DNC (Do Not Call)

The federal and state registries that prohibit telemarketing calls to listed consumers.

The federal Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, established by the FTC and FCC, prohibits telemarketing calls to consumers who have registered their phone numbers. State DNC registries layer on additional restrictions in some jurisdictions (notably FL, TX, IN, MO, and others).

What lead generators must do

Every outbound call to a consumer must be scrubbed against the federal DNC Registry AND applicable state DNC registries at the moment of dial. Scrubbing must be logged. Scrubbing once per quarter is not sufficient — the federal registry is updated continuously.

Exceptions

• Consumers who have an established business relationship with the seller (within 18 months for a purchase or 3 months for an inquiry).
• Consumers who have given Prior Express Written Consent (PEWC) authorizing telemarketing calls.
• Non-commercial calls (political, charitable, surveys).

Compliance stack

Real-time DNC scrubbing APIs from Contact Center Compliance (DNC.com), PossibleNOW, or DNCsolution.com are the industry standard. Pricing runs $50-$200/mo for typical lead-gen operations.