Illinois Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Illinois, sales calls are allowed 8 a.m.–9 p.m. (recorded-message calls 9 a.m.–9 p.m.), the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs every party’s consent.
Illinois rules next to federal law
| Rule | Illinois | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Live-operator sales calls may not be placed between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Calls using an autodialer that plays a recorded message may be placed only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.815 ILCS 413/15(a); 815 ILCS 305/15(a) | 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State do-not-call list | Illinois relies on the National Do Not Call Registry; its own Restricted Call Registry Act was repealed in 2018. A live operator must stop calling anyone who asks to be removed and delete them from the business's contact records; complying with the FTC rule's company-specific do-not-call requirements satisfies this.815 ILCS 413/15(b)(3); P.A. 100-621 § 5-70 (repealing 815 ILCS 402) | 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 | Playing a prerecorded sales message placed by an autodialer without the called party's consent is a violation; if the autodialer cannot disconnect within 30 seconds, a live operator must first give their name, the business's name, address, and phone number, and the call's purpose, and ask whether the person consents to hear the message. Injured consumers can recover treble actual damages plus $500 per violation; calls made at the person's express request or to a prior or existing business relationship are exempt (the caller-ID rule still applies).815 ILCS 305/15(b), 305/20, 305/30(b)–(c-5) | 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 | Live and autodialed sales calls may not impede caller ID when the caller's service or equipment can display its number. Live operators must immediately give their name, the business, and the call's purpose, and ask at the start whether the person consents to the solicitation; continuing without consent is a violation.815 ILCS 413/15(b)–(c), 413/25(b); 815 ILCS 305/15(d) | 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 | Illinois has no telemarketer registration requirement; a 2024 bill to require Secretary of State registration (HB 5566) died at the end of the 103rd General Assembly.Source | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Surreptitiously recording a private conversation, even one you are part of, is eavesdropping unless all other parties consent.720 ILCS 5/14-2(a)(2) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | There is no B2B exemption: the Telephone Solicitations Act and the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act protect any 'subscriber' to telephone service, so their hours, disclosure, consent, and caller-ID rules apply to calls to businesses. The Telephone Solicitations Act does exempt telecom carriers, banks, credit unions, licensed insurers and agents (for existing customers), real estate licensees, and registered securities dealers.815 ILCS 413/5, 413/10, 413/20, 413/23; 815 ILCS 305/5(e) | No general federal equivalent |
Calling Illinois 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.
Illinois calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Illinois?
Live-operator sales calls may not be placed between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Calls using an autodialer that plays a recorded message may be placed only between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (815 ILCS 413/15(a); 815 ILCS 305/15(a)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Illinois have its own do-not-call list?
Illinois relies on the National Do Not Call Registry; its own Restricted Call Registry Act was repealed in 2018. A live operator must stop calling anyone who asks to be removed and delete them from the business's contact records; complying with the FTC rule's company-specific do-not-call requirements satisfies this. (815 ILCS 413/15(b)(3); P.A. 100-621 § 5-70 (repealing 815 ILCS 402))
Is Illinois a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Surreptitiously recording a private conversation, even one you are part of, is eavesdropping unless all other parties consent. (720 ILCS 5/14-2(a)(2))
Do Illinois telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
There is no B2B exemption: the Telephone Solicitations Act and the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act protect any 'subscriber' to telephone service, so their hours, disclosure, consent, and caller-ID rules apply to calls to businesses. The Telephone Solicitations Act does exempt telecom carriers, banks, credit unions, licensed insurers and agents (for existing customers), real estate licensees, and registered securities dealers. (815 ILCS 413/5, 413/10, 413/20, 413/23; 815 ILCS 305/5(e))
Do telemarketers need to register in Illinois?
Illinois has no telemarketer registration requirement; a 2024 bill to require Secretary of State registration (HB 5566) died at the end of the 103rd General Assembly.
This page summarizes Illinois 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.