"Do Not Call" Registry effective September 30, 2008

What is the National Do-Not-Call List?

July 23, 2008 -- The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is responsible for the National Do-Not-Call List (DNCL), which contains the names and telephone numbers of the consumers who do not want to receive unsolicited telephone calls from telemarketers.

Telemarketing is the use of telephony technology (telephone, cellphone, fax, etc.) to make unsolicited telephone calls or send unsolicited messages to consumers for the purpose of solicitation. Solicitation is selling or promoting a product or service, or soliciting money.

The object of the National DNCL is to provide a way for consumers to prevent telemarketers from calling them without consumers having to deal with individual telemarketers and their do-not-call lists. Telemarketers will not be permitted to call any of the numbers on the National Do-Not-Call List (DNCL), unless they already have an existing business relationship with the consumer or individual. (Please see the definition of existing business relationship in the CREA booklet on Page 2)

The federal legislation creating the framework for Canada’s National Do-Not-Call List was passed in 2005. On December 21st, 2007, the CRTC awarded a five-year contract to Bell Canada to operate the National DNCL, and announced the list would be active on September 30th, 2008. The operator is responsible for registering numbers, providing telemarketers with up-to-date versions of the National DNCL, and receiving consumer complaints about telemarketing calls.

Consumers can register up to three different numbers on the list, and have to renew that list every three years. There is no cost for getting onto the list. Telemarketers are required to monitor the National DNCL and remove any numbers they find on it from their calling lists. Telemarketers have to pay for access to the list.