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Phone Privacy Guide

National Do Not Call Registry: What It Stops and What It Doesn’t

Signing up is free and takes a minute. But the registry only stops legal sales calls, so it helps to know what it can and cannot do.

By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 18, 2026
TL;DR

Add your home or mobile number at DoNotCall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from that phone. It is free and never expires. Legal telemarketers must stop calling within 31 days. The registry does not block calls, so scammers who ignore the law will keep calling. For those, use call blocking and report the numbers.

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Most people sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry expecting the phone to go quiet. A few weeks later the calls are still coming, and many people decide the registry is broken. It is not broken. It simply does a narrower job than most people think.

This guide explains what the registry is, how to register, which calls it covers and why the calls you hate most often keep coming. If you want to understand how callers got your number in the first place, see how scammers get your phone number and email.

What the registry is

The National Do Not Call Registry is a free list run by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Companies that sell by phone must check the list and must not make sales calls to numbers on it. Home phones and mobile phones are treated the same way.

Registration does not expire. According to the FTC’s registry FAQ, a number is only removed if it is disconnected and reassigned, or if you ask for it to be removed.

How to register your number

1Go to DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222

If you call, use the phone you want to register. The TTY number is 1-866-290-4236.

2Confirm your email if you register online

The FTC sends a confirmation link. You must click it within 72 hours or the request does not go through.

3Wait up to 31 days

Your number usually appears on the registry the next day. Sales calls can still arrive for up to 31 days while companies update their lists.

4Check your registration any time

You can verify that a number is registered on the same website.

Calls the registry still allows

The registry only covers sales calls from companies that follow the law. These calls are still allowed, as long as they do not include a sales pitch:

  • Political calls
  • Calls from charities
  • Debt collection calls
  • Purely informational calls, such as an appointment reminder
  • Surveys

Companies you have recently done business with can also call you, and so can companies you gave written permission. If you ask one of them to stop, the FTC says it must stop.

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Why scam calls keep coming

The registry is a rule, not a filter. It does not block any call. A company that is breaking the law by running a scam is not going to check a government list first. The FTC says this plainly: the registry does not stop scammers.

Robocalls trying to sell you something are already illegal unless you gave the company written permission. So when you get a recorded sales pitch after registering, you are almost certainly dealing with a scammer or an illegal operation.

Many of these calls also use fake caller ID. The number on your screen may look local, or may look like your bank. Our guide to caller ID spoofing explains how that works.

Do not press a button to be removed. The FTC advises hanging up on illegal robocalls without pressing any key. Pressing a key can tell the caller your number is active and lead to more calls.

What actually reduces unwanted calls

1Turn on call blocking

Ask your carrier about free call-blocking and call-labelling tools, and check your phone’s built-in settings for silencing unknown callers. The FTC recommends these tools for the illegal calls the registry cannot stop.

2Report the calls

Report unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov if you did not lose money. If you lost money or have details about the caller, report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Include the caller ID number even if you think it was faked.

3Reduce where your number appears

Your number often reaches callers through data brokers, people-search sites and old breaches. See how to check if your phone number is public and what to do if your phone number was in a data breach.

4Be careful who you give it to

Every form, loyalty scheme and contest that asks for your number adds to the lists. Use a second number for sign-ups where you can.

Common myths about the registry

  • “You have to re-register every five years.” Not any more. The FTC says registration does not expire.
  • “Mobile numbers are automatically on a separate list.” There is no separate mobile list. You add a mobile number the same way as a landline.
  • “The registry is selling my number.” Calls claiming you must pay to register, or to renew, are scams. Registration is free.

Is the registry worth it?

Yes. It costs nothing, takes a minute and stops the legal telemarketers that would otherwise be allowed to call you. Just treat it as one layer. It removes the honest sales calls, which makes the dishonest ones easier to spot: if someone is selling to you by phone after 31 days, that alone is a warning sign.

Outside the US? Other countries run their own lists. In the UK the equivalent is the Telephone Preference Service.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Do Not Call Registry cost?

Nothing. Registering a home or mobile number is free.

Does my registration expire?

No. A number stays on the registry unless it is disconnected and reassigned, or you ask for it to be removed.

Can I register a mobile number?

Yes. The FTC treats mobile phones the same as home phones.

Why am I still getting calls after signing up?

Legal sales calls can continue for up to 31 days. After that, most remaining calls are allowed types, such as charities or surveys, or illegal calls from scammers who ignore the registry.

Where do I report a company that keeps calling?

Report it at DoNotCall.gov. If you lost money or have information about the caller, use ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How Scammers Get Your Phone Number and Email Address→How to Check if Your Phone Number Is Public→What Does an Exposed Phone Number Mean?→What to Do If Your Phone Number Was in a Data Breach→iSpoof: The Site That Made Scam Calls Look Like Your Bank→Scam Loss Statistics 2026: US, UK, Canada, Australia→Phone Number Exposure Check→How to Report a Do Not Call Violation (and What Happens)→Canada National Do Not Call List: How It Works→Australia Do Not Call Register: How It Works→
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