On August 27, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the fees telemarketers must pay to access the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry will increase. The updated fee schedule is due to take effect October 1, 2024.
The annual fee for accessing each area code will increase from $78 to $80.
The maximum any single entity will be charged for accessing all area codes nationwide will increase from $21,402 to $22,038.
Additional area codes added in the second half of the subscription period can be accessed for $40 each, up from $39.
Telemarketers must access the DNC Registry every 31 days to synchronize calling lists with the updated version of the DNC list to avoid making telemarketing calls to consumers who have registered their numbers. The first five area codes are free, and certain organizations, such as charities and political callers, can obtain the entire list at no cost. Annual subscriptions are mandatory for telemarketers to have access to the DNC Registry.
The fee adjustments outlined in the final rule are mandated by the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Expansion Act of 2007. This act requires periodic updates to ensure the fees remain aligned with current economic conditions and regulatory needs. Because amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) are considered by the FTC to be technical in nature, a notice and comment period is not required.
In addition to this rule change, telemarketers should also be aware of significant changes on the horizon – most notably, the FTC’s new one-to-one consent rule which takes effect on January 27, 2025.
Please reach out with any questions regarding compliance with the TCPA, TSR, and other telemarketing rules. We can help.
* Sean Lynskey contributed to this article.
Aaron works across numerous highly-regulated industries, helping them comply with state and federal laws related to privacy and data security, cannabis, marketing, teleservices, and other consumer protection matters.