Do Not Call Registry (DNC)
Marketing texts are telemarketing under DNC rules. Scrub every 31 days, or hold written consent that overrides the registration.
The DNC Registry, run by the FTC, predates SMS marketing but fully applies to it: a marketing text to a registered number is a telemarketing solicitation to a DNC number.
Key mechanics: telemarketers must scrub lists against the registry at least every 31 days, access to the registry requires an annual subscription (free for the first five area codes), and violations carry per-call/text penalties enforced by the FTC and state attorneys general — separate from private TCPA damages.
Exceptions exist: prior express written consent overrides DNC registration, and an established business relationship provides limited cover under the FTC rule (though several state mini-DNC laws are stricter). DNC claims are increasingly bundled into TCPA text suits, so scrubbing belongs in every outbound texting pipeline.
Frequently asked questions
Related glossary terms
A suppression list is the registry of phone numbers that have revoked consent. Senders must check this list before every outbound send to remain TCPA-compliant.
Express written consent is the TCPA standard for marketing SMS — a clear, conspicuous disclosure with a separate, unchecked affirmative opt-in by the consumer, retained as evidence.
Mini-TCPA laws are state statutes regulating calls and texts alongside the federal TCPA — Florida's FTSA, Oklahoma's TSA, and others — often with broader autodialer definitions, stricter hours, and separate statutory damages.