Telemarketing Laws by State — The 50-State Master Index
Telemarketing Laws by State: The 50-State Master Index
Telemarketing laws by state stack on top of a federal floor. The TCPA (47 U.S.C. § 227) and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule apply everywhere; states then add up to four more layers — telemarketer registration and bonds, mini-TCPA consent statutes with their own private rights of action, state do-not-call lists, and calling-hour windows tighter than the federal 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
The table below flags all four layers for every state, and the sections after it link to the deep pages where the heavyweight states get full treatment. Every specific rule shown was verified against the statute, enrolled bill, or regulator publication itself, as of July 2026.
This page is education, not legal advice. A dialer is a tool — compliance depends on how you use it. Enzo does not scrub lists against the national or any state DNC registry — run every list through a third-party scrubbing service before uploading it, and confirm each state’s current rules with a telemarketing attorney before the campaign dials.
The Four Flags That Matter
This index reduces each state to the four flags an outbound operator actually acts on:
- Registration / bond — whether the state requires telemarketers or sellers to register, pay a fee, or post security before soliciting its residents.
- Mini-TCPA / conduct rules — whether the state has its own consent or conduct statute beyond federal law, usually with a private right of action.
- State DNC list — whether the state keeps its own do-not-call registry on top of the national one, or defines a statutory list built from it.
- Calling hours — the state’s live-call window where one was verified; otherwise the federal default of 8 a.m.–9 p.m. at the called party’s location.
A “—” means nothing was verified for that flag in this research — it is not a finding that no rule exists. Several states run registration or licensing programs outside this pass, and states change rules; treat “—” as “confirm before dialing,” never as a green light.
Telemarketing Laws by State: The Full Table
Rows marked † show own-registry status reported by industry compliance charts — verify on the state’s portal before relying on it (Massachusetts and Mississippi in particular were not independently confirmed against primary sources).
| State | Registration / bond | Mini-TCPA / conduct rules | State DNC list | Calling hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | — | — | 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; no Sundays or holidays — Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-5-.17 |
| Alaska | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Arizona | Annual registration + $100,000 bond — A.R.S. §§ 44-1272, 44-1274 | No state autodialer or hours standard — registration is the regime | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) — no stricter state rule verified |
| California | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Colorado | — | — | Own state list† | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Connecticut | — | PEWC default with statutory carve-outs; 10-second disclosure and hang-up rules — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a, eff. Oct. 1, 2023 | State list defined as the national registry — § 42-288a(a) | 9 a.m.–8 p.m. — § 42-288a(c) |
| Delaware | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Florida | — | PEWC for automated “selection and dialing” or recorded messages — Fla. Stat. § 501.059(8)(a) | Own FDACS quarterly list — § 501.059(4) | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. + 3-call/24-hour cap — § 501.616(6) |
| Georgia | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Idaho | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Illinois | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Indiana | — | — | Own state list† | Federal default for live calls; autodialed calls 9 a.m.–8 p.m. — Ind. Code § 24-5-14-8 |
| Iowa | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Kansas | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Kentucky | — | — | — | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. — KRS 367.46955(16) |
| Louisiana | — | — | Own state list† (LPSC) | Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; no Sundays or legal holidays — LPSC Gen. Order R-29617; autodialers, La. R.S. 45:811 |
| Maine | — | — | — | Federal default for live calls; automated calls weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 1 call per number per 8 hours — 10 M.R.S. § 1498(3) |
| Maryland | — | PEWC for automated “selection or dialing” or recorded messages — Md. Com. Law § 14-4502(a)(3), eff. Jan. 1, 2024 | — | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. + 3-call/24-hour cap — § 14-4502(c) |
| Massachusetts | — | — | Own state list† | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. — 201 CMR 12.02(2) |
| Michigan | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Minnesota | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Mississippi | — | — | Own state list† | 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; no Sundays — Miss. Code §§ 77-3-603, 77-3-723 |
| Missouri | — | — | Own state list† | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Montana | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Nebraska | — | — | — | Federal default for live calls; autodialed calls 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — Neb. Rev. Stat. § 86-248 |
| Nevada | — | — | — | 9 a.m.–8 p.m. for calls to residences — NRS 598.0918(3) |
| New Hampshire | Registration under RSA ch. 359-E | — | — | Federal default — RSA ch. 359-E has no hours provision |
| New Jersey | Annual registration + bond of $25,000 or more — N.J.S.A. 56:8-121, -126 | Ban on unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to cell phones — 56:8-130 | State list built from the national registry — 56:8-127 | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — 56:8-128(c) (matches federal) |
| New Mexico | — | — | — | 9 a.m.–9 p.m. — NMSA § 57-12-22(B)(5) |
| New York | — | — | — | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — Gen. Bus. Law § 399-z(2) (matches federal); no unsolicited calls into declared emergency areas — § 399-z(5-a) |
| North Carolina | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| North Dakota | — | — | — | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — N.D.C.C. § 51-28-05 (matches federal; no Sunday or holiday ban in current law) |
| Ohio | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Oklahoma | — | PEWC for automated “selection or dialing” or recorded messages — 15 O.S. § 775C.3(A), eff. Nov. 1, 2022 | Own AG registry — 15 O.S. § 775B.3 | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. + 3-call/24-hour cap — § 775C.4(A) |
| Oregon | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Pennsylvania | Telemarketer Registration Act — 73 P.S. | — | Own state list† | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — 73 P.S. § 2245(a)(1) (matches federal) |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — | Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; no Sundays or holidays — R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-2(2), 5-61-3.6 |
| South Carolina | — | — | — | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — S.C. Code § 37-21-30 (matches federal) |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; no Sundays — SDCL 37-30A-3(2) |
| Tennessee | — | — | Own state list† | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Texas | Registration certificate + $200 fee + $10,000 security per location — Bus. & Com. Code §§ 302.101–302.107 | Texts inside “telephone solicitation” + DTPA remedies for conduct on or after Sept. 1, 2025 — SB 140; private action for federal-rule violations — § 305.053 | Combined state + national list, published quarterly, 60-day rule — §§ 304.051–304.052 | Mon–Sat 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun noon–9 p.m. — § 301.051 |
| Utah | — | — | — | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — Utah Code § 13-25a-103 (matches federal) |
| Vermont | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Virginia | — | Tiered private damages of $500 / $1,000 / $5,000 per violation — Va. Code § 59.1-515 | National registry only, using a version no more than 31 days old — § 59.1-514 | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — § 59.1-511 (matches federal) |
| Washington | — | Identify within 30 seconds, end the call within 10 seconds of a request, honor DNC requests for 1 year — RCW 80.36.390 | — | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. — RCW 80.36.390(8) |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | Federal default (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — ATCP 127.16(3) (matches federal) |
| Wyoming | — | — | No own list — the WY PSC points consumers to the national registry | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. — Wyo. Stat. § 40-12-302(d) |
Registration and Bond States: Paperwork Before the First Dial
Texas runs the heaviest verified regime. A seller needs a registration certificate for each business location before making a telephone solicitation from Texas or to a purchaser located in Texas — a $200 filing fee plus $10,000 in security (a surety bond, irrevocable letter of credit, or certificate of deposit), renewed annually (Bus. & Com. Code §§ 302.101–302.107). Knowingly soliciting without it is a Class A misdemeanor, each violation a separate offense, with civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation.
The exemption list is long — publicly traded companies, insurance licensees, supervised financial institutions, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, businesses operating two-plus years under the same name — but the person claiming an exemption bears the burden of proving it (§ 302.051). The full regime, including SB 140’s expansion to texts, is covered in Texas telemarketing laws.
Arizona takes the opposite shape: no state autodialer standard, no hours window — just a verified registration statement filed with the Secretary of State before soliciting from or into the state, renewed annually, backed by a $100,000 surety bond (A.R.S. §§ 44-1272, 44-1274), with violations enforceable by the Attorney General and unregistered solicitation treated as a criminal offense.
New Jersey requires annual registration with its Division of Consumer Affairs and a bond of at least $25,000, with Consumer Fraud Act penalties up to $10,000 for a first offense and $20,000 after that — plus one rule with no federal parallel: N.J.S.A. 56:8-130 bans unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to cell phones outright.
New Hampshire (RSA ch. 359-E) and Pennsylvania (the Telemarketer Registration Act) round out the verified registration states. Other states license or register telemarketers too — this research did not sweep them all, so confirm each new state before a campaign launches.
Mini-TCPA States: Where Consent Standards Get Broader Than Federal
Seven state statutes verified for this index go beyond the federal TCPA, and the pattern to watch is the consent trigger.
Florida requires prior express written consent for sales calls using an automated system for the “selection and dialing” of numbers (Fla. Stat. § 501.059(8)(a)); Oklahoma (15 O.S. § 775C.3(A)) and Maryland (Md. Com. Law § 14-4502(a)(3)) use “selection or dialing” — a disjunctive standard with no random-number-generator element that may cover list-based dialers that are nowhere near a federal ATDS.
No appellate court has settled how far “automated system” reaches; that is the question to put to counsel before dialing those states.
The private-damages math is what gives these statutes teeth: Florida and Oklahoma allow $500 per violation, trebled up to $1,500 for willful or knowing conduct, and Florida presumes a call to a Florida area code reached a Florida resident. Connecticut (9 a.m.–8 p.m. window, 10-second disclosure and hang-up rules, fines up to $20,000 per violation) and New Jersey route consumers through their consumer-protection acts instead of a standalone private right.
Washington’s Robocall Scam Protection Act adds conduct rules — identify yourself within 30 seconds, end the call within 10 seconds of a request — with $1,000-per-violation damages for repeated violations. Texas’s § 305.053 lets any Texan sue over federal-rule violations at $500 to $1,500 per call, and SB 140 added Deceptive Trade Practices Act remedies for conduct on or after September 1, 2025. Clause-by-clause treatment lives in state mini-TCPA laws.
State Do-Not-Call Lists: The Second Scrub
Eleven states operate their own registries alongside the national list, per current industry compliance charts: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. Treat that roster as a starting point, not gospel — spot-check each state’s portal, and note that Wyoming appears on some vendor charts despite its Public Service Commission officially pointing consumers to the national registry only.
The two biggest lists have verified mechanics. Texas publishes a combined state-plus-national list quarterly — January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1 — with a 60-day rule: a number may not be called more than 60 days after it appears on the current list, and the statute caps each list distribution to telemarketers at $75 (Bus. & Com. Code §§ 304.051–304.060).
Florida’s list is run by FDACS, updated quarterly, and backed by civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation; solicitors must screen against the then-current listing, and Florida telemarketing laws covers how the list interacts with the FTSA’s consent rules.
Oklahoma is a trap for the unwary: its AG-run registry (15 O.S. § 775B.3) and its 2022 mini-TCPA (§ 775C) are separate regimes with separate consequences. Connecticut’s statutory list is defined as the national registry, New Jersey’s is built from it, and Virginia requires scrubbing against a national-registry version no more than 31 days old.
Stricter Calling Hours: Where the Federal Window Shrinks
Fourteen states verified for the dedicated hours table tighten the federal 8 a.m.–9 p.m. window for general solicitation — most commonly to an 8 p.m. cutoff — five ban Sunday calls outright, Texas holds Sunday dialing to noon–9 p.m., Kentucky pushes the morning start to 10 a.m., and Rhode Island compresses calling to weekday business hours with no Sunday or holiday calls at all.
On top of those, two mini-TCPA statutes carry their own windows for the solicitations they cover: Maryland’s 8 a.m.–8 p.m. plus a three-call-per-24-hour cap, and Connecticut’s 9 a.m.–8 p.m. The full row-by-row treatment, including the autodialer-only windows in Indiana, Nebraska, and Maine, is in calling hours by state.
Running a Multi-State Program Against This Table
The operational translation of all this is a four-step loop, run per campaign:
- Registration first. Before a list for a new state is even imported, confirm whether the state requires registration or bonding — Texas, Arizona, and New Jersey are the verified heavyweights, and unregistered solicitation can be a criminal matter.
- Scrub twice. National registry, then any state list the campaign touches — through a third-party scrubbing service, before the list reaches any dialer. Enzo does not scrub against national or state registries; its internal DNC is campaign-level only, and marks do not carry across campaigns, so keep the master suppression file outside the dialer and re-apply it to every new campaign.
- Schedule to the strictest window. A multi-state list dials inside the tightest window any of its states imposes. Enzo’s campaign scheduling keeps dials inside whatever window you configure — but no dialer determines the lawful window for you.
- Match the consent standard to the dialing mode. In the “selection or dialing” states, ask counsel whether your mode and list source require prior express written consent before the campaign runs, and keep the consent records.
The dialer itself is compliant; whether your calling is depends on the lists, records, schedules, and habits behind it. The table above tells you which states add work, the deep pages tell you what the work is, and your process does the rest.
See how campaign-level DNC and scheduling fit a multi-state calling workflow — book a free discovery call.
Not legal advice. This guide is general information for outbound calling teams, not legal advice. Rules change and apply differently by state, industry, and call type — confirm your program with qualified telemarketing compliance counsel.
State rules verified against official statute text and regulator publications — Online Sunshine, the Texas Legislature, OSCN, the Connecticut General Assembly, the Maryland General Assembly, state legislature sites, and state registry portals — as of July 2026. Educational only, not legal advice.