Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009
PL 111-331 (S.30), enacted 12/22/2010

124 STAT. 3572 
PUBLIC LAW 111–331—DEC. 22, 2010 
Public Law 111–331 
111th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit manipulation of caller identi-
fication information. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION REGARDING MANIPULATION OF CALLER IDENTI-
FICATION INFORMATION. 
Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
227) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), and (g) as sub-
sections (f), (g), and (h), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) PROHIBITION ON PROVISION OF INACCURATE CALLER IDENTI-
FICATION INFORMATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—It shall be unlawful for any person 
within the United States, in connection with any telecommuni-
cations service or IP-enabled voice service, to cause any caller 
identification service to knowingly transmit misleading or inac-
curate caller identification information with the intent to 
defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value, 
unless such transmission is exempted pursuant to paragraph 
(3)(B). 
‘‘(2) PROTECTION
FOR
BLOCKING
CALLER
IDENTIFICATION 
INFORMATION.—Nothing in this subsection may be construed 
to prevent or restrict any person from blocking the capability 
of any caller identification service to transmit caller identifica-
tion information. 
‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of enactment of the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, 
the Commission shall prescribe regulations to implement 
this subsection. 
‘‘(B) CONTENT OF REGULATIONS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The regulations required under 
subparagraph (A) shall include such exemptions from 
the prohibition under paragraph (1) as the Commission 
determines is appropriate. 
‘‘(ii) SPECIFIC EXEMPTION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 
AGENCIES OR COURT ORDERS.—The regulations required 
Deadline. 
47 USC 609 note. 
Truth in Caller 
ID Act of 2009. 
Dec. 22, 2010 
[S. 30] 
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124 STAT. 3573 
PUBLIC LAW 111–331—DEC. 22, 2010 
under subparagraph (A) shall exempt from the prohibi-
tion under paragraph (1) transmissions in connection 
with— 
‘‘(I) any authorized activity of a law enforce-
ment agency; or 
‘‘(II) a court order that specifically authorizes 
the use of caller identification manipulation. 
‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the enactment 
of the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, the Commission shall 
report to Congress whether additional legislation is necessary 
to prohibit the provision of inaccurate caller identification 
information in technologies that are successor or replacement 
technologies to telecommunications service or IP-enabled voice 
service. 
‘‘(5) PENALTIES.— 
‘‘(A) CIVIL FORFEITURE.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Any person that is determined 
by the Commission, in accordance with paragraphs 
(3) and (4) of section 503(b), to have violated this 
subsection shall be liable to the United States for a 
forfeiture penalty. A forfeiture penalty under this para-
graph shall be in addition to any other penalty provided 
for by this Act. The amount of the forfeiture penalty 
determined under this paragraph shall not exceed 
$10,000 for each violation, or 3 times that amount 
for each day of a continuing violation, except that 
the amount assessed for any continuing violation shall 
not exceed a total of $1,000,000 for any single act 
or failure to act. 
‘‘(ii) RECOVERY.—Any forfeiture penalty deter-
mined under clause (i) shall be recoverable pursuant 
to section 504(a). 
‘‘(iii) PROCEDURE.—No forfeiture liability shall be 
determined under clause (i) against any person unless 
such person receives the notice required by section 
503(b)(3) or section 503(b)(4). 
‘‘(iv) 2-YEAR
STATUTE
OF
LIMITATIONS.—No for-
feiture penalty shall be determined or imposed against 
any person under clause (i) if the violation charged 
occurred more than 2 years prior to the date of issuance 
of the required notice or notice or apparent liability. 
‘‘(B) CRIMINAL FINE.—Any person who willfully and 
knowingly violates this subsection shall upon conviction 
thereof be fined not more than $10,000 for each violation, 
or 3 times that amount for each day of a continuing viola-
tion, in lieu of the fine provided by section 501 for such 
a violation. This subparagraph does not supersede the 
provisions of section 501 relating to imprisonment or the 
imposition of a penalty of both fine and imprisonment. 
‘‘(6) ENFORCEMENT BY STATES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The chief legal officer of a State, 
or any other State officer authorized by law to bring actions 
on behalf of the residents of a State, may bring a civil 
action, as parens patriae, on behalf of the residents of 
that State in an appropriate district court of the United 
States to enforce this subsection or to impose the civil 
penalties for violation of this subsection, whenever the 
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124 STAT. 3574 
PUBLIC LAW 111–331—DEC. 22, 2010 
chief legal officer or other State officer has reason to believe 
that the interests of the residents of the State have been 
or are being threatened or adversely affected by a violation 
of this subsection or a regulation under this subsection. 
‘‘(B) NOTICE.—The chief legal officer or other State 
officer shall serve written notice on the Commission of 
any civil action under subparagraph (A) prior to initiating 
such civil action. The notice shall include a copy of the 
complaint to be filed to initiate such civil action, except 
that if it is not feasible for the State to provide such 
prior notice, the State shall provide such notice imme-
diately upon instituting such civil action. 
‘‘(C) AUTHORITY TO INTERVENE.—Upon receiving the 
notice required by subparagraph (B), the Commission shall 
have the right— 
‘‘(i) to intervene in the action; 
‘‘(ii) upon so intervening, to be heard on all matters 
arising therein; and 
‘‘(iii) to file petitions for appeal. 
‘‘(D) CONSTRUCTION.—For purposes of bringing any 
civil action under subparagraph (A), nothing in this para-
graph shall prevent the chief legal officer or other State 
officer from exercising the powers conferred on that officer 
by the laws of such State to conduct investigations or 
to administer oaths or affirmations or to compel the attend-
ance of witnesses or the production of documentary and 
other evidence. 
‘‘(E) VENUE; SERVICE OR PROCESS.— 
‘‘(i) VENUE.—An action brought under subpara-
graph (A) shall be brought in a district court of the 
United States that meets applicable requirements 
relating to venue under section 1391 of title 28, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(ii) SERVICE OF PROCESS.—In an action brought 
under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(I) process may be served without regard to 
the territorial limits of the district or of the State 
in which the action is instituted; and 
‘‘(II) a person who participated in an alleged 
violation that is being litigated in the civil action 
may be joined in the civil action without regard 
to the residence of the person. 
‘‘(7) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—This subsection does not 
prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or 
intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United 
States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of 
an intelligence agency of the United States. 
‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this subsection: 
‘‘(A) CALLER IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION.—The term 
‘caller identification information’ means information pro-
vided by a caller identification service regarding the tele-
phone number of, or other information regarding the origi-
nation of, a call made using a telecommunications service 
or IP-enabled voice service. 
‘‘(B) CALLER IDENTIFICATION SERVICE.—The term ‘caller 
identification service’ means any service or device designed 
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124 STAT. 3575 
PUBLIC LAW 111–331—DEC. 22, 2010 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 30 (H.R. 1258): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 111–461 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce) accompanying 
H.R. 1258. 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 111–96 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010): 
Feb. 23, considered and passed Senate. 
Dec. 15, considered and passed House. 
to provide the user of the service or device with the tele-
phone number of, or other information regarding the origi-
nation of, a call made using a telecommunications service 
or IP-enabled voice service. Such term includes automatic 
number identification services. 
‘‘(C) IP-ENABLED VOICE SERVICE.—The term ‘IP-enabled 
voice service’ has the meaning given that term by section 
9.3 of the Commission’s regulations (47 C.F.R. 9.3), as 
those regulations may be amended by the Commission 
from time to time. 
‘‘(9) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this section, subsection (f) shall not apply to this subsection 
or to the regulations under this subsection.’’. 
Approved December 22, 2010. 
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