Maryland Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Maryland, sales calls are allowed 8 a.m.–8 p.m., the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs every party’s consent.
Maryland rules next to federal law
| Rule | Maryland | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | No telephone solicitation (including autodialed or recorded-message calls) between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the called party's time zone. The statute sets no separate Sunday or holiday restriction.Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-4502(c)(1) | 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 | No more than three telephone solicitations to the same called party in a 24-hour period on the same subject matter or issue, regardless of which phone numbers the calls come from.Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-4502(c)(2) | No general federal equivalent |
| State do-not-call list | Maryland has no separate state do-not-call list. State law makes it a violation of Maryland law to violate the TCPA (47 U.S.C. § 227 and FCC rules, which include the National Do Not Call Registry rules) or the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule.Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-3201 | 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 that uses an automated system for selecting or dialing numbers, or plays a recorded message when the call connects, requires the called party's prior express written consent: a signed agreement (electronic signatures allowed) naming the number to be called and disclosing that consent is not a condition of purchase. A separate utility-law provision bars autodialed prerecorded-message sales calls unless the caller has a preexisting business relationship with, or the consent of, the person called.Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-4501(d), 14-4502(a)(3); Md. Code, Pub. Util. § 8-204 | 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 | Telephone solicitors must transmit the originating number (and the caller's name when the carrier makes it available), may not block caller ID, and may not display a different number to hide their identity. Showing the seller's name and customer-service number instead is allowed.Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-4502(b); Md. Code, Pub. Util. § 8-205(c) | 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 Maryland telemarketer registration statute was found. The Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act instead makes a consumer contract from a merchant-initiated telephone sales call unenforceable unless it is put in writing and signed by the consumer (consumer goods and services only).Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-2201, 14-2203 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a phone call is lawful only if all parties to the call give prior consent; unlawful interception is a felony.Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-402(c)(3) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | Partial only. The prior-express-written-consent rule for autodialed or recorded-message solicitations does not apply to a business-to-business sale where the solicitor has operated continuously for at least 3 years under the same business name. The 8 a.m.-8 p.m. hours, three-calls-per-24-hours limit and caller ID rules have no B2B exemption, and calls to Maryland area codes are presumed to reach a Maryland resident or a person with a place of business in Maryland.Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-4502(a)(1)(iii), 14-4503(b) | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2023: Stop the Spam Calls Act of 2023 (SB 90, Ch. 413), effective January 1, 2024, added the prior-express-written-consent rule for automated/recorded solicitations, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. calling hours, a three-calls-per-24-hours limit and caller ID rules; violations are unfair, abusive or deceptive trade practices under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
- 2024: HB 1228 (Ch. 214), effective on enactment (approved April 25, 2024), added a private right of action for called parties (greater of $500 or actual damages, up to triple for willful or knowing violations), exempted noncommercial public-opinion research, and limited waiver of the Act's protections.
Calling Maryland 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.
Maryland calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Maryland?
No telephone solicitation (including autodialed or recorded-message calls) between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the called party's time zone. The statute sets no separate Sunday or holiday restriction. (Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-4502(c)(1)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Maryland have its own do-not-call list?
Maryland has no separate state do-not-call list. State law makes it a violation of Maryland law to violate the TCPA (47 U.S.C. § 227 and FCC rules, which include the National Do Not Call Registry rules) or the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule. (Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-3201)
Is Maryland a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a phone call is lawful only if all parties to the call give prior consent; unlawful interception is a felony. (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-402(c)(3))
Do Maryland telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
Partial only. The prior-express-written-consent rule for autodialed or recorded-message solicitations does not apply to a business-to-business sale where the solicitor has operated continuously for at least 3 years under the same business name. The 8 a.m.-8 p.m. hours, three-calls-per-24-hours limit and caller ID rules have no B2B exemption, and calls to Maryland area codes are presumed to reach a Maryland resident or a person with a place of business in Maryland. (Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-4502(a)(1)(iii), 14-4503(b))
Do telemarketers need to register in Maryland?
No Maryland telemarketer registration statute was found. The Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act instead makes a consumer contract from a merchant-initiated telephone sales call unenforceable unless it is put in writing and signed by the consumer (consumer goods and services only). (Md. Code, Com. Law §§ 14-2201, 14-2203)
This page summarizes Maryland 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.