The Do Not Call Registry: what it stops, and what it cannot

How to register

• Online: DoNotCall.gov, up to three numbers at a time. You get an email with a link to click within 72 hours to finish.
• By phone: 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236), from the phone you want to register.

It is free, for home and mobile numbers; business numbers and fax lines are not covered. If someone calls offering to put your number on the Registry, the FTC's answer is no: register it yourself.

When the calls should stop

Your number appears on the Registry the next day, but it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop. The 31 days come from the rules: telemarketers must use a copy of the Registry no older than 31 days.

Registration does not expire. The FTC removes a number only if it is disconnected and reassigned, or if you ask; if your number is disconnected and reconnected, you may need to register it again.

Who can still call you

The Registry covers sales calls. These can still call a registered number, as long as they do not slip in a sales pitch:

• political campaigns, which have their own consent rules for robocalls and robotexts;
• charities;
• debt collectors;
• purely informational calls;
• surveys.

Companies you have done business with can call for 18 months after your last purchase, or 3 months after you asked them about something, unless you ask them to stop. If you do, they must stop; note the date you asked. Even with a business relationship, a telemarketing robocall to your home needs your written consent.

What the Registry cannot do

The Registry is a list that tells telemarketers which numbers not to call. It does not block anything, so it will not stop scammers who ignore the law. For those, use the tools in how to block robocalls. Many states also keep their own do-not-call list; your state's public service commission or consumer protection office can tell you.

Reporting a company that ignores it

Once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days, you can report unwanted sales calls at DoNotCall.gov. Robocalls can be reported at any time, Registry or not. Companies that call registered numbers illegally, or place illegal robocalls, could be fined up to $50,120 per call, according to the FTC's FAQ (September 2023); the amount is adjusted for inflation.

Political and survey calls are not covered, but you can complain about them to the FCC or your state attorney general. More on where to report a call.

The Registry in figures

On September 30, 2025, the Registry held 258,515,050 active registrations. Complaints fell by more than half from fiscal 2021 to 2024, then rose again in 2025; robocalls still make up most of them.

Relative to population, Arizona led in fiscal 2025, ahead of Tennessee, Nevada, Illinois and Florida.