31 days. That is how long a legitimate telemarketer has to remove a newly registered number from its list, and it is the number to remember. This page is a reference card. The reasoning is in the other guides, linked at the bottom.
Register or check a landline
| Way in | What to do | Notes |
|---|
| Website | donotcall.gov, then register or verify a number | Free. Verifying takes about a minute. |
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| Phone | Call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register | Free. Use the line itself, not another phone. |
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- The registry is run by the Federal Trade Commission and has existed since 2003.
- Home and mobile numbers both qualify.
- Registration does not expire. It lasts until the number is disconnected or you remove it.
- Changed carrier or moved the number to VoIP? Verify that it is still listed.
- Register every number in the house. A second line or a home-office line is a separate number with its own registration.
- Verify before you complain. A complaint about a number that is not on the list has nothing to stand on.
Who the registry covers
| Type of caller | Covered? | Best next step |
|---|
| Legitimate telemarketer selling something | Yes, in general | Report if it continues after 31 days |
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| Charity or political campaign | No | Ask to go on that organization's own list |
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| Survey | No | Decline politely or hang up |
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| Debt collector | No | Ask for written details; contact the creditor directly |
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| Scammer, spoofed or from abroad | Ignores the rules | Hang up, block, report at reportfraud.ftc.gov |
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Calls that usually stay allowed
- Political calls and surveys from campaigns or pollsters
- Charities, and telemarketers calling on their behalf
- Debt collection
- Companies you recently did business with, within certain limits
- Informational calls such as appointment reminders and delivery updates
Numbers and addresses to keep by the phone
| Purpose | Where |
|---|
| Register or verify a number | donotcall.gov, or 1-888-382-1222 from the line itself |
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| Report a sales call after the 31 days | donotcall.gov |
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| Report a scam | reportfraud.ftc.gov |
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| Complain about unwanted calls | fcc.gov/consumers |
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| Forward a spam text | 7726 (SPAM), which passes it to your mobile carrier |
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| Check a call that claims to be your phone company | The number printed on your bill, never the one the caller gives |
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| Stop a charity or campaign | That organization's own do-not-call list |
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Timeline after you register
- Day 0. You register. Nothing changes on the phone yet. Write the date on the card by the phone and mark day 32 on the calendar.
- Days 1 to 31. Legitimate telemarketers are still allowed time to clean their lists. Do not judge the registry yet.
- Day 32 onward. A sales call from a company that follows the rules is now a problem worth reporting. After this point, a sales pitch is more likely to be breaking the rules, and what still rings is mostly exempt callers and fraud.
What to put in a complaint
| Detail | Why it helps |
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| Your own number | The line that was called, so the complaint matches a registration |
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| Date and time | Shows the call came after the 31 days |
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| Number on the screen | Possibly false, but patterns show up across reports |
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| Company named | Which company the caller claimed to call for |
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| What was said | One line is enough |
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File at donotcall.gov for telemarketing, ReportFraud.ftc.gov for scams, and fcc.gov/consumers for unwanted-call complaints. No agency replies about a single call; the reports feed pattern-spotting.
Scams that borrow the registry's name
- "We are the Do Not Call Registry and will sign you up for a fee": not them. Registration is free and happens only through the official site or phone number.
- "Press 1 to be removed": hang up. Pressing can tell the dialer that a person is there.
- "Your registration is about to lapse, pay to renew": hang up. It does not expire. Check the status yourself at donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.
- A callback number from an unfamiliar code such as 809 or 876: do not return it. Some Caribbean codes dial like local calls, and returned calls can cost real money.
Why a landline feels like it ignores the list
- Old listings. Phone books, warranty cards and club memberships from decades ago still circulate. Registration cannot recall them; it only forbids sales calls from now on.
- Who answers. A shared house line is picked up by whoever is closest. Agree on a household rule: unknown number, let the voicemail speak.
- The machine. Let unknown callers reach voicemail. A salesperson rarely leaves a message, and a real caller will.
- The card by the phone. Write "We are on the list, please remove us" and 1-888-382-1222 so anyone can say it calmly.
Registered but still ringing: likely cause
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|
| A sales call in the first 31 days | The caller's list has not been cleaned yet | Wait until day 32, then judge |
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| A sales call after day 32 from a company that names itself | Possible rule breach | Note date, number and company; file a complaint |
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| A survey, a pollster or a campaign | Outside the registry | Ask for that organization's own list |
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| A company you bought from recently | The recent-business exception, within limits | Tell them to stop calling |
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| A recorded voice about a prize, a refund or a problem with an account | Fraud; the rules mean nothing to the caller | Hang up, block, report |
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| Silence, then a click | An automated dialer checking for a live voice | Let voicemail answer; do not call back |
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| The number is not listed when you verify | The registration never completed, or the line changed | Register again; it is free |
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What still rings, and what to try
For charity and political calls, the polite fix is one sentence: "Please put this number on your own do-not-call list." Write the date in a notebook by the phone.
Sources