Skip Navigation

## Federal Communications Commission

Display Options

aaaHigh ContrastTranslate

              - The FCC                 - Leadership
                - Commission Meetings
                - Advisory Committees
                - Jobs & Internships
                - Find People
                - Contact Us
                - Help
              - Our Work                 - What We Do
                - Blog
                - Events
                - FCC Encyclopedia
                - Guides
              - Tools & Data                 - Tools
                - Developers
                - Maps
                - Data
                - Reports
                - Working Papers
              - Business & Licensing                 - Rulemaking
                - Items on Circulation
                - Online Filing
                - Fees
                - Forms
                - Commission Documents
                - FOIA
                - Ex Parte
                - Mergers
                - Privacy Policy
                - Small Business
                - Contracting with the FCC
              - Bureaus & Offices                 Consumer & Governmental Affairs
Enforcement
International
Media
Public Safety & Homeland Security
Wireless Telecommunications
Wireline Competition
Administrative Law Judges
Communications Business Opportunities
Engineering Technology
General Counsel
Inspector General
Legislative Affairs
Managing Director
Media Relations
Secretary
Strategic Planning & Policy Analysis
Workplace Diversity

Take Action *Comment, Complain, Discuss*
              - Comment *File a Public Comment*
              - Complain *Report a Consumer Complaint*
              - Discuss *Join the Discussion*

HomeGuidesUnwanted Telephone Marketing Calls

# Guide	- Print
- Email

## Unwanted Telephone Marketing Calls

Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the FCC has rules in effect that address unsolicited telephone marketing calls – including those using automated and prerecorded messages. Under current FCC rules:
                - Anyone making a telephone solicitation call to your home must provide his or her name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity can be contacted.
                - Telephone solicitation calls to your home are prohibited before 8 am or after 9 pm.
                - Telemarketers must comply immediately with any do-not-call request you make during a solicitation call. 

In 2003, in an effort to increase consumer protection, the FCC helped establish the national Do-Not-Call list with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),

#### What is the National Do-Not-Call List and how does it work?

The national Do-Not-Call list protects home voice or personal wireless phone numbers only.  Once you have placed your home phone number or numbers, including any personal wireless phone numbers, on the national Do-Not-Call list, callers are prohibited from making telephone solicitations to those number(s).   Your number(s) will remain on the list until you remove them or discontinue service – there is no need to re-register numbers. You can register your home phone number or wireless numbers on the national Do-Not-Call list by phone or by Internet at no cost.  To add a phone number to the national Do-Not-Call list via the Internet, go to www.donotcall.gov.  To register by phone, call 1-888-382-1222 (voice) or 1-866-290-4236 (TTY).  You must call from the phone number you wish to register. 

Telemarketers have up to 31 days from the date that you register your telephone number to remove it from their call lists and stop calling you.

#### What is a telephone solicitation?

A telephone solicitation is a telephone call that acts as an advertisement.  However, some phone solicitations are permissible under FCC rules, including: calls or messages placed with your express prior permission, by or on behalf of a tax-exempt non-profit organization, or from a person or organization. However, having an established business relationship no longer meets the rules for permissible unsolicited calls to your landline phone. Companies and telemarketers must have your  express permission to call.

#### Are there any other lists I can register my number with?

Yes. Additionally, many states now have statewide do-not-call lists for residents.  Contact your state’s public service commission or consumer protection office to see if your state has such a list, and to find out how to register your number or numbers.  For contact information for your state public service commission, go to www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm**.**

#### If I continue to receive such calls, what can I do?

If you receive a telephone solicitation that you think violates any of the FCC rules, you can file a complaint with the FCC. The FCC can issue warning citations and impose fines against companies violating or suspected of violating the do-not-call rules, but does not award individual damages.

#### Filing a complaint

You have multiple options for filing a complaint with the FCC:
                - File a complaint online
                - By phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322); TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)
                - By mail (please include include your name, address, contact information and as much detail about your complaint as possible):

Federal Communications Commission Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554

#### Accessible formats

To request this article in an accessible format - braille, large print, Word or text document or audio - write or call us at the address or phone number above, or send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov

#### Print Out

Unwanted Telephone Marketing Calls Guide (pdf)
Updated: December 30, 2014		  Learn More- March 12, 2014 Event: FCC Consumer Protection Expo
- National Do Not Call Registry
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Related InformationFilterSelect to filterEventsReportsNewsLegalBlog- Updating FCC Policies and Processes
- Commission Continues Important Work of Providing Relief...
- Most Definitely: Terminate Dormant Proceedings
- Consumer Advisory Committee - Announcement of July 25, 2014...
- FCC and GSA Team Up to Help Schools and Libraries Save...
More »Related Guides & Help- Open Internet Transparency Rule
- Tech Transitions
- 2014 Cable Industry Price Survey Download Site
- Cell Phone Unlocking FAQs
- 'One Ring' Wireless Phone Scam
More »Connect- *Facebook*
- *Twitter*
- *YouTube*
- *Flickr*
- *Instagram*
*Share this page*- *Reddit*
- *Digg*
- *Facebook*
- *Twitter*
- *Slashdot*
- *StumbleUpon*
- *Delicious*
- Federal Communications Commission
- 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554
- Phone: 1-888-225-5322
- TTY:  1-888-835-5322
- Videophone: 1-844-432-2275
- Fax: 1-866-418-0232
- Contact Us
- Privacy Policy
- Moderation Policy
- Website Policies & Notices
- Required Browser & Plug-ins
- FOIA
- No Fear Act Data
- FCC Digital Strategy
- Open Government Directive
- Plain Writing Act
- 2009 Recovery and Reinvestment Act
- RSS Feeds & Email Updates
- Disability Rights
- The FCC   - Leadership
  - Commission Meetings
  - Advisory Committees
  - Jobs & Internships
  - Find People
  - Contact Us
  - Help
- Our Work   - What We Do
  - Blog
  - Events
  - FCC Encyclopedia
  - Guides
- Tools & Data   - Tools
  - Developers
  - Maps
  - Data
  - Reports
  - Working Papers
- Business & Licensing   - Rulemaking
  - Items on Circulation
  - Online Filing
  - Fees
  - Forms
  - Commission Documents
  - FOIA
  - Ex Parte
  - Mergers
  - Privacy Policy
  - Small Business
  - Contracting with the FCC
- Bureaus & Offices   - Bureaus     - Consumer & Governmental Affairs
    - Enforcement
    - International
    - Media
    - Public Safety & Homeland Security
    - Wireless Telecommunications
    - Wireline Competition
  - Offices     - Administrative Law Judges
    - Communications Business Opportunities
    - Engineering Technology
    - General Counsel
    - Inspector General
    - Legislative Affairs
    - Managing Director
    - Media Relations
    - Secretary
    - Strategic Planning & Policy Analysis
    - Workplace Diversity
closeYou are leaving the FCC websiteClick Here To Continue to 
You are about to leave the FCC website and visit a third-party, non-governmental website that the FCC does not maintain or control. The FCC does not endorse any product or service, and is not responsible for, nor can it guarantee the validity or timeliness of the content on the page you are about to visit. Additionally, the privacy policies of this third-party page may differ from those of the FCC.