Arkansas Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Arkansas, sales calls follow the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, the state enforces a do-not-call list, and recording a call needs one party’s consent.
Arkansas rules next to federal law
| Rule | Arkansas | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | No separate state rule confirmed | Telephone solicitations only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the called person’s local time.47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1) |
| State do-not-call list | The Attorney General's statewide do-not-call database has been merged with the National Do Not Call Registry, so a number on the federal list is protected under both laws; it is a violation to call a consumer on the database, to solicit without first checking it, or to violate the FTC do-not-call rule. Calls with prior written permission or to existing business relationships are excluded.Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-403(6), 4-99-404, 4-99-405 | No telephone solicitations to residential or wireless numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, subject to the rule’s exemptions such as an established business relationship.47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(2) |
| Autodialer and consent | Using an automated system for the selection and dialing of numbers that plays a recorded message to offer or sell goods or services is a Class D felony, with no consent exception; only delivery and order-status calls and calls responding to a call the recipient started are exempt.Ark. Code Ann. § 5-63-204 | Autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing calls to wireless numbers need the called person’s prior express written consent.47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(a)(2) |
| Caller ID | Telephone solicitors may not use any method that blocks caller ID, and may not display a fictitious or misleading name or number on an Arkansas resident's caller ID; spoofing is also a deceptive trade practice.Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-302, 4-88-107(a)(11) | Telemarketers must transmit caller ID with a number that can be called back during business hours.47 C.F.R. § 64.1601(e) |
| Telemarketer registration | "Telephonic sellers" (callers who promise free items, prizes or gifts, below-usual prices, or misrepresent who they are) must register with the Arkansas Secretary of State at least 10 days before doing business in the state ($100 filing fee); ordinary sales calls without those representations, and calls to prior customers, are not covered.Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-103(9), 4-99-104 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a phone call is lawful if the recorder is a party to the call or one party has given prior consent.Ark. Code Ann. § 5-60-120(a) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | The do-not-call law protects only "consumers," defined as persons assigned a residential telephone line in Arkansas, so calls to business lines fall outside it; the telephonic-seller registration law excludes sales to purchasers holding an Arkansas gross receipts (sales tax) permit for goods they will resell. The recorded-message autodialer ban and the caller ID rules have no business-to-business exemption.Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-403(3), 4-99-103(9)(C)(xi), 5-63-204 | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2025 (Act 847, HB1957, April 17, 2025): the Unsolicited Commercial and Sexually Explicit Electronic Mail Prevention Act was extended to unsolicited commercial text messages; its specific SMS requirements were not reviewed.
Calling Arkansas from a sales team
- Schedule call blocks in the prospect’s local time, not the rep’s.
- Check numbers against the National Do Not Call Registry and the Arkansas list before each campaign, and honor opt-outs right away.
- If a call may cross into an all-party state, announce the recording anyway.
Trellus dials from the CRM list your reps already work, with each call logged back to the record. See the power and parallel dialer.
Arkansas calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Arkansas?
We could not confirm a Arkansas calling-hours rule, so the federal limit applies: telephone solicitations only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the called person’s local time (47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1)).
Does Arkansas have its own do-not-call list?
The Attorney General's statewide do-not-call database has been merged with the National Do Not Call Registry, so a number on the federal list is protected under both laws; it is a violation to call a consumer on the database, to solicit without first checking it, or to violate the FTC do-not-call rule. Calls with prior written permission or to existing business relationships are excluded. (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-403(6), 4-99-404, 4-99-405)
Is Arkansas a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a phone call is lawful if the recorder is a party to the call or one party has given prior consent. (Ark. Code Ann. § 5-60-120(a))
Do Arkansas telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
The do-not-call law protects only "consumers," defined as persons assigned a residential telephone line in Arkansas, so calls to business lines fall outside it; the telephonic-seller registration law excludes sales to purchasers holding an Arkansas gross receipts (sales tax) permit for goods they will resell. The recorded-message autodialer ban and the caller ID rules have no business-to-business exemption. (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-403(3), 4-99-103(9)(C)(xi), 5-63-204)
Do telemarketers need to register in Arkansas?
"Telephonic sellers" (callers who promise free items, prizes or gifts, below-usual prices, or misrepresent who they are) must register with the Arkansas Secretary of State at least 10 days before doing business in the state ($100 filing fee); ordinary sales calls without those representations, and calls to prior customers, are not covered. (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 4-99-103(9), 4-99-104)
This page summarizes Arkansas and federal rules for general information. It is not legal advice, rules change, and exemptions depend on the facts of your calls. Read the cited sources or ask counsel before relying on it.