Residents: Add Your Number to the Massachusetts Do Not Call Registry
- You can add your home and cell phone numbers to the state registry for free.
- You only need to register once.
- It may take up to 90 days after you sign up for unsolicited sales calls to stop. You can check your effective date online.
- Phone numbers will remain in the registry indefinitely, unless you request a removal by calling Fiserv at 866-339-1475.
Don’t Fall for Fraud
Only you can add your phone number to the Massachusetts Do Not Call Registry. If you receive a call or email requesting that you sign you up for the registry or to verify your number, it is a scam. After adding your number to the registry, if you receive a call that is not under one of the Do Not Call law exemptions, it is most likely a scam or robocall. See exemptions below.
- These calls are often made by people looking to steal your identity or your money.
- They use technology to call thousands of numbers in minutes and operate illegally, ignoring state and federal laws.
- In this case, you may file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office.
Businesses: Order the Do Not Call Registry
If you own or represent a business and want to make unsolicited calls to consumers in Massachusetts, you must not call anyone listed in the Do Not Call Registry. Solicitors must request the registry online and are required to pay a $1,100 annual fee for an emailed list.
Legal Requirements for Businesses
- Telemarketers and list brokers, even those from out-of-state, must not call any numbers on the Massachusetts Do Not Call Registry or legal action may be taken.
- Businesses and solicitors must subscribe to the Do Not Call Registry and will receive a quarterly e-mail with registry updates on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
- Each quarterly list contains the names of any consumers who signed up since the last list was published.
- After each signup period, telemarketing solicitors have a few weeks to remove new numbers from their lists.
- Solicitors must renew their subscription annually to receive the list. Subscriptions expire on December 31.
Business Exemptions of the Do Not Call Law
Only certain calls violate the law. It’s important to know what is allowed, even if your number is listed in the registry.
Exemptions include:
- Noncommercial polls or surveys
- Calls made:
- by tax-exempt non-profit organizations, like fundraising calls from universities or charities
- to consumers with that consumer's express permission
- to consumers in response to a visit to that company's fixed commercial location
- Sales calls:
- in connection with an existing contract or debt
- to an existing customer
- in the context of ongoing sales when face-to-face presentations or meetings are needed for payment