Canada DNC registry: how it works and what callers must do

Last updated 2026-07-10

What is the Canada National Do Not Call List?

Canada's National Do Not Call List (DNCL) is a federal registry that lets consumers block most unsolicited telemarketing calls. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) runs the program under the Telecommunications Act, through the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (UTRs) that took effect in September 2008. ^[1]

The National DNCL is not the US Federal Trade Commission's registry. If your team calls into both countries, you're dealing with two separate legal regimes. A number on the US do not call list doesn't appear on the Canadian list, and the reverse is true too.

Since 2014, the CRTC has contracted Bell Canada to operate the registry. Bell runs the plumbing. The CRTC sets the rules and handles enforcement. Any fine that lands on your company comes from the CRTC, not Bell.

Canadian DNCL registrations are permanent. There's no expiration after a set number of years. Once a consumer registers a number, it stays until they remove it themselves. ^[1]

Who has to register as a telemarketer with the Canadian DNCL?

Any organization that makes telemarketing calls to Canadian consumers must register with the National DNCL before dialing, and that includes companies based outside Canada. A US sales team calling into Ontario or British Columbia is bound by Canadian rules exactly like a Toronto firm is. ^[1]

The UTRs define a telemarketing call broadly: any voice call, live or automated, that solicits a purchase, a donation, or a business opportunity. Outbound sales calls count. So does charity fundraising (with some nuances) and a lot of lead-gen dialing.

Three categories have to register:

1. Telemarketers making calls on their own behalf. 2. Clients on whose behalf telemarketing calls are made. 3. Brokers who arrange telemarketing campaigns.

Use a third-party call center and both of you can carry independent liability. You as the client, them as the telemarketer. This matters for lead-gen buyers. The CRTC often goes after the company whose product is being sold, more than the dialer.

Exempt organizations don't need to register, but they still have to keep an internal do not call list. The exemptions get their own section below.

How much does it cost to access the Canada DNCL?

Access to the Canadian DNCL costs money. Telemarketers pay a subscription fee to download the list of registered numbers, and the fee scales with how many area codes you want. ^[2]

The CRTC publishes the fee schedule. Fees run per area code per quarter. A subscription covering every Canadian area code costs a lot more than a targeted regional pull. The CRTC reviews these fees periodically, so check the current schedule at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca before you budget.

Here's the general shape of the pricing (fees are in Canadian dollars):

Subscription tier	Area codes	Approximate quarterly fee (CAD)
Single area code	1	~$10 to $25
Regional bundle	2 to 10	Scales per code
National (all codes)	All Canadian	Several hundred CAD

These ranges track the published rate structure. Exact current figures live at the CRTC's DNCL portal. ^[2] This is a real ongoing cost of outbound in Canada, not a one-time setup fee.

You must re-scrub no more than 31 days before you place calls. A list pulled in January can't cover calls made in March. That 31-day window is one of the most common things teams get wrong when they expand north.

What are the exemptions to the Canadian DNCL rules?

The CRTC built in exemptions for calls that already have a relationship behind them or a reason to exist without prior consent. This is where most real compliance decisions get made. ^[3]

Exempt calls include:

• Calls to consumers you have an existing business relationship (EBR) with. The CRTC defines EBR as a purchase, contract, or other transaction within the past 18 months, or an inquiry or application within the past 6 months.
• Calls to consumers who gave express consent to be called by that organization.
• Calls on behalf of registered charities under the Income Tax Act (the charity still keeps an internal DNC list).
• Calls by or on behalf of political parties or candidates during an election period.
• Calls by newspapers for subscriptions.
• Calls for market research or surveys with no sales pitch.
• Calls to consumers you have a personal relationship with.
• Business-to-business calls (a number registered to a business, not a consumer).

The EBR exemption deserves extra attention. The 18-month clock resets every time the customer buys again. But the moment someone tells you on a call not to call again, the EBR is gone, regardless of the timeline. Add them to your internal DNC list and stop. ^[3]

Express consent is the cleanest exemption. If a consumer writes down their number and says "call me," you can call that number even when it sits on the DNCL. The consent has to be clear and provable. Buried checkbox language in a website's terms probably won't survive CRTC scrutiny.

What are the penalties for violating Canadian DNCL rules?

The CRTC can issue Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) for breaking the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, and the numbers are serious. For individuals, the maximum is $15,000 per violation. For corporations, it's $1,500 per violation, but the daily total can reach $1,500,000. ^[4]

Yes, that structure reads backward. It's accurate. The per-violation cap for corporations is lower, while the daily aggregate is far higher. Each call to a registered number can count as a separate violation.

The CRTC accepts complaints from consumers through the DNCL portal, and its enforcement team investigates. They've levied real fines. In 2022, the CRTC issued AMPs totaling over $600,000 against a single telemarketer for repeated DNCL violations. ^[4]

Here's what trips up US companies: CRTC enforcement reaches across the border. If your US team dials Canadian numbers without registering, without scrubbing, or without a valid exemption, the CRTC can pursue you. The CRTC and the FTC cooperate on cross-border telemarketing enforcement, and both belong to the London Action Plan, an international network of spam and telemarketing enforcers. ^[11]

For comparison, here's how the two penalty structures line up:

Factor	Canada (CRTC)	United States (FTC/FCC)
Max per-violation fine (individual)	CAD $15,000	USD $51,744 (FTC, 2024) [5]
Max per-violation fine (corporation)	CAD $1,500	USD $51,744
Daily aggregate cap (corporation)	CAD $1,500,000	No stated daily cap
Private right of action	No	Yes (TCPA) [6]
List registration expiry	Never	Permanent (no expiry)

The missing private right of action is the biggest structural gap from the US. Under Canadian rules, consumers can't sue you personally the way they can under the TCPA. "A person who receives more than one telephone call within any 12-month period by or on behalf of the same entity" can sue under 47 U.S.C. § 227 in the US. In Canada, enforcement is regulatory, through the CRTC, full stop. ^[6]

How does the Canadian DNCL compare to the US do not call registry?

If your team dials both US and Canadian numbers, knowing what's different between the two matters more than knowing either one alone.

The US FTC do not call list is run by the FTC and enforced jointly by the FTC and FCC. The FCC enforces the TCPA for autodialed and prerecorded calls. The FTC enforces the Telemarketing Sales Rule for live agent calls. Canada has no such split. The CRTC handles all of it.

Canada has nothing like the TCPA's cell phone provisions. The TCPA restricts autodialed calls to mobile numbers hard ^[6], and the FCC has piled on more restrictions since. The Canadian DNCL rules treat mobile numbers and landlines the same. Canada does have separate anti-spam legislation (CASL) covering electronic messages including SMS, so texting Canadian consumers means reading a different rulebook.

The consent frameworks diverge too. Canada's DNCL uses the EBR exemption with fixed time limits (18 months for transactions, 6 months for inquiries). The US TSR has a broadly similar EBR exemption, but the periods and definitions aren't identical. Read the specific rules for the specific country. Every time.

For teams that want one do not call telemarketer list process across borders, the safe move is to scrub against both the US national registry and the Canadian DNCL, honor the shorter of any applicable relationship window, and get explicit written consent before calling anyone in either country.

How do you register a number on the Canada DNCL as a consumer?

Consumers register their numbers at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or by calling 1-866-580-DNCL (3625). The portal takes both landline and wireless numbers. Registration takes effect 31 days after sign-up, the same 31-day window telemarketers use for scrubbing. ^[1]

There's no fee for consumers. You can register up to three numbers per online session. Registrations don't expire, so no annual renewal.

Consumers can verify whether a number is already registered through the portal's lookup. Worth mentioning to people who call your team to complain. Sometimes the number is already registered and the caller simply didn't know which exemption covered the call.

Consumers who get calls in violation of the DNCL file a complaint through the same portal. The CRTC reviews complaints and can open an investigation. Enough complaints against one telemarketer make enforcement more likely. The CRTC's guidance says it prioritizes complaints that show a pattern over isolated incidents.

What must telemarketers say on every call under Canadian rules?

The DNC scrubbing obligation is only part of it. The UTRs also require specific disclosures on every telemarketing call. ^[3]

At the start of every call, the telemarketer must state:

• The name of the person making the call.
• The name of the organization the call is made for.
• The telephone number or address of the organization.

If the call uses an automatic dialing and announcing device (ADAD, Canada's term for a robocall or prerecorded message), the rules tighten. ADADs are generally prohibited for telemarketing unless the consumer gave express consent. ^[3] That's broadly like the FCC's treatment of prerecorded messages under the TCPA, though the Canadian consent standard differs in the details.

Calling hours matter too. Under the UTRs, telemarketers can only call:

• Weekdays: 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (consumer's local time).
• Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Sundays: 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Statutory holidays: no calling.

If a consumer asks not to be called again during a call, add them to your internal do not call list right then and stop calling. The internal DNC list obligation stands on its own. Even exempt callers have to keep one.

How does CASL interact with Canada's telemarketing rules for SMS?

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), in full force since 2014, covers commercial electronic messages: texts, emails, and some social media messages. ^[7] The DNCL rules don't touch SMS. CASL does.

Under CASL, sending a commercial electronic message to a Canadian consumer needs express consent, or implied consent in narrow cases (like an existing business relationship within the prior 24 months for transactions). The CASL consent standard is generally tougher than what the DNCL asks for telemarketing calls.

CASL is enforced by three agencies: the CRTC (telecom-specific), the Competition Bureau (misleading content), and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (privacy). Penalties reach CAD $10 million per violation for organizations.

The practical read: if your outbound team sends SMS to Canadian numbers, you're not in the DNCL rulebook. You're in CASL. Different conversation. Treat the two channels as separate systems when you design your program.

For US teams already handling mobile phone do not call list obligations under the TCPA, CASL for SMS adds a layer. Both need consent. The documentation and notice requirements aren't the same. Running cross-border SMS? Get Canadian-specific legal review before you send anything.

How do you actually scrub your call list against the Canadian DNCL?

The operational steps differ from how US teams handle the government do not call list.

First, register as a telemarketer at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca. You create an account, identify the type of calls you make, and pay the subscription fee for the area codes you need. ^[2]

Once registered, download the registered numbers for your covered area codes. The download is a structured data file you match against your prospect list. Any match comes out unless you have a valid exemption on file for that specific number (express consent, or a documented EBR with the actual dates).

The 31-day rule again: the scrub happens no more than 31 days before you call. You can't download in January and ride it through summer. Most teams build a monthly scrub cycle.

Document everything. Record the date of each scrub, which area codes you pulled, and what you did with the results. If the CRTC investigates, being able to produce that paper trail is the difference between a penalty and a warning.

Using a third-party dialer or CRM? Some platforms integrate DNCL scrubbing. Verify what the vendor actually checks. Some tools scrub only the US national registry by default and need manual setup for the Canadian list. If you're evaluating compliance tools, LeadCompliant's free number checker handles US DNC lookups, and the compliance kit covers the process documentation you'd want for Canada too.

One common trap: if you call on behalf of a client, confirm in writing whether you or the client owns DNCL registration and scrubbing. Both parties can be liable, so the contract should say exactly who does what.

What records do telemarketers need to keep for Canadian DNCL compliance?

The CRTC requires telemarketers to keep records good enough to prove compliance. ^[3] There's no single prescribed format, but the records need to show:

• That you're registered with the DNCL operator.
• The date and area codes of each list download.
• The date calls were made relative to the scrub date.
• Documentation of any EBR or express consent claimed for numbers that appeared on the DNCL.
• Your internal do not call list and the dates numbers were added.
• Call logs with time, date, and the number dialed.

Hold these records for at least 3 years. The CRTC's limitation period for enforcement actions is 3 years from the date of the violation, so anything shorter can leave you exposed.

Buying leads from a third party? Get written confirmation from the seller that their process met Canadian rules, including what consent language was used and when. A lead that looks fine under US rules can still fail CRTC scrutiny if the Canadian EBR or consent documentation isn't there.

Building your first Canadian program? The how do I get the do not call list guide covers the mechanics of accessing list data, and a documented SOP that follows it is your first line of defense.

Are there provincial do not call rules on top of the federal DNCL?

Mostly no. Quebec is the exception you have to know about.

The federal DNCL preempts most provincial telemarketing rules, because telecommunications regulation is federal jurisdiction in Canada. Most provinces run no separate do not call registry.

Quebec's Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector, updated by Law 25 (Act 25, which modernized Quebec's privacy framework in phases through September 2023), adds obligations around how personal data including phone numbers gets used for marketing. ^[8] Law 25 requires explicit consent for many commercial communications and gives Quebecers stronger rights to refuse contact. Call Quebec numbers and you're in a stricter consent environment than the rest of the country.

Alberta and British Columbia each have their own private sector privacy laws (both called PIPA) that the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner recognizes as substantially similar to PIPEDA. ^[10] These affect how you collect and use contact data for telemarketing, even without a separate DNC registry.

The practical guidance: treat the federal DNCL as your baseline across every province, learn CASL for electronic messages, and if you're pushing serious volume into Quebec, get Quebec-specific legal review. The risk gap is real.

Frequently asked questions

How is the Canada DNCL different from the US National Do Not Call Registry?

Canada's DNCL is run by the CRTC under Canadian telecom law. The US registry is run by the FTC under the Telemarketing Sales Rule. Canada offers no private right of action, so consumers can't personally sue you, while US consumers can sue under the TCPA. Canadian registrations never expire. The fee structures, exemption periods, and enforcement agencies all differ. Call both countries and you need separate compliance processes.

Does the Canadian DNCL cover cell phones?

Yes. The Canadian DNCL accepts wireless numbers and treats them the same as landlines for telemarketing. Canada has no equivalent to the TCPA's cell-phone-specific autodialer restrictions. But SMS to Canadian numbers falls under CASL, not the DNCL, and CASL requires express consent with a more demanding standard than the DNCL uses for calls.

Can a US company be fined under Canadian DNCL rules?

Yes. The CRTC's jurisdiction covers any organization making telemarketing calls to Canadian consumers, regardless of where the caller sits. The CRTC cooperates with the FTC on cross-border enforcement. US teams that skip DNCL registration or scrubbing because they're physically outside Canada are taking a real legal risk. Fines reach CAD $15,000 per violation for individuals.

How long does the Canadian DNCL registration for a phone number last?

Permanently. There's no expiration date on the Canadian DNCL. Once registered, a number stays on the list until the consumer removes it. Telemarketers can't assume a number aged off. That's a difference worth building into your process if you're used to periodic list churn.

What is the existing business relationship exemption under Canadian DNCL rules?

The CRTC defines an existing business relationship (EBR) as a transaction or contract within the past 18 months, or an inquiry or application within the past 6 months. If either applies, you may call a DNCL-registered number. But the EBR ends the instant the consumer tells you on a call not to contact them again. Add them to your internal do not call list at that point.

How often do I need to scrub my list against the Canadian DNCL?

The CRTC requires calls to be made within 31 days of a DNCL download. There's no mandatory frequency beyond that limit, but practically, most teams run monthly scrubs. Any call placed more than 31 days after your last download is out of compliance, even if the number wasn't on the list when you last checked.

Does Canada have autodialer restrictions like the US TCPA?

Canada's CRTC rules restrict Automatic Dialing and Announcing Devices (ADADs) used for telemarketing. ADADs require express consent from the consumer. That's broadly like TCPA restrictions on prerecorded and autodialed calls, but the legal standard and definitions differ. For live agent calls, Canada has nothing like the TCPA's specific cell phone autodialer restrictions.

What are the calling hours allowed under Canadian DNCL rules?

Weekdays and Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. local consumer time. Sundays: 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Calls on statutory holidays are prohibited. These times track the consumer's local time zone, not the caller's. A team in New York calling Toronto follows Eastern time for the Toronto number.

What happens if a consumer complains about a DNCL violation?

Consumers file complaints at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca. The CRTC reviews them and investigates patterns of violations. The CRTC can issue a Notice of Violation, which gives you a chance to respond. If the violation is confirmed, an Administrative Monetary Penalty follows. The CRTC prioritizes cases with multiple complaints against the same organization over one-off incidents.

Do charities and political callers have to follow Canadian DNCL rules?

Registered charities under the Income Tax Act are exempt from the DNCL for fundraising calls but must keep their own internal do not call lists. Political parties and candidates calling during a federal or provincial election period are also exempt. Neither exemption covers calls that embed a sales pitch alongside the charitable or political message.

How does Quebec's Law 25 affect telemarketing calls?

Quebec's Law 25 (fully effective since September 2023) requires explicit consent for collecting and using personal data in commercial communications and strengthens consumers' rights to refuse contact. It doesn't create a separate DNC registry, but it raises the bar for justifying calls to Quebec residents. Organizations doing significant outbound into Quebec should get Quebec-specific legal guidance.

Can I use a third-party call center and still face CRTC liability?

Yes. The CRTC can hold the client whose product or service is being promoted liable even when a third-party call center placed the call. Both the telemarketer and the client can register independently, and both can be fined. Your vendor contract should specify who owns DNCL registration, scrubbing, and record-keeping, but that contract won't shield you from a CRTC investigation.

Is there a grace period after a consumer registers on the Canadian DNCL?

Yes. There's a 31-day delay before a newly registered number is enforceable. Telemarketers who call a number within 31 days of its registration aren't in violation, as long as their last list download was current at the time of the call. After 31 days, the number is fully protected and scrubbing is required.

Where do I report a telemarketer that ignored my DNCL registration?

File a complaint at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or by calling 1-866-580-3625. You'll need the date of the call, the calling number if available, and the company name. The CRTC reviews complaints and can start enforcement. There's no private lawsuit option in Canada for DNCL violations, unlike the US TCPA where consumers can sue individually.

Sources

1. CRTC, National Do Not Call List overview: The CRTC administers the National DNCL under the Telecommunications Act; registrations are permanent and take effect 31 days after sign-up.
2. CRTC, DNCL subscription fee schedule: Telemarketers pay per-area-code subscription fees to download the National DNCL; scrubs must be performed within 31 days before calls are placed.
3. CRTC, Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (Telemarketing Rules): The UTRs define EBR as 18 months for transactions and 6 months for inquiries; they set mandatory disclosure requirements and calling hours.
4. CRTC, Compliance and Enforcement, Administrative Monetary Penalties: Maximum fines are CAD $15,000 per violation for individuals and CAD $1,500 per violation for corporations, up to CAD $1,500,000 per day; the CRTC issued over $600,000 in fines against a single telemarketer in 2022.
5. Federal Trade Commission, Civil Penalty Inflation Adjustments (2024): The FTC's maximum civil penalty per Telemarketing Sales Rule violation was adjusted to USD $51,744 in 2024.
6. US Code, 47 U.S.C. § 227, Telephone Consumer Protection Act: The TCPA provides a private right of action allowing consumers to sue for $500 to $1,500 per violation; Canada's system has no equivalent private right of action.
7. Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec, Law 25 (Act to modernize legislative provisions respecting the protection of personal information): Quebec's Law 25, effective in phases through September 2023, imposes enhanced consent and data-use requirements that affect outbound marketing to Quebec residents.
8. CRTC, Telemarketing calling hours and rules: Permitted calling hours are weekdays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time; Sundays 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; calls on statutory holidays are prohibited.
9. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws: Alberta and British Columbia have private sector privacy laws recognized as substantially similar to PIPEDA, affecting how contact data may be used for marketing.
10. Federal Trade Commission, International cooperation and the London Action Plan: The FTC cooperates with international partners including the CRTC on cross-border telemarketing and spam enforcement.