California Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In California, live sales calls follow the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs every party’s consent.
California rules next to federal law
| Rule | California | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | No state hours rule for live sales calls (federal 8 a.m.-9 p.m. applies). Calls using an automatic dialing-announcing device (a dialer that plays a prerecorded message) may not be placed to California phones between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. California time.Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 2872(c) | 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 | California's do-not-call list is defined by statute as the California numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry (obtained from the FTC no more than three months before the call); telephone solicitors may not call those numbers unless an exception applies (written agreement, express request, established business relationship within 18 months, debt collection, very small local businesses, charities).Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17592 | 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 | An automatic dialing-announcing device may play its prerecorded message only after a live, natural-voice announcement that states the nature of the call and the business, asks whether the person consents to hear the message, and says if the message uses an artificial voice. Devices that do not dial randomly or sequentially and only message established customers or people who asked for the call are excluded.Cal. Pub. Util. Code §§ 2872(f), 2874(a) | 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) |
| Telemarketer registration | "Telephonic sellers" (callers who make specified representations, such as prizes or gifts, below-regular prices, investment offers, loans, or credit for a fee) must register with the Attorney General at least 10 days before doing business in California ($50 fee, annual renewal, $100,000 surety bond); there are many exemptions, and ordinary sales calls without those representations are not covered.Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17511.1, 17511.3 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a confidential phone conversation, or any call involving a cellular or cordless phone, requires the consent of all parties.Cal. Penal Code §§ 632, 632.7 | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | California's do-not-call statute and its automatic dialing-announcing device rules contain no express business-to-business exemption. The state DNC rule only reaches numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, and the dialing-device rules exclude non-random dialers used only to message established business associates or customers.Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17592; Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 2872(f) | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2025 (AB 2905, Stats. 2024 ch. 316, effective Jan. 1, 2025): the live announcement before a prerecorded dialing-device message must say whether the message uses an artificial voice, including AI-generated or significantly altered speech.
Calling California 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 before each campaign, and honor opt-outs right away.
- Tell everyone on the call that it is recorded before recording starts.
Trellus dials from the CRM list your reps already work, with each call logged back to the record. See the power and parallel dialer.
California calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in California?
No state hours rule for live sales calls (federal 8 a.m.-9 p.m. applies). Calls using an automatic dialing-announcing device (a dialer that plays a prerecorded message) may not be placed to California phones between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. California time. (Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 2872(c)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does California have its own do-not-call list?
California's do-not-call list is defined by statute as the California numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry (obtained from the FTC no more than three months before the call); telephone solicitors may not call those numbers unless an exception applies (written agreement, express request, established business relationship within 18 months, debt collection, very small local businesses, charities). (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17592)
Is California a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a confidential phone conversation, or any call involving a cellular or cordless phone, requires the consent of all parties. (Cal. Penal Code §§ 632, 632.7)
Do California telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
California's do-not-call statute and its automatic dialing-announcing device rules contain no express business-to-business exemption. The state DNC rule only reaches numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, and the dialing-device rules exclude non-random dialers used only to message established business associates or customers. (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17592; Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 2872(f))
Do telemarketers need to register in California?
"Telephonic sellers" (callers who make specified representations, such as prizes or gifts, below-regular prices, investment offers, loans, or credit for a fee) must register with the Attorney General at least 10 days before doing business in California ($50 fee, annual renewal, $100,000 surety bond); there are many exemptions, and ordinary sales calls without those representations are not covered. (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17511.1, 17511.3)
This page summarizes California 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.