Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
Register any phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222. It's free, takes about two minutes, and stays permanent since 2008. Telemarketers must stop calling within 31 days. The list covers most sales calls but exempts charities, political groups, and surveys.
What is the National Do Not Call Registry and who runs it?
The National Do Not Call Registry is a federal database run by the Federal Trade Commission that lets consumers opt out of most unsolicited telemarketing calls. Congress created it through the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003, and the FTC opened public registration that same year. [1]
Two agencies police it. The FCC enforces the registry rules against telemarketers under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227. The FTC enforces them under the Telemarketing Sales Rule. Both can bring cases, and the FTC can seek civil penalties up to $51,744 per violation as of 2024. [2]
The registry now holds more than 245 million phone numbers. That figure has climbed every year since 2003. [1]
For how the registry fits the full compliance picture for outbound teams, see our do not call list overview.
How do you sign up for the Do Not Call list?
There are two ways, and both cost nothing.
Online: go to donotcall.gov, click "Register Your Phone," and enter up to three phone numbers plus your email. The FTC sends a confirmation email, and you have to click the link inside it within 72 hours or the registration never takes effect. [3]
By phone: call 1-888-382-1222 from the number you want registered. The system registers the calling number automatically, no email needed. Hearing-impaired consumers use the TTY line at 1-866-290-4236. [3]
Either way, registration takes effect within 31 days. Telemarketers must scrub their call lists against the registry at least every 31 days, so that's the outer limit. A company that calls you after the window closes is a potential violation. [2]
Landlines and cell phones both qualify. The old myth that cell phones needed a separate registry is false. Cell numbers have been eligible since day one, and any telemarketer autodialing a cell without consent stacks a TCPA violation on top of the DNC one. See our mobile phone do not call list article for the wireless rules.
How long does Do Not Call registration last?
Forever. The FTC dropped the old 5-year expiration in 2008, after Congress passed the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007. [4] You never have to re-register.
A number only leaves the registry if it gets disconnected and reassigned to a new subscriber. The FTC purges numbers that carriers report as inactive. Get a new phone number, and you register that one separately.
Some old articles still tell you to renew every five years. That was true before 2008. It is not true now.
What calls does the Do Not Call registry actually stop?
The registry stops commercial telemarketing calls from for-profit companies trying to sell you something. That's the bulk of what most people call spam.
Here's what it does not cover:
- Political calls and robocalls (campaigns and political groups are exempt)
- Charitable solicitation calls (nonprofits asking for donations)
- Survey and research calls with no sales pitch
- Calls from a company you have an established business relationship with (within 18 months of your last transaction)
- Calls you gave prior express written consent to receive
- Informational calls that don't pitch a sale [2]
The established business relationship exemption catches people off guard. Buy something from a company three months ago, and they can still call you even while you're registered, unless you tell them directly to stop. That opt-out request has to be honored immediately, and it lasts forever. [2]
For a full breakdown of who has to follow DNC rules and who's exempt, see our government do not call list article, which puts federal and state exemptions side by side.
Does registering stop robocalls, and what exactly is a robocall?
A robocall is any call that uses an automatic telephone dialing system (an autodialer) or plays a prerecorded message, or both. The term traces to 47 U.S.C. § 227(b), which bans robocalls to cell phones without prior express consent, whether or not the number is on the Do Not Call Registry. [5]
So the DNC Registry and the TCPA robocall ban are two separate legal layers. A telemarketer can break one without breaking the other, or break both in a single call.
Registering helps against live commercial telemarketers. It does nothing against illegal robocallers who ignore the law. Scammers and overseas operations never check the registry. The FCC has pushed carriers to roll out STIR/SHAKEN call authentication to fight spoofed robocalls at the network level, but that's a technical standard, not a consumer opt-out. [6]
Getting illegal robocalls after you register? Report them at donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222. The FTC turns those complaints into enforcement cases, and it has won hundreds of millions in judgments against robocallers, though collecting from overseas operators is genuinely hard. [1]
How do you sign up a number for robocalls (and why people search this)?
This one shows up because people want to sign someone else up for robocalls as a prank or to harass them. Let's be direct. Doing that to another person is not a legal gray area. Submitting someone's number for marketing contact without their consent can expose you to civil liability and, in some states, criminal harassment charges.
Under the TCPA, consent has to come from the called party, not from whoever filled out a web form. If a telemarketer calls a person whose number was submitted by a stranger, the telemarketer faces TCPA liability, and the person who submitted it could face liability for harassment or tortious interference. [5]
If you run a business and you're really asking how consumers stop your calls, the answer is plain: they go to donotcall.gov, register, and you have 31 days before you must stop calling. [3]
If you're trying to dump a competitor's number onto spam lists as a dirty trick, that's the kind of stunt that ends in a lawsuit. Don't.
What are state Do Not Call lists, and do you need to register separately?
Yes. Many states run their own Do Not Call registries that operate independently of the federal one. Registering at donotcall.gov does not enroll you in any state list.
State lists often protect more than the federal registry does. Some restrict political calls or charitable solicitation that the federal list waves through. Penalties vary a lot by state.
| State | State DNC list? | Notable difference from federal |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Yes | Covers intrastate calls; stricter autodialer rules [7] |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Requires separate registration [8] |
| Indiana | Yes | Run by the AG's office; covers wireless [9] |
| Texas | No separate list | Uses federal registry; state law adds requirements |
| California | No separate list | CPUC rules and CCPA add consumer protections |
States like Florida stack their own penalties on top of federal violations, which is why multistate outbound campaigns have to check both layers. See our state guides: florida do not call list, indiana do not call list, and do not call list pa.
What happens when a telemarketer calls a registered number?
Every call to a registered number is a separate potential violation. The FTC can seek civil penalties up to $51,744 per violation, and the FCC has its own parallel penalty authority. [2] Private citizens can sue under the TCPA for $500 per violation, or up to $1,500 if a court finds the violation was willful. [5]
The statute at 47 U.S.C. § 227(c)(5) gives a private right of action to "a person who has received more than one telephone call within any 12-month period by or on behalf of the same entity in violation of the regulations." That "more than one call" threshold means a single stray call doesn't automatically create private lawsuit exposure. Serial violations do.
Big enforcement actions show the real ceiling. The FTC won a $225 million judgment against telemarketers running an auto warranty scam in 2022, one of the largest in the agency's history. [10]
Worried about accidental violations? Three safeguards matter: scrub call lists against the registry at least every 31 days, honor internal do-not-call requests immediately, and keep records of every scrub. See our do not call list violation article for how the enforcement process runs in practice.
LeadCompliant's free DNC checker verifies numbers against the federal registry before a campaign runs. That's the floor any outbound team should be standing on.
How do businesses access the Do Not Call Registry to scrub their lists?
Telemarketers and sellers get the data through the FTC's Telemarketer Registration System at telemarketers.donotcall.gov. The fee scales with how many area codes a company needs. [11]
Under the current FTC schedule, one area code is free per organization per year. Additional area codes run roughly $75 each, up to a maximum of $18,936 for access to all area codes for five years. The fees change periodically, so check the current schedule at the FTC site before you budget. [11]
The process is fixed. A telemarketer registers with the FTC, pays the fees, downloads the data for the area codes they call, and scrubs their list against it before dialing. Then they repeat the scrub at least every 31 days. [2]
For a full walkthrough of pulling and using the list as a business, see our how do I get the do not call list guide.
How do you report a Do Not Call violation?
File a complaint at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. You'll need the number that called you, the date and time, and whatever you know about who was calling and what they were selling. [3]
The FTC won't call you back about a single complaint. It aggregates complaint data to spot patterns and build cases against high-volume bad actors. Individual consumers don't get case updates.
Want to pursue your own legal action under the TCPA? You can, independent of any FTC complaint. Small claims court is a real option for individual claims below your state's threshold (often $5,000 to $10,000). Some consumer-law attorneys take TCPA cases on contingency, because the $500 to $1,500 per-call statutory damages add up to a viable case at volume.
See our do not call list report article for a step-by-step on filing and what to expect.
Can you verify whether your number is already registered?
Yes. Go to donotcall.gov and click "Verify a Registration." Enter the phone number and the email address used to register it. If the number is registered, the site confirms it. Forgot which email you used (common for numbers registered years ago)? You may just need to re-register. [3]
Businesses checking whether a consumer number is on the list can't use the consumer verification tool. They go through the business portal at telemarketers.donotcall.gov and query the list via the official data download. You can't legally call a consumer, learn they complained, then use the verification portal after the fact to cover yourself. That doesn't excuse the call.
For the number consumers call to register or verify, see do not call list number.
What the FTC and FCC actually say: key quotes from primary sources
The FTC describes the registry plainly: "The National Do Not Call Registry is designed to stop unwanted sales calls." [3] That word "sales" carries the whole thing. It's why political and charitable calls slip through.
The TCPA at 47 U.S.C. § 227(c)(1) directed the FCC to "initiate a rulemaking proceeding concerning the need to protect residential telephone subscribers' privacy rights to avoid receiving telephone solicitations to which they object." [5] The National Do Not Call Registry is the main mechanism that rulemaking produced, codified at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c).
The FCC's 2012 order tightened consent rules, requiring prior express written consent for autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing calls to cell phones. That order is why most serious outbound teams switched to signed consent forms instead of relying on verbal yes. [6]
None of this is legal advice. Facing an enforcement action or building a compliance program? Work with a qualified TCPA attorney.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for the Do Not Call list to take effect after you register?
Telemarketers must stop calling within 31 days of your registration date. The FTC's rules require sellers to scrub their call lists against the registry at least every 31 days, so 31 days is the outer limit. Many companies scrub more often. Get a sales call more than 31 days after registering, and that caller is potentially in violation.
Is there a cost to sign up for the Do Not Call list?
No. Registration at donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 is free for consumers. Any website or service charging you to register your number is a scam. The FTC has said flatly that no fee is ever required for a consumer to register on the National Do Not Call Registry.
Can I sign up my cell phone for the Do Not Call list?
Yes. Cell phones have always qualified for the National Do Not Call Registry. The idea that you needed a separate wireless registry was a long-running internet myth. Register any number, landline or mobile, at donotcall.gov or by calling from the cell number itself at 1-888-382-1222. Cell numbers also get TCPA autodialer protections on top of DNC protections.
Will the Do Not Call list stop all unwanted calls?
No. The registry only covers commercial telemarketing from for-profit companies. Political calls, charitable solicitations, surveys, and calls from a company you have an established business relationship with (within 18 months of a transaction) are all exempt. Illegal robocallers and overseas scammers just ignore the list, which is why they stay a persistent problem despite the registry existing.
What is a robocall number?
A robocall number is any phone number used to make automated calls delivered by an autodialer or with a prerecorded message. Under 47 U.S.C. § 227, calling a cell phone with an autodialer or prerecorded message without prior express consent is illegal, whether or not the number is on the Do Not Call Registry. Robocall numbers can be real business lines, spoofed numbers mimicking legitimate organizations, or throwaway numbers used by scammers.
How do I sign up a number for robocalls?
If you mean signing up your own number to receive robocalls, there's no consumer opt-in for that, because robocalls to cell phones are regulated as an opt-out right, not a service you subscribe to. If you mean signing someone else up without their consent as a prank, don't. Submitting another person's number for unsolicited contact without permission can expose you to harassment liability.
How do I sign someone up for robocalls as a prank?
Bad idea, legally and practically. Under the TCPA, valid consent has to come from the actual subscriber of the number, not a third party. Beyond the ethics, signing someone up for spam calls without their consent can count as harassment under state law. The telemarketer who gets that fake consent can also face TCPA liability when they call. It is not a consequence-free prank.
Do Do Not Call registrations expire?
No. Since the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007 took effect, registrations are permanent. The FTC scrapped the old 5-year expiration in 2008. The only way a number leaves the registry is if the carrier reports it disconnected and the FTC removes it. Get a new phone number, and you register that one separately.
Do state Do Not Call lists offer more protection than the federal registry?
Often yes. Florida, Indiana, and Pennsylvania run independent registries with rules that sometimes cover calls the federal list doesn't. Some state lists restrict charitable solicitation or political robocalls. Registering federally does not enroll you in any state list. Check your state attorney general's website to find and register on any state list where you live.
What should I do if I keep getting calls after registering on the Do Not Call list?
First, confirm your registration is active at donotcall.gov. If it's active and calls keep coming more than 31 days after you registered, report each one at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. Log the caller's number, date, and time. For repeat TCPA violators calling your cell phone, you may also have a private right of action worth $500 to $1,500 per call under 47 U.S.C. § 227.
How does a business legally access the Do Not Call list to scrub its call lists?
Businesses register at telemarketers.donotcall.gov, pay FTC access fees (free for one area code per year, roughly $75 per additional area code), download the list for the relevant area codes, and scrub their call lists before dialing. That scrub has to repeat at least every 31 days. Failing to scrub is not a defense in an enforcement action, even if the company claims it didn't know a number was registered.
Can a company still call me if I have an existing business relationship with them?
Yes, for up to 18 months after your last purchase or transaction, even if you're on the Do Not Call Registry. This is the established business relationship exemption. It ends the moment you tell the company to stop calling, and that request must be honored immediately. If they call after you've asked them to stop, it's a violation regardless of the prior relationship.
Is the FTC Do Not Call Registry the same as the FCC Do Not Call list?
Related, not identical. The FTC maintains the National Do Not Call Registry database and enforces it against telemarketers under the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FCC enforces the TCPA rules at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 that require telemarketers to honor the registry and separately restrict robocalls to cell phones. Both agencies can bring enforcement actions, and they operate independently.
How many numbers are on the Do Not Call Registry?
The FTC's most recent annual report data shows more than 245 million phone numbers registered on the National Do Not Call Registry. The registry has grown a lot since it launched in 2003, when it held about 50 million numbers after just its first few months. Consumer registration keeps outpacing number removals, so the total keeps climbing.
Sources
- FTC, National Do Not Call Registry Data Book FY 2023: Over 245 million phone numbers registered on the National Do Not Call Registry; FTC uses complaint data to build enforcement cases
- FTC, Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 310: Telemarketers must scrub lists every 31 days; civil penalties up to $51,744 per violation; established business relationship exemption lasts 18 months
- FTC, National Do Not Call Registry consumer site: Registration free at donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222; confirmation email required; TTY line 1-866-290-4236; FTC describes registry as designed to stop unwanted sales calls
- FTC, Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007 implementation notice: Registration made permanent in 2008 after Congress eliminated the 5-year expiration via the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007
- U.S. Code, 47 U.S.C. § 227, Telephone Consumer Protection Act: TCPA prohibits autodialed or prerecorded calls to cell phones without prior express consent; private right of action $500-$1,500 per call; more than one call in 12-month period creates private action for DNC violations
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Do Not Call Program: Florida operates its own Do Not Call list covering intrastate calls with stricter autodialer rules than the federal registry
- Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, PA Do Not Call Registry: Pennsylvania operates a separate state Do Not Call registry requiring independent registration from the federal list
- Indiana Office of Attorney General, Indiana Do Not Call list: Indiana maintains its own Do Not Call list administered by the Attorney General's office covering wireless numbers
- FTC press release, $225 million judgment against auto warranty robocallers, 2022: FTC obtained $225 million judgment against telemarketers running auto warranty scam, one of agency's largest enforcement actions
- FTC, Accessing the National Do Not Call Registry (telemarketer fee schedule): One area code free per organization per year; additional area codes approximately $75 each; maximum $18,936 for all area codes for five years