New Jersey Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In New Jersey, sales calls are allowed 8 a.m.–9 p.m., the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs one party’s consent.
New Jersey rules next to federal law
| Rule | New Jersey | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | No unsolicited telemarketing sales call to a New Jersey customer between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., local time at the customer's location (the same window as federal law). No day-of-week or holiday ban.N.J.S.A. 56:8-128(d); N.J.A.C. 13:45D-4.1(a)2 | 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 | New Jersey's 'no telemarketing call list' is defined as the New Jersey numbers on the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry. Unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to listed numbers are barred, except within three months of a number's first listing if the telemarketer's current list (issued less than three months earlier) did not yet include it.N.J.S.A. 56:8-127, 56:8-128(a); N.J.A.C. 13:45D-1.3 | 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 recorded message may not be delivered to a New Jersey subscriber (except for emergencies) unless a live operator first introduces it and gets the subscriber's consent, or the caller has a prior or current relationship with the subscriber. Separately, unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to mobile numbers are barred however they are dialed, unless the customer gave an express written request or is an existing customer.N.J.S.A. 48:17-28; N.J.S.A. 56:8-130; N.J.A.C. 13:45D-4.1(a)3 | 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 intentionally block caller ID or display a name or number not associated with the telemarketer or meant to misrepresent its identity. Within the first 30 seconds they must give the telemarketer's name, the name and phone number of the party they are calling for, and the purpose of the call.N.J.S.A. 56:8-128(b), (e) | 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 | Anyone making unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to New Jersey customers must register annually with the Division of Consumer Affairs and file a criminal-history disclosure statement; the Division's FAQ puts the annual fee at $150 to $2,000 depending on how many phone numbers are used. The Director may also require a surety bond of at least $25,000.N.J.S.A. 56:8-121, 56:8-122, 56:8-126; N.J.A.C. 13:45D-3 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | A party to a call, or someone with one party's prior consent, may record it unless the recording is made to commit a criminal or tortious act.N.J.S.A. 2A:156A-4(d) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | Yes, in effect. The law covers residential telemarketing sales calls to 'customers,' defined as individual New Jersey residents, and the Division of Consumer Affairs says business numbers cannot be registered and business-to-business calls are not covered.N.J.S.A. 56:8-120; N.J.A.C. 13:45D-1.3 | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2023: P.L. 2023, c. 58 (approved May 15, 2023; effective December 1, 2023) requires telemarketers to give, within the first 30 seconds, the name and phone number of the party they call for, and to show their mailing address (and that of the company they telemarket for) on their websites and later written communications.
Calling New Jersey 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.
New Jersey calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in New Jersey?
No unsolicited telemarketing sales call to a New Jersey customer between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., local time at the customer's location (the same window as federal law). No day-of-week or holiday ban. (N.J.S.A. 56:8-128(d); N.J.A.C. 13:45D-4.1(a)2). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does New Jersey have its own do-not-call list?
New Jersey's 'no telemarketing call list' is defined as the New Jersey numbers on the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry. Unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to listed numbers are barred, except within three months of a number's first listing if the telemarketer's current list (issued less than three months earlier) did not yet include it. (N.J.S.A. 56:8-127, 56:8-128(a); N.J.A.C. 13:45D-1.3)
Is New Jersey a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
A party to a call, or someone with one party's prior consent, may record it unless the recording is made to commit a criminal or tortious act. (N.J.S.A. 2A:156A-4(d))
Do New Jersey telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
Yes, in effect. The law covers residential telemarketing sales calls to 'customers,' defined as individual New Jersey residents, and the Division of Consumer Affairs says business numbers cannot be registered and business-to-business calls are not covered. (N.J.S.A. 56:8-120; N.J.A.C. 13:45D-1.3)
Do telemarketers need to register in New Jersey?
Anyone making unsolicited telemarketing sales calls to New Jersey customers must register annually with the Division of Consumer Affairs and file a criminal-history disclosure statement; the Division's FAQ puts the annual fee at $150 to $2,000 depending on how many phone numbers are used. The Director may also require a surety bond of at least $25,000. (N.J.S.A. 56:8-121, 56:8-122, 56:8-126; N.J.A.C. 13:45D-3)
This page summarizes New Jersey 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.