Telemarketers must register with the National Do Not Call List
The National Do Not Call List filters out consumers who do not want to receive unsolicited calls. This helps ensure the individuals you do contact are more likely to be receptive.
If you are engaging in telemarketing activities, you must register your telemarketing information (It’s free to register!) with the National Do Not Call List. This can be done by phone or online.
If you plan on making non-exempt calls (further details on exemptions can be found at the beginning of Part II of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules) or further along on this page, you must also subscribe to the National Do Not Call List database and pay to use it. Subscription fees are based on the duration of access (12 months, 6 months, 3 months, 1 month) and the number of area codes being purchased (for example, all area codes in Canada or just specific area codes). Subscription fees are updated every few years following public consultation.
- Frequently asked questions about registration and subscription
- How to register with the National Do Not Call List
- Subscription fees (as of January 14, 2023)
Exempt telemarketing calls
Some telemarketing calls are exempt from the National Do Not Call List Rules, (specifically, Part II of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules). These include calls made by or on behalf of:
- Canadian registered charities
- political parties, riding associations, and candidates
- persons or entities collecting information for a survey
- general-circulation newspapers for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.
A telemarketing call that you make to a person with whom you have an existing business relationship is also exempt. This means you are free to call a consumer who has:
- purchased, leased, or rented a product or service from you in the last 18 months
- a written contract with you that is still in effect or expired no later than 18 months ago
- submitted a query or application to you about a product or service within the last 6 months.
Calls to a business
The National Do Not Call List Rules (Part II of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules) do not apply to telemarketing calls made to businesses.
Express consent
Telemarketers may make calls to consumers who have provided express consent to be called. Express consent can take different forms:
- Written consent: This is a consent that is given in writing, such as by completing and submitting a paper, electronic, or online form.
- Oral consent: This is consent in the form of an audio recording of a consumer’s verbal permission, or a record of it verified by an independent third party.
- Electronic consent: This is consent provided via the internet or through the consumer’s use of a toll-free number.
Other methods of consent are also possible if they are documented by either the consumer or an independent third party. The responsibility falls on the telemarketer or the lead generator (a company hired to make telemarketing calls on behalf of a client) to demonstrate that the consumer gave their express consent.
A consumer may withdraw their consent at any time.
Consumer call-backs are a popular form of lead generation where potential clients request that a company call them. Such requests may be made, for example, by submitting an online form or filling out a paper ballot at a trade show. A consumer call-back request would normally be viewed under the National Do Not Call List Rules as representing the consumer’s express consent to be contacted for telemarketing purposes.
More information
- Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules: Know your obligations
- Frequently asked questions about registration and subscription
- How to register with the National Do Not Call List
Guidance for other industries
- The real estate industry
- Financial dealers (investments and mutual funds) and advisors
- The insurance industry
- Mortgage brokers
- Car dealerships
- HVAC, heating and cooling, and duct cleaning companies
- All other industries
The information provided herein is guidance provided by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and should not be considered comprehensive, nor legally binding. If you are still unsure of your compliance with the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, consider engaging the assistance of private regulatory legal counsel.
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