The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a federal law enacted in 1991 to protect consumer privacy by restricting unwanted telemarketing communications.
In short, the TCPA:
Restricts Calls: It limits the use of automatic telephone dialing systems (autodialers) and artificial or prerecorded voice messages for marketing calls and text messages, especially to cell phones and residential landlines, often requiring prior express consent from the consumer.
Established Do Not Call: It led to the creation of the National Do-Not-Call registry in coordination with the FTC, which telemarketers must honor.
Sets Rules: It sets rules for call times (generally between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time), requires companies to maintain their own internal "do-not-call" lists, and imposes restrictions on unsolicited fax advertisements.
The law is enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and allows consumers to file lawsuits against violators, providing a strong deterrent against abusive telemarketing practices. You can find more details on the TCPA on the FCC's website.
Setting up your account
1. Go to https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov/ and select Register
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Continue to create a profile
3. You are responsible for your business' conduct and compliance with the TCPA and DNC list. For any of the fields labeled Organization, Representative/Authorized Representative, and Downloader, enter in your personal information. Complete all required fields and select Continue.
> For the Organization Function, select the Telemarketer or Service Provider (TM/SP) option in the drop-down menu
> If you do not have an EIN, you must enter in your SSN in the respective fields in order to complete account setup.
4. Please carefully read the agreements listed and select Yes, I agree and declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
5. After you complete this process, you will receive a separate email to confirm your registration for access to the Do Not Call list.
Subscribing to area codes
The Do Not Call list allows you to subscribe up to 5 area codes for free. See the article below for a step-by-step on how to access.
How do I subscribe to area codes for the first time? | Q&A for Telemarketers & Sellers About DNC Provisions in TSR, Federal Trade Commission
The list will take 24 hours to process and will be available via your account.
If you have any questions, or are having trouble accessing the list after following the steps above, please reach out to mctech318@gmail.com with any questions.
