be available on demand.
- The caller must provide the called party with the name of the individual caller, the name of the person or business for whom they are calling, and a phone number at which you can reach that person or business.
- Do-not-call requests must be honored for ten years.
- Violations of the above within any one-year period entitle you to sue for $500.
Some quick facts about the Registry:
- As of this writing FTC has registered 143 million phone numbers since its establishment in June 2003, received 2.8 million complaints, and has completed 29 cases for telemarketing violations.
- It can take up to 31 days after the registration for your phone number to be deleted from telemarketing lists. To file a complaint against a telemarketer, your phone number must have been on the registry for 31 days.
- The registration lasts for five years and is due to start expiring in June 2008.
- The registry is restricted to personal phone numbers; companies cannot place their phone numbers on the registry.
- The FTC said a total of 6,824 entities paid fees totaling $21,698,970 for access to the National Registry in 2006. Since inception, a total of 15,218 unique entities have paid fees for access to the registry. The total amount of fees paid by all entities since the inception of the registry through the end of FY 2006 is $59,027,775.
