Robocalls and the Do Not Call List: What They Do

The Do Not Call list stops honest telemarketers. It won't stop scammers, who ignore the law.

What the list does

Putting your number on the U.S. National Do Not Call Registry tells legitimate telemarketers not to call you. After 31 days, most sales calls should stop, and calls that continue can be reported. Canada has its own National Do Not Call List.

What it doesn't do

Scammers and many illegal robocallers don't check the list. Calls from political groups, charities, debt collectors and surveys are among those the list doesn't cover.

What does help

Join the list at donotcall.gov (or from the phone you want to register) and report calls that continue.
Turn on your carrier's free scam filter and your phone's silence-unknown-callers setting. See how to block and report.
Don't answer or press buttons on calls you don't recognize. Answering tells the caller your number is active.
Look up unknown numbers before you call back.

Sources

Reviewed October 2026. Rules and scam tactics change; check the official pages for the latest.

Check a number

Got a number you don't recognize? Look it up to see where it started and whether it looks risky.