Connecticut Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Connecticut, sales calls are allowed 9 a.m.–8 p.m., the state enforces a do-not-call list, and recording a call needs every party’s consent.
Connecticut rules next to federal law
| Rule | Connecticut | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Telephonic sales calls to a consumer's residential, mobile, or paging number may be made only between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time. No separate Sunday or holiday ban.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(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 | The Department of Consumer Protection keeps a "no sales solicitation calls" list that by law is identical to the National Do Not Call Registry; calling a consumer on the national registry, or one who asked a specific company not to call, violates state law (fines up to $20,000 per violation plus CUTPA remedies).Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(a), (b), (o) | 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 | Since Oct. 1, 2023, a telemarketer may not make any telephonic sales call to a consumer (live voice, autodialed, prerecorded, soundboard, text, or app message) without the consumer's prior express written consent, not just automated calls. Calls to existing customers, responses to a consumer's inquiry, and certain other calls are excluded from the definition of telephonic sales call.Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-288a(l), (m); 42-284(14), (18) | 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 | Telemarketers may not use any blocking device or service to circumvent a consumer's caller ID, or intentionally transmit inaccurate or misleading caller ID information. Callers must also state their name, the purpose of the call, and the company they represent within the first 10 seconds and ask whether the consumer wants to continue, end the call, or be removed from the list.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(d), (e), (h) | 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 | No telemarketer registration or license requirement was found in Connecticut's telemarketing chapter.Source | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a private phone call requires the consent of all parties (obtained in writing or at the start of the recording), a recorded verbal notice at the start of the call, or an automatic warning tone about every 15 seconds; violators face civil liability. The criminal eavesdropping law only requires one party's consent.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-570d(a) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | Calls or messages made "as part of a business-to-business contact" are expressly excluded from the definition of telephonic sales call, so the consent, hours, disclosure, and DNC provisions do not reach them; the law also applies to consumers buying goods or services primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-284(5), (18)(B)(iv) | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2023 (P.A. 23-98, effective Oct. 1, 2023): prior express written consent required for all telephonic sales calls; calling window narrowed to 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; 10-second identity/purpose disclosure and opt-out question required; coverage extended to texts, app/over-the-top messages, soundboard calls, and any number with a Connecticut area code; DCP list made identical to the national registry; B2B contacts expressly excluded.
- 2024 (P.A. 24-75): clarified the mobile-number consent provision in § 42-288a(m) to cover any telephonic sales call for marketing or sales solicitation of consumer goods or services.
Calling Connecticut 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 Connecticut list 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.
Connecticut calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Connecticut?
Telephonic sales calls to a consumer's residential, mobile, or paging number may be made only between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time. No separate Sunday or holiday ban. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(c)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Connecticut have its own do-not-call list?
The Department of Consumer Protection keeps a "no sales solicitation calls" list that by law is identical to the National Do Not Call Registry; calling a consumer on the national registry, or one who asked a specific company not to call, violates state law (fines up to $20,000 per violation plus CUTPA remedies). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(a), (b), (o))
Is Connecticut a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a private phone call requires the consent of all parties (obtained in writing or at the start of the recording), a recorded verbal notice at the start of the call, or an automatic warning tone about every 15 seconds; violators face civil liability. The criminal eavesdropping law only requires one party's consent. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-570d(a))
Do Connecticut telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
Calls or messages made "as part of a business-to-business contact" are expressly excluded from the definition of telephonic sales call, so the consent, hours, disclosure, and DNC provisions do not reach them; the law also applies to consumers buying goods or services primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-284(5), (18)(B)(iv))
Do telemarketers need to register in Connecticut?
No telemarketer registration or license requirement was found in Connecticut's telemarketing chapter.
This page summarizes Connecticut 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.