Pennsylvania Do Not Call (DNC) List is a registry of Pennsylvania telephone numbers that are restrained from getting telemarketing calls. The State and National Do Not Call list aids Pennsylvanian customers to avoid undesired telemarketing calls. As of December 3, 2019, Pennsylvania "Do Not Call" list relaxed the requirement that phone users had to renew their phone number registration every five years.
The National Do Not Call list is a tool made available by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent unwanted calls from telemarketers. The registry aims at reducing sales calls made to phone users from service and product advertising companies. To avoid these unwanted sales calls, register your phone number with the National and Pennsylvanian Do Not Call registry.
Governor Tom Wolf signed a unanimously passed legislation on October 4, 2019 (House Bill 318), that amended the 1996 Telemarketer Registration Act. Note, Pennsylvania Do Not Call list gets updated four times annually, and all previously registered consumers are not required to register their phone numbers again. The Bill restricts telemarketers from placing calls on legal holidays and requires robocalls to commence calls with a clear way for recipients to reject them. In addition, the telemarketers must include a phone number in the telemarketing voicemails to avoid future calls. Most people use a reverse phone lookup service to find information on callers within and outside the state.
If you receive unwanted phone calls of any kind, including unwanted robocalls, hang up and do not re-dial the number, or call any number given to you. To help limit telemarketing calls from legitimate telemarketers, add your number to the National Do Not Call List and the Pennsylvanian Do Not Call List.
By registering your number with the registry, you are not exempted from certain calls on some grounds. The exceptions to the list of restricted calls include;
- Debt Collection Calls
- Calls from businesses to customers who have engaged in business within the previous 12 months
- Veteran organizations
- Calls from Fraternal or charitable organizations
- Calls placed by representatives of political candidates or groups
- Unsolicited calls providing urgent and useful messages
The penalty for violations is a $1000 fine ($3000 for individuals above 60 years).
Is Pennsylvania Do Not Call List Different from the National Do Not Call List?
Pennsylvania Do Not Call list and the National Do Not Call Registry work cooperatively to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing calls. The major difference between these two lists is that the Federal Trade Commission enforces the national list while the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection enforces the state’s list. Consumers have the benefit of being on Pennsylvania and the National Do Not Call List at no cost.
Phone numbers must be on the National Registry and the state list for 31 days before telemarketers are prohibited from making contact.
How Do I Register on Pennsylvania Do Not Call List?
To register your phone number on Pennsylvania Do Not Call list online, simply visit the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate site. Click on the registration link and then complete and submit the Do Not Call form displayed. Residents may register a maximum of 7 phone numbers. Another way to register on the Do Not Call list is to dial 1-888-777-3406 toll-free.
Residents can also verify their registration by visiting the National Do Not Call's verification page to search for their phone number on the registry. You can verify three numbers at once via the search tool on the site. An email address is also required as the Federal Trade Commission sends confirmatory emails containing the verification information.
What Should I Know About Pennsylvania's Do Not Call List?
It is important to acquaint yourself with the "need-to-knows" of Pennsylvania Do Not Call registration to ensure protection from unwanted call lines. Enrolling on the state list is free, and the list gets updated up to four times annually, and it is accessible without an expiry date. The recent amendment of the 1966 Telemarketer Registration Act ensures that there is no need to register after the initial successful registration on the Do Not Call list.
The Federal Trade Commission does not remove registered numbers unless by request. In other words, registration done on the Do Not Call list is permanent, and it saves you the complexities of registering again and again.
The DNC list is a legal tool binding on legitimate organizations. Once you have successfully registered your phone number, it appears on the list within 24 hours, and telemarketers are prohibited from contacting you within the next 31 days.
Registrants can file complaints of unwanted calls to the Bureau of Consumer Protection online or call the toll free number;1-800-441-2555. In searching for information on a caller, rather than conduct a wide search using a reverse phone lookup, which includes both cell phones and landlines, focus more on searching via cell phone lookup services.
Phone lookup services help you locate a Pennsylvanian cell phone user as it contains a list of phone users within and outside the state. There are exceptions to the Do Not Call list, which includes businesses to existing customers, debt collection calls, charitable organization calls, political representative calls, and veterans organizations.
Pennsylvania Do Not Call list has certain rules that bar telemarketers from calling phone numbers listed on their list. The registration date determines the date on which the telemarketers’ calls seize. As such:
- If you register between January 1 and March 31, the calls stop on June 1
- If you register between April 1 and June 30, the calls cease by September 1
- If you register between July 1 and September 30, calls stop by December 1
- If you register between October 1 and December 31, the calls cease by March 1