The National Do Not Call Registry is a free list, run by the FTC, that tells legitimate telemarketers which numbers not to call. Register at DoNotCall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register. Your number shows up on the registry the next day, the FTC says, but "it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop." Registration never expires. What it does not do: block calls, stop scammers who ignore the law, or take your number off people-search and reverse-phone sites. Those need separate steps, covered below.
How to register
- Online: go to DoNotCall.gov and enter the number.
- By phone: call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone you want to register.
It is free. The FTC's answer to whether registration expires: "No, your registration will never expire."
To check whether a number is already registered, the FTC says to go to DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 from that number.
Which numbers it covers
The FTC: "The Registry is for personal phone numbers. Business phone numbers and fax lines are not covered." Mobile numbers can be registered.
Which calls still reach you
Registration stops sales calls from companies that follow the rules. The FTC lists calls that remain allowed even if you are registered:
- political calls
- calls from charities
- debt collection calls
- purely informational calls
- surveys
— as long as they are not also trying to sell you something.
Companies can also call you, the FTC says, "if you've recently done business with them, or if you've given them written permission to call." But "if you ask them not to call you, they have to stop." The FTC suggests writing down the date you asked.
Robocalls
The FTC is direct about this: "If a robocall is selling something, it's illegal unless the company trying to sell you something has written permission, directly from you, to call you that way." That is true whether or not you are on the registry.
Why you still get calls
The FTC explains that the registry is "a list that tells registered telemarketers what numbers not to call — it doesn't block calls. So being on the Registry won't stop calls from scammers making illegal calls."
Put plainly: the registry works on companies that follow the law. It has no technical effect on callers who don't.
How to report a call
- Unwanted sales calls: report them at DoNotCall.gov.
- If you lost money, or have information about a scammer: report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The FTC's FAQ gives both routes.
What to put in a report
The FTC asks for:
- your phone number
- the date and time of the call, if you can
- the number that showed on caller ID
- any callback number the caller gave
A report is most useful when it is specific. If the caller named a company, include it. If you had already told that company to stop calling, include the date you told them — the FTC suggests writing that date down when you ask.
What a report does
A report gives the FTC information about the call. The registry FAQ does not promise any particular outcome for an individual report, and it does not describe a report as stopping the calls. Reporting is still the route the FTC gives for registered numbers that keep getting sales calls.
State lists
Some states also keep their own do-not-call lists. DMAchoice, run by the Association of National Advertisers, links to a registration form covering the Pennsylvania and Wyoming state lists (checked 2026-10-06). Other states' rules vary; check your state attorney general's site.
What the registry does not touch: listings of your number
This is the most common mix-up. The Do Not Call Registry is about who may call you. It has no effect on who may publish your number. People-search sites, reverse-phone lookup sites and caller-ID apps are separate businesses with their own opt-outs.
If your number appears on a site like Whitepages, USPhoneBook or Spy Dialer, or in a caller-ID directory like Sync.ME, you need to send that site its own request. See how to remove your phone number from people-search sites, which walks through the steps, and the free kit, which builds the requests in your browser for the most common sites.
Requests to those sites are requests: some sites don't comply, and listings can come back after being suppressed. See why your information reappears.
Other lists that reduce unwanted contact
The registry is one of several separate opt-outs, each covering a different channel:
- Prescreened credit and insurance mail: OptOutPrescreen.com or 1-888-5-OPT-OUT. See how to opt out of prescreened offers.
- Promotional mail: DMAchoice. See how to remove yourself from marketing mail lists.
- Unsolicited commercial email: the FTC notes DMAchoice also has a free Email Preference Service lasting 10 years.
- Search results showing your number: Google's Results about you. See our guide.
A short checklist
- Register each personal number — landline and mobile — at DoNotCall.gov.
- Allow up to 31 days for sales calls to stop.
- Tell companies you do business with, directly, to stop calling, and note the date.
- Report violations at DoNotCall.gov; report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Separately, ask people-search and reverse-phone sites to take down listings of your number.