Federal Trade Commission Announces Accelerated Roll-out Schedule for National Do Not Call Registry Set for July

The Federal Trade Commission today announced that telephone registration for the National “Do Not Call” Registry will be accelerated, and will be available to consumers coast-to-coast during July 2003. Online registration will be available nationwide on or around July 1. Telephone registration will open for consumers in states west of the Mississippi River – including Minnesota and Louisiana – on the same date. Telephone registration will be available one week later to the entire country.

The National “Do Not Call” Registry will give consumers a choice about the number of telemarketing calls they receive at home. Registration will be free. Online registration will be available to consumers who have an e-mail account. To register by phone, consumers will need to call from the number they wish to register.

Telemarketers will be required to access the registry to “scrub” their calling lists beginning in September 2003, and consumers who place their phone numbers on the registry this summer should see a decrease in calls after October 1, 2003.