Kentucky Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Kentucky, sales calls are allowed 10 a.m.–9 p.m., the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs one party’s consent.
Kentucky rules next to federal law
| Rule | Kentucky | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Telephone solicitations to a person's residence are allowed only between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., local time at the called person's location.KRS 367.46955(16) | 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) |
| Call frequency | A solicitation call may not ring for more than 30 seconds. Callers may not engage anyone repeatedly or continuously in an annoying, abusive, or harassing way, or call someone who previously said they don't want solicitation calls from that seller.KRS 367.46955(12)–(14) | No general federal equivalent |
| State do-not-call list | Kentucky's 'zero call list' is the National Do Not Call Registry, and making an unsolicited telephone solicitation to a residential number on it violates state law. Knowing violations are a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class A misdemeanor after that.KRS 367.46951(14), 367.46955(15), 367.46999(1) | 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 | A telephone solicitation to a residential phone using an artificial or prerecorded voice requires the called party's prior express consent (school emergency calls excepted).KRS 367.46955(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 | Callers may not transmit misleading caller ID or misrepresent where a call comes from (blocking caller ID, or showing the name and number of the business the call is made for, is allowed), and people who receive spoofed calls can sue. On contact the caller must give their real name, the merchant's legal name, a contact phone number or address, and the caller's city and state, and within 30 seconds describe the offer and ask whether the person wants to hear a sales presentation.KRS 367.46953, 367.46955(9), 367.46999(4) | 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 | A telemarketing company (one whose primary business is telephone solicitation) must register with the Attorney General at least 10 days before doing business in Kentucky ($300 fee, $50 annual renewal) and keep a $50,000 surety bond.KRS 367.46951(13), 367.46971, 367.46981 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a call is eavesdropping only if done without the consent of at least one party to it.KRS 526.010, 526.020 | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | A call made by one merchant to another is excluded from 'telephone solicitation,' and the law covers only calls to residential, mobile, or paging numbers offering consumer goods or services, consumer loans, or investment, business, or employment opportunities. Calls to anyone with a prior or existing business relationship are also excluded.KRS 367.46951(1)–(2) | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2024: SB 376 (2024 Ky. Acts ch. 112, effective April 5, 2024) amended the telemarketing definitions, registration, and bond sections as part of reorganizing the Attorney General's office; the changes appear administrative.
Calling Kentucky 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.
- 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.
Kentucky calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Kentucky?
Telephone solicitations to a person's residence are allowed only between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., local time at the called person's location. (KRS 367.46955(16)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Kentucky have its own do-not-call list?
Kentucky's 'zero call list' is the National Do Not Call Registry, and making an unsolicited telephone solicitation to a residential number on it violates state law. Knowing violations are a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class A misdemeanor after that. (KRS 367.46951(14), 367.46955(15), 367.46999(1))
Is Kentucky a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a call is eavesdropping only if done without the consent of at least one party to it. (KRS 526.010, 526.020)
Do Kentucky telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
A call made by one merchant to another is excluded from 'telephone solicitation,' and the law covers only calls to residential, mobile, or paging numbers offering consumer goods or services, consumer loans, or investment, business, or employment opportunities. Calls to anyone with a prior or existing business relationship are also excluded. (KRS 367.46951(1)–(2))
Do telemarketers need to register in Kentucky?
A telemarketing company (one whose primary business is telephone solicitation) must register with the Attorney General at least 10 days before doing business in Kentucky ($300 fee, $50 annual renewal) and keep a $50,000 surety bond. (KRS 367.46951(13), 367.46971, 367.46981)
This page summarizes Kentucky 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.