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For Immediate Release
August 28, 2007
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White: Time to Re-Register for Do Not Call List

Sept. 15 deadline for those who signed up in 2002. 

Franklin – An important deadline is approaching for constituents who signed up for the Pennsylvania "Do Not Call" list in 2002, state Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21) said today.

Under the Do Not Call law, registration is good for five years. Telephone customers who were among the first group to sign up in 2002 must re-register by September 15, 2007 or their numbers will be dropped from the list on November 1, the senator said.  Customers can sign up again, but an updated list won't take effect until February 2008.

"Whether you are re-registering or signing up for the first time, placing your phone numbers of the Do Not Call list is definitely worth the effort," said White. "Unwanted telemarketing calls are a nuisance and an intrusion of privacy. Since the General Assembly passed this law five years ago, millions of Pennsylvanians have taken advantage of the opportunity."

The Attorney General's Office is responsible for enforcing the Do Not Call law and handling registrations, and there is no fee for registering on the list. There are several ways in which you can re-register, or register, for the Do Not Call list:

• Visit www.attorneygeneral.gov to complete the online registration form
• Call the toll-free hotline at 1-888-777-3406
• Mail your name, complete mailing address, telephone number and signature to:

Office of Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Do Not Call List
Strawberry Square, 15th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120

The list is distributed to telemarketers on a quarterly basis. Telemarketers then have 30 days to remove your number from their calling lists. 

The Do Not Call law also prohibits telemarketers from blocking their telephone numbers from a person's caller ID device. Telemarketers who violate the provisions of the law could face a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation. The penalty could be increased to $3,000 if the call is placed to a person age 60 or older who is registered on the Do Not Call list. 

"One million Pennsylvanians registered for the list in the first two weeks back in 2002. About half of them have re-registered. If you haven't, take a moment to re- register. And don't forget to register cell phone numbers, too," said White.