Missouri Do Not Call List, referred to as the No-Call list, is a database maintained by the Missouri Attorney General's office. This list helps protect Missouri residents from unsolicited telemarketing calls and reduces the possibility of falling victim to phone scams associated with telemarketing. The No-Call law enables Missourians to restrict unwanted telemarketing calls made to their residence or cell phones; by signing up for the No-Call list. Signing up on the No-Call list is free, and the registered number will be exempted from unsolicited calls. The law prohibits telemarketers from contacting Missourians who have notified the Attorney General's Office that they do not want to receive calls from telemarketers and have been added to the list.
However, there are some exceptions to the No-Call law. These include calls from:
- Those that have an existing business relationship with the recipient
- Certain not-for-profit groups if the individual calling is a member of the group
- Those that the recipient has expressly permitted or invited to call (for example, filling your name and number on an entry form).
- Individuals calling on a referral or working from their homes, or individuals licensed for a profession or trade who are setting or attempting to fix an appointment.
Is Missouri Do Not Call List Different from National Do Not Call Registry?
Yes, the Missouri No-Call list differs from the National Do Not Call registry. Missouri No-Call list is administered by the Missouri Attorney General's office, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains the National Do Not Call registry. These two registries serve the same function of restricting unsolicited calls for citizens that subscribe to them; however, the difference lies in their coverage. The National Do Not Call registry serves the United States, while the Missouri No-Call list serves only the state. Interested persons can subscribe with their personal telephone numbers and not work telephone numbers.
According to Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, a significant difference between both lists is that the state law has more enforcement backing up the law, as his office is more intentional about responding to violators on the local level. Similar to the National Do Not Call Registry, telephone numbers subscribed to Missouri's No-Call List do not expire; they remain there indefinitely until the subscriber decides to quit the subscription, or the numbers get disengaged and reallocated to other customers. It takes a waiting period of 31 days before the numbers registered on the National Registry are updated and become active. Contrarily, numbers on Missouri No-Call List are updated quarterly. This means that numbers registered on February 1 become active on April 1, numbers registered on May 1 become active on July 1, numbers registered on August 1 become active on October 1, and numbers registered on November 1 become active on January 1.
How Do I Register on Missouri Do Not Call List?
Registration on the Missouri No-Call list is free and can be done by mail or online electronically submitting a form. Missourians can also call toll-free 1-866-NOCALL1 (1-866-662-2551) to register. Persons whose numbers were formerly registered but have now lost their numbers can register again using their new phone number. The subscriber's address will also be required if the person changes his or her initial address. However, such persons need to call the No-Call Unit of the Attorney General's Office at 1-866-289-9633 to remove their old phone numbers from the No-Call list.
Missourians can confirm if their phone numbers have been registered to the Missouri No-Call List by visiting the online registration lookup. For more inquiries, e-mail the No-Call Unit or call toll-free 866-buzzoff (866-289-9633).
If a person subscribed to the No-Call list still receives unsolicited calls, or a telemarketer speaks in a disorderly or unacceptable manner to them, or calls before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm, the person may file a complaint with the Missouri No-Call Unit. Missouri residents may consider identifying unknown repeat callers with reverse phone lookup services.
What Should I Know About Missouri Do Not Call List?
The No-Call list is a database of residential and cell phone numbers of Missourians who wish not to receive unsolicited calls. This list does not include the subscriber's business or work numbers. Missourians are allowed to register multiple cellphone numbers. The No-Call law is not restricted to just calls; it also includes short messaging service (SMS) or multimedia messaging service (MMS). The Attorney General's Office submits subscribers' names every three months (quarterly) to allow telemarketers time to add names to their no-call lists.
Violating the state's No-Call law is considered an offense. Any telemarketer that commits this violation attracts a civil penalty up to either $1,000 or $5,000 for each deliberate violation of the law, depending on which law is violated.