Since 2009, there have been significant increases in the number of illegal sales calls—particularly robocalls— because internet powered phone systems make it cheap and easy for scammers to make illegal calls from anywhere in the world and to display fake caller ID information, which helps them hide from law enforcement.
Add your phone number for free by visiting donotcall.gov, or calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register (TTY: 1-866-290-4236). If you register online, you will receive a confirmation email from donotcall.gov. You must click on the link in the email within 72 hours to complete your registration.
The National Do Not Call Registry is only for personal phone numbers. Business-to-business calls and faxes are not covered. You only have to register your phone number once. Your registration will never expire.
Unregistering
You can delete your number by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number you want to delete. Your number will be off the registry the next day, and telemarketing lists will be updated within 31 days.
After Registering
The Do Not Call Registry prohibits sales calls. You still may receive political calls, charitable calls, debt collection calls, informational calls, and telephone survey calls. In addition, companies may still call if you have recently done business with the company, or if you have given the company written permission to call you. However, if you ask a company not to call you again, it must honor your request. Record the date of your request.
To file a complaint, visit donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236).
Response Times
Due to the volume of complaints, the FTC cannot respond directly to every complaint. The FTC and other law enforcement agencies analyze complaints to spot trends and to identify and take action against the people responsible for these illegal calls.
Timeline
Your phone number should show up on the registry the next day. Most sales calls will stop once your number has been on the registry for 31 days.
You can verify that your number is on the registry by visiting donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222.
Penalties
Those who violate the National Do Not Call Registry or place an illegal robocall can be fined up to $16,000 per call.
