How to Join the National Do Not Call List

Add your personal home or mobile number to the National Do Not Call Registry online at the company’s official website, or call the Registry from the number you want to register. Online registration is complete only after you open the confirmation email and select its confirmation link.

What does the National Do Not Call Registry do?

The National Do Not Call Registry is a Federal Trade Commission list that tells covered telemarketers not to place sales calls to registered personal phone numbers. You may register a personal mobile number or home phone number. Business and fax numbers are not covered.

The Registry does not physically block incoming calls, and registration does not stop every unwanted call. Scammers may ignore the list, and caller ID information can be faked.

Some calls may still be permitted, including:

• Political calls.
• Calls from charities.
• Debt-collection calls.
• Survey calls that are not sales calls.
• Informational calls, such as certain appointment or delivery messages.
• Calls from a company when you have given that company written permission to contact you.

If you tell a particular company not to call you, the company should honor that request even when another exception might otherwise apply. The National Do Not Call Registry mainly helps reduce sales calls from legitimate organizations that follow telemarketing rules.

How do I register my phone number online?

If you are asking “how do I get on the national no call list,” use the official National Do Not Call Registry rather than a third-party registration service. Have the personal phone number and an email address available before starting.

1. Open the company’s official website and choose the option to register a phone number.
2. Enter the personal home or mobile number you want to add.
3. Enter an email address you can access.
4. Review the information and submit the registration request.
5. Check that email account for a separate confirmation message for each submitted number.
6. Open each message and select its confirmation link to finish registering that number.

Submitting the online form without selecting the email confirmation link does not complete registration. If the message is missing, check the spam, junk, promotions, and filtered-message folders before trying again.

How do I get on the no call list by phone?

Telephone registration uses the National Do Not Call Registry’s official automated line. Use the verified Registry contact number displayed above this article; no agent or outside registration company is required.

1. Call the official Registry number from the personal phone number you want to add.
2. Follow the automated instructions.
3. Enter or confirm the requested phone-number information.
4. Listen for the automated result before ending the call.

You must call from the number being registered. If you want to register several numbers by telephone, make a separate call from each one. A shared phone system, hidden outgoing number, or other caller-ID setup may prevent the automated system from matching the call to the number entered. In that situation, use online registration.

How can I check whether my number is registered?

The official Registry provides a verification option for anyone wondering whether a personal number is already listed. Checking first can prevent an unnecessary repeat registration.

1. Go to the official Registry page and choose the option to verify a registration.
2. Enter the phone number and any other requested information.
3. Submit the request.
4. Follow the verification instructions sent to the email address you supplied, if the Registry asks for email confirmation.

You may also use the official automated telephone line from the number you want to check. A registration normally remains in place unless the number is disconnected and reassigned or you ask for its removal. If a disconnected number is later restored, verify its status and register it again if necessary.

What should I do if unwanted sales calls continue?

The National Do Not Call Registry does not stop scammers or exempt calls, so receiving a call does not automatically mean the Registry failed. Once your registration is active, use the Registry’s reporting option for an unwanted sales call that appears to violate the rules.

Write down the following details before filing a report:

• Your phone number that received the call.
• The caller-ID number, even if it may have been spoofed.
• Any callback number given during the call.
• The date and approximate time of the call.
• The caller’s or company’s name, if provided.
• Whether the call used a recorded message.

Choose the option to report an unwanted call on the official Registry page and enter the details you have. You can still report a caller-ID number that appears false. If the call involved a scam or a financial loss, use the FTC’s fraud-reporting process instead of treating it only as a Do Not Call complaint.

What should I do if registration or verification does not work?

If the confirmation email never arrives, confirm that the email address was entered correctly and search every filtered folder. Online registrations for multiple phone numbers produce separate confirmation messages, so complete the confirmation step for each number.

If the telephone system says it cannot verify the number, make sure you are calling from the exact number being registered. Caller-ID blocking, shared switchboards, senior-living phone systems, and similar arrangements may keep the automated service from identifying the line. Register online when the telephone check cannot match the number.

If the online form reports that a number is already registered, use the verification option instead of repeatedly submitting it. For an error that continues, use the official assistance information shown in the verified contact block above this article. Do not give a caller or an unofficial registration service sensitive information to place your number on the list.