FTC Update: Telemarketer Fees for the Do Not Call Registry to Rise Slightly in FY 2017

The Federal Trade Commission has announced FY 2017 fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The annual fees will increase slightly from FY 2016, and are set forth in a Federal Register notice.

All telemarketers calling consumers in the United States are required to download the numbers on the Do Not Call Registry to ensure they do not call those who have registered their phone numbers. The first five area codes are free, and organizations that are exempt from the Do Not Call rules, such as some charitable organizations, may obtain the entire list for free. Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the Registry numbers.

The FY 2017 Registry access fees will increase slightly based on a re-evaluation as required by the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. Under the Act’s provisions, in FY 2017 telemarketers will pay $61 for access to Registry phone numbers in a single area code (an increase of $1 from FY 2016), up to a maximum charge of $16,714 for all area codes nationwide (up from $16,482 in FY 2016). The fee for accessing an additional area code for a half year will remain the same at $30.

The Commission vote authorizing publication of the Federal Register notice announcing the new fees was 3-0. (FTC File No. P034305; the staff contact is Ami Dziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202‑326‑2648.)

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