The Federal Trade Commission has announced FY 2021 fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. Most of the annual fees will increase slightly from FY 2020, and are set forth in a proposed Federal Register notice.
All telemarketers calling consumers in the United States are required to download the numbers on the National DNC Registry to ensure they do not call people who have registered their phone numbers. The first five area codes are free to download, and organizations that are exempt, such as some charitable organizations, may obtain the entire list for free. Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the Registry numbers.
Most FY 2021 Registry access fees will increase slightly based on the re-evaluation required by the Do‑Not‑Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. Under the Act’s provisions, in FY 2020 telemarketers will now pay $66 for yearly access to Registry phone numbers in a single area code, which is an increase of $1 from FY 2020. The maximum charge to any single entity for accessing all area codes nationwide will now be $18,044 (up from $17,765 in FY 2020). The fee for accessing an additional area code for a half year will increase $1 in FY 2021, from $32 to $33.
The Commission vote authorizing publication of the Federal Register notice announcing the new fees was 3-0-2, with Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Christine S. Wilson not participating. (The staff contact is Ami Dziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202‑326‑2648.)