Indiana Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Indiana, live 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.
Indiana rules next to federal law
| Rule | Indiana | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Commercial solicitation calls using an automatic dialing-announcing device (prerecorded or synthesized message) may reach a subscriber only between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Indiana sets no hours for live calls.Ind. Code § 24-5-14-8 | 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 | Indiana's Attorney General keeps its own do-not-call list, published quarterly (Jan. 1, Apr. 1, July 1, Oct. 1), which telemarketers must buy; calls and texts selling consumer goods or services to listed numbers are barred, with civil penalties up to $10,000 for the first violation and $25,000 for each later one (each call counts). There is no general established-business-relationship exemption; exemptions cover express requests, existing debts or contracts, some charities and newspapers using their own staff, insurance and real estate licensees, and broadband providers and financial institutions with an existing relationship.Ind. Code §§ 24-4.7-1-1, 24-4.7-3-1, 24-4.7-4-1, 24-4.7-5-2 | 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 be used only if the subscriber knowingly or voluntarily requested or consented to the message, or a live operator first obtains consent; messages to people with a current business or personal relationship are exempt. A live operator introducing the message must name the business, the purpose, and the goods or services, and the device must disconnect within 10 seconds after the subscriber hangs up.Ind. Code §§ 24-5-14-5 to 24-5-14-7 | 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 | A seller soliciting outside an existing course of dealing may not block display of its number or identity on caller ID (a Class B misdemeanor), and no one may spoof caller ID to defraud or cause harm. On a telephone sales call the caller must immediately give their true first and last name, the business they are calling for, and the company that employs or contracted them.Ind. Code §§ 24-5-12-25, 24-5-14.5-9, 24-4.7-4-2 | 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 | There is no general telemarketer registration; only 'sellers' whose calls involve listed practices (such as false gift or prize claims, office-supply 'price increase' pitches, timeshare vacation offers, false caller identity, or precious-metal and oil-gas offers) must register with the Attorney General ($50 fee plus a $50 annual update).Ind. Code §§ 24-5-12-8, 24-5-12-10, 24-5-12-11, 24-5-12-14 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a call is unlawful interception only when done by someone who is not the sender or receiver and without the consent of either.Ind. Code §§ 35-31.5-2-176, 35-33.5-5-5 | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | Indiana's do-not-call law covers only calls to 'consumers' (residential, wireless, or VoIP subscribers) about consumer goods or services, and business numbers cannot be placed on the list. The prerecorded-message rules and the caller-ID blocking ban are not limited to consumers, so they also apply to calls to businesses.Ind. Code §§ 24-4.7-2-2, 24-4.7-2-3, 24-5-14-4, 24-5-12-25 | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2024: P.L.148-2024 broadened 'telephone sales call' to cover texts, images, and multimedia sent by SMS, MMS, over-the-top messaging or voice apps, or any other messaging technology (Ind. Code § 24-4.7-2-9).
- 2026: P.L.115-2026 updated the licensing cross-references in the financial-institution exemption (Ind. Code § 24-4.7-1-1); no change to calling rules identified.
Calling Indiana 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 Indiana 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.
Indiana calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Indiana?
Commercial solicitation calls using an automatic dialing-announcing device (prerecorded or synthesized message) may reach a subscriber only between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Indiana sets no hours for live calls. (Ind. Code § 24-5-14-8). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Indiana have its own do-not-call list?
Indiana's Attorney General keeps its own do-not-call list, published quarterly (Jan. 1, Apr. 1, July 1, Oct. 1), which telemarketers must buy; calls and texts selling consumer goods or services to listed numbers are barred, with civil penalties up to $10,000 for the first violation and $25,000 for each later one (each call counts). There is no general established-business-relationship exemption; exemptions cover express requests, existing debts or contracts, some charities and newspapers using their own staff, insurance and real estate licensees, and broadband providers and financial institutions with an existing relationship. (Ind. Code §§ 24-4.7-1-1, 24-4.7-3-1, 24-4.7-4-1, 24-4.7-5-2)
Is Indiana a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a call is unlawful interception only when done by someone who is not the sender or receiver and without the consent of either. (Ind. Code §§ 35-31.5-2-176, 35-33.5-5-5)
Do Indiana telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
Indiana's do-not-call law covers only calls to 'consumers' (residential, wireless, or VoIP subscribers) about consumer goods or services, and business numbers cannot be placed on the list. The prerecorded-message rules and the caller-ID blocking ban are not limited to consumers, so they also apply to calls to businesses. (Ind. Code §§ 24-4.7-2-2, 24-4.7-2-3, 24-5-14-4, 24-5-12-25)
Do telemarketers need to register in Indiana?
There is no general telemarketer registration; only 'sellers' whose calls involve listed practices (such as false gift or prize claims, office-supply 'price increase' pitches, timeshare vacation offers, false caller identity, or precious-metal and oil-gas offers) must register with the Attorney General ($50 fee plus a $50 annual update). (Ind. Code §§ 24-5-12-8, 24-5-12-10, 24-5-12-11, 24-5-12-14)
This page summarizes Indiana 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.