Florida Do Not Call List: How to Sign Up, What It Covers and What to Do When the Calls Keep Coming

Two lists

• Florida's list is run by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The department says it is free to subscribe and the number remains on the list indefinitely. Florida's law covers residential, mobile and paging numbers.
• The National Do Not Call Registry is run by the Federal Trade Commission. It is also free.

Each list is backed by a different law. Florida law requires FDACS to include National Registry numbers relating to Florida. You can also register directly with FDACS and verify your Florida listing. I would do both and keep proof of each.

How to sign up

1. Florida: go to the FDACS Florida Do Not Call page and choose “Add Your Number to Florida's Do Not Call List.” The same page lets you verify that your number is listed.
2. National: register at DoNotCall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register.
3. Keep proof. Save the confirmation email or a screenshot showing your number and the date. If you ever bring a claim, the date you registered matters.

The FTC says sales calls can take up to 31 days to stop after you register with the national registry.

What the Florida list covers

Florida's law applies to sales calls, sales texts and sales voicemails. When your number appears on FDACS's current quarterly list, the Florida list restriction applies, subject to exceptions. Separately, a company may not keep calling or texting after you have told it to stop. And certain unsolicited sales calls using a recorded message or a system that automatically selects and dials numbers require prior written consent.

What it does not stop

• Calls you asked for.
• Calls from a business you have a prior or existing relationship with, or about a debt or contract you already have.
• Political calls and surveys. FDACS treats these as unregulated communications, not Do Not Call violations.
• Scams. Criminals do not check the list.

Separate robocall rules can still apply to political, charity, survey and debt-collection calls. And telling a company to stop can end its business-relationship exception.

When the calls keep coming

1. Save the evidence. Screenshot your call log and every text. Keep voicemails. Write down the company name and what they were selling.
2. For sales texts, reply STOP to the number that sent them and keep the thread. Under Florida's law, a damages claim over sales texts requires that reply, and that the texts continued without your consent after the 15-day period. A permitted confirmation text alone does not qualify. If you suspect a scam, do not reply or click links; save the message and get advice.
3. File a complaint with FDACS and at DoNotCall.gov. The state can investigate and fine telemarketers.
4. Ask a lawyer whether you have your own claim. A complaint does not automatically award you damages. State fines go to the state.

When it becomes a legal claim

Florida's law lets a person who received an unlawful sales call ask a court to stop the calls and seek actual damages or $500, whichever is greater. Federal law has its own claims, including one for people on the national registry who get more than one unlawful sales call from the same company within 12 months. Courts disagree about some federal Do Not Call claims, including claims based on the National Registry, texts and calls to cell phones. Separate rules govern prerecorded and AI-voice calls. Whether you have a case depends on the facts, and no payment is automatic.

I cover who qualifies and what proof you need in Can you sue a telemarketer in Florida? If you would like me to look at your calls and texts, the review is free.

Official sources

• 47 U.S.C. § 227 (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)
• 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 (FCC telemarketing rules)
• Florida Statutes § 501.059 (telephone solicitation)
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Florida Do Not Call
• National Do Not Call Registry

Frequently asked questions

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