Notification for Telemarketers

The FCC, in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established the National Do-Not-Call registry for consumers who wish to avoid receiving many kinds of telemarketing calls. The FTC will administer the registry, but enforcement will be coordinated between the two agencies. Federal enforcement of the National Do Not Call Registry began October 1, 2003.

Telemarketers Subject to Fines

Telemarketers who continue to call consumers who have placed their telephone numbers on the registry by August 31, 2003 or had previously registered for the NY State Do Not Call list after October 1, 2003 are subject to substantial fines.

Telemarketers Must Unblock CID

In addition to the announcement of the National Do-Not-Call registry, the FCC announced that it amended its rules, including among other things to require telemarketers to transmit their Caller ID information and to unblock their numbers. Telemarketers can obtain the complete rules by accessing the Federal Communications Commission's Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/telemarketing.html, 47 CFR Section 64.1200; and the Federal Trade Commission's amended Telemarketing Sales Rule at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rulemaking/tsr/, 16 CFR Part 310.

List Updated Quarterly

As with the New York State Do Not Call Registry, once a consumer's name appears on the National Do Not Call registry, which will be updated on a quarterly basis, telemarketers will have thirty days to remove the number from their call lists or be subject to a substantial fine. Telemarketers can obtain access to the Do Not Call list at https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov/.