Canada National Do Not Call List: How It Works
Canada’s list is free and permanent. It stops most telemarketing, but some callers are exempt and scammers ignore it.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 18, 2026Register your home, mobile, VoIP or fax number at lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or by calling 1-866-580-3625. It is free and permanent. Numbers are added within 24 hours, but telemarketers have 31 days to update their lists. Charities, political parties, newspapers selling subscriptions and businesses you dealt with in the last 18 months are exempt. File complaints with the National DNCL, and report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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Canada’s National Do Not Call List (DNCL) is run under the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Telemarketers must check it and must not call registered numbers, with some exceptions.
How to register
1Online
Go to lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.
2By phone
Call 1-866-580-3625 from the phone you want to register. TTY users can call 1-888-362-5889.
3Which numbers
According to the CRTC, you can register a home, cellular, VoIP or fax number.
How long it takes and lasts
The CRTC says numbers are added within 24 hours, then telemarketers have 31 days to update their lists, so calls may continue during that time. Registration is permanent, though you can remove your number at any time.
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Who can still call you
The CRTC lists these as exempt from the DNCL:
- Registered charities
- Newspapers seeking subscriptions
- Political parties and candidates
- Businesses you have done business with in the previous 18 months
Market research, polls, surveys and debt collection calls are not considered telemarketing. Exempt telemarketers must keep their own do not call lists. If you ask to be added, the CRTC says they must do so within 14 days.
How to complain
File a complaint online through the National DNCL website or by calling 1-866-580-3625. The CRTC asks for the caller’s organisation name or phone number, the date of the call and your own number. It says violators can be penalised up to $1,500 for an individual and $15,000 for a corporation per violation.
Business numbers
You can register a business number, but the CRTC says calls to it are covered only by the Telemarketing Rules and the rules on automatic dialling-announcing devices, not the DNCL Rules.
Registering more than one number
Each phone number is registered separately. If you have a landline, two mobiles and a work line, register each one you want covered. Registering one number does not protect the others on the same account.
Robocalls and automated calls
Pre-recorded sales messages and automatic dialling systems have their own rules from the CRTC, separate from the DNCL. If you receive automated sales calls, note the details and include them in your complaint. If the call claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency, the police or a bank and asks for payment, treat it as a scam and hang up.
How to check your registration
You can confirm that a number is registered through the National DNCL website. It is worth checking after changing providers or porting your number, so you know the registration still matches the number you use.
Who runs what
If you move and keep your number, your registration stays with the number. If you get a new number, register the new one, because registrations are tied to numbers, not people.
The CRTC sets and enforces the telemarketing rules. The National DNCL operator handles registrations and complaints on its behalf. Scams are a police matter, which is why fraud reports go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre rather than the DNCL.
Reduce calls further
- Turn on your carrier’s call blocking or filtering.
- Ask each exempt caller to put you on its internal do not call list.
- Limit where your number is published. See how to check if your phone number is public.
- Learn how fake caller ID works in caller ID spoofing.
Canadian readers may also want our guide to requesting your personal information under PIPEDA. For the US system, see the National Do Not Call Registry.
Sources
- CRTC: About registering and who can still call you (registration, permanence, 24 hours and 31 days, exemptions, complaints, penalties)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Canada Do Not Call List free?
Yes. Registering is free.
Does my registration expire?
No. The CRTC says registration is permanent, though you can remove your number.
Can I register my cell phone?
Yes. Home, cellular, VoIP and fax numbers can be registered.
Why do charities still call me?
Registered charities are exempt. Ask them to add you to their own do not call list.
Where do I report scam calls in Canada?
To local police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
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