How to register your business for the National Do Not Call Registry

Who needs to register

Under the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, sellers and telemarketers that make sales calls to consumers must not call numbers on the National Registry unless an exemption applies, so they need access to the Registry data. See DNC scrubbing basics for who the rules cover and the main exemptions.

• Sellers (the business whose goods or services are being sold) register and get their own account.
• Telemarketers and other service providers that call or scrub lists for a seller register too, and access the Registry on behalf of the sellers they work for.
• Exempt organizations that are not required to scrub but choose to do so voluntarily can, per the FTC, get access at no charge.

Step by step

1. Go to the business site, not the consumer site. Registration for access is at telemarketing.donotcall.gov. The consumer site (donotcall.gov) is where people add their own numbers.
2. Create your organization's profile. You provide identifying information about your organization and an authorized contact, and certify that you will use the data only to comply with the do-not-call rules.
3. Pick the area codes you call. You pay for access by area code. Under 16 CFR § 310.8 the first five area codes are free, each additional area code carries an annual fee, and there is a maximum annual fee for the whole Registry. The FTC adjusts the fees each fiscal year, so check the current amounts on the registration site.
4. Get your Subscription Account Number (SAN). Once registered and paid, a seller receives a SAN. Telemarketers and service providers working for a seller use that seller's SAN when they access the Registry on its behalf.
5. Download the numbers and scrub. You can download the registered numbers for your area codes and remove them from your calling lists.
6. Refresh at least every 31 days. The FTC says you must use a version of the Registry obtained no more than 31 days before the call. Set a calendar reminder or automate the download.
7. Renew each year. Access is sold for an annual period. Renew before it ends or you lose access to current data.

What you cannot do with the data

• Use it for anything except compliance. The TSR prohibits selling, renting, leasing, buying or using the Registry for any purpose other than complying with do-not-call rules or preventing calls to registered numbers.
• Share the cost. Under 16 CFR § 310.8, sellers may not divide the cost of Registry access among themselves, including through arrangements with telemarketers or service providers. Each seller pays for its own area codes.
• Skip your internal list. Registry access does not replace your own entity-specific do-not-call list. When someone asks you to stop calling, record it and honor it.

State lists

Some states keep their own do-not-call lists with separate registration and fees. Registering for the National Registry does not give you access to those lists. Check the rules for each state you call into.

Where TrueSearch fits

TrueSearch for Business does not check the National Do Not Call Registry, state DNC lists or litigator lists. Register with the FTC for that. TrueSearch does a different job: it validates each number on a list and returns whether it is in service, its line type (mobile, landline, VoIP) and carrier, so you stop paying to dial dead numbers. Many teams run both checks as separate steps. Try the free carrier lookup on a single number, or clean a whole list.