Rhode Island Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Rhode Island, sales calls are allowed 9 a.m.–6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays, no Sundays or holidays, the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs one party’s consent.
Rhode Island rules next to federal law
| Rule | Rhode Island | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Unsolicited telephonic sales calls to residential, mobile or pager numbers are allowed only 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, never on Sundays or state or federal holidays.R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-2(2), 5-61-3.6 | 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 | Relies on the National Do Not Call Registry; there is no state list. Sellers must keep internal do-not-call procedures that meet FCC or FTC rules before making unsolicited sales calls, and text message ads to Rhode Island cell phones are banned except from carriers or businesses with an existing relationship that offer an opt-out.R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-61-3.5 | 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 telephonic seller may use an automatic-dialing-announcing device only if the subscriber requested or consented to the message, or a live operator first gets consent and discloses the business, purpose and what is being promoted. The device must release the line within 5 seconds after the subscriber hangs up.R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-61-3.4 | 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) |
| Telemarketer registration | Telephonic sellers must register with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit at least 10 days before doing business ($100 a year), post a $30,000 bond, letter of credit or CD, and wait for written confirmation before calling; within 30 seconds they must give their true name, company and what is being sold. 'Telephonic seller' is defined narrowly (for example, callers offering free items, prizes, cut-price office supplies, precious metals or oil and gas interests) with many exemptions.R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-2(9)-(10), 5-61-3, 5-61-3.1, 5-61-3.3 | 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 purpose is a criminal, tortious or other injurious act.R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21(c)(3) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | Partly. There is no express B2B exemption, but the hours and do-not-call sections cover only residential, mobile and pager numbers, so calls to business landlines fall outside them; calls to mobile phones are covered even if used for business.R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-3.5, 5-61-3.6 | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- None found for 2021-2026; the chapter 5-61 sections were last amended between 1999 and 2009.
Calling Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Rhode Island?
Unsolicited telephonic sales calls to residential, mobile or pager numbers are allowed only 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, never on Sundays or state or federal holidays. (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-2(2), 5-61-3.6). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Rhode Island have its own do-not-call list?
Relies on the National Do Not Call Registry; there is no state list. Sellers must keep internal do-not-call procedures that meet FCC or FTC rules before making unsolicited sales calls, and text message ads to Rhode Island cell phones are banned except from carriers or businesses with an existing relationship that offer an opt-out. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-61-3.5)
Is Rhode Island 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 purpose is a criminal, tortious or other injurious act. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-35-21(c)(3))
Do Rhode Island telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
Partly. There is no express B2B exemption, but the hours and do-not-call sections cover only residential, mobile and pager numbers, so calls to business landlines fall outside them; calls to mobile phones are covered even if used for business. (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-3.5, 5-61-3.6)
Do telemarketers need to register in Rhode Island?
Telephonic sellers must register with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit at least 10 days before doing business ($100 a year), post a $30,000 bond, letter of credit or CD, and wait for written confirmation before calling; within 30 seconds they must give their true name, company and what is being sold. 'Telephonic seller' is defined narrowly (for example, callers offering free items, prizes, cut-price office supplies, precious metals or oil and gas interests) with many exemptions. (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-2(9)-(10), 5-61-3, 5-61-3.1, 5-61-3.3)
This page summarizes Rhode Island 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.