The Do-Not-Call Registry, explained

What the Do Not Call Registry actually is

The National Do Not Call Registry is a free service run by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You add your own phone number to it at donotcall.gov, and legitimate telemarketers are supposed to stop calling you. Your registration does not expire, and you never have to pay to be on the list.

It is worth being clear about one thing up front: the registry is a list of numbers that don't want sales calls. It is not a barrier, a filter, or a piece of software running on your phone. It works by telling law-abiding companies to leave you alone — and it depends on those companies choosing to follow the rules.

What it does — and what it doesn't

Does the registry cover text messages?

The registry was built around telemarketing phone calls. Unwanted spam texts are addressed by the same federal law that governs many of those calls — the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 U.S.C. 227) — but adding your number to the registry is not a text-blocking feature and won't make spam texts stop on its own.

If you're dealing with spam texts specifically, the registry is useful background, not a fix. It's one part of a larger set of rights and steps, and it sits alongside things like reporting the message and, if you choose, responding to the sender with a formal, documented notice in your own name.

How to register your number

1. Go to the official site

   Visit donotcall.gov — the FTC's official registry. Be cautious of look-alike sites; the real one never charges you.

2. Add your number

   Enter the phone number you want on the list and follow the prompts. You can register a mobile or landline number.

3. Confirm by email

   You'll get a confirmation link. Click it to finish. Your registration then stays active with no renewal needed.

4. Keep records if calls continue

   Note the date you registered. If unwanted sales calls keep coming after 31 days, that date can matter when you report them.

If unwanted contact continues

• Report unwanted calls or texts to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
• File a complaint with the FCC at fcc.gov, which enforces many of the rules around unwanted calls and texts.
• Ask your mobile carrier about their spam-reporting and filtering options — most let you forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM).
• Save the messages. Screenshots, dates, and sender numbers are useful if you decide to take a documented next step.

Where SpamStamp fits

SpamStamp is a self-help software tool for preparing a formal TCPA notice about a spam text, which you send in your own name. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. It does not block, filter, or identify callers — it is not a call blocker or spam filter like RoboKiller or Nomorobo, and not a caller-ID or reverse-lookup app like Truecaller or Whoscall.

The Do Not Call Registry and SpamStamp solve different problems. The registry tells legitimate telemarketers not to call. SpamStamp helps you take a by-the-book step yourself after an unwanted spam text arrives: it helps you organize the facts and prepare a formal, factual notice. You are always the sender — you send it, prepared with SpamStamp.

And we're honest about the limits: sometimes a sender can't be safely identified. When that's the case, there's no formal notice to prepare, and the better moves are the ones above — reporting to the FTC and FCC, and using your carrier's tools.