Tennessee Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Tennessee, sales calls are allowed 8 a.m.–9 p.m., the state enforces a do-not-call list, and recording a call needs one party’s consent.
Tennessee rules next to federal law
| Rule | Tennessee | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Telephone and text solicitations to residential subscribers are allowed only between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time unless the subscriber gave permission. Automated (ADAD) sales calls are limited to the same window.Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-4-402; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.02(1); Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-18-1502(a) | 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 per-person limit for live calls. Since July 1, 2026, no person may make more than 10,000 telephone solicitations a month using an automated dialing system to deliver artificial or prerecorded voice messages to Tennessee residential subscribers, must keep monthly counts, and, from Oct. 1, 2026, must send those records to the TPUC every six months if it makes 500 or more such solicitations a month.Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-4-411 (2026 Pub. Acts ch. 1029) | No general federal equivalent |
| State do-not-call list | The Tennessee Public Utility Commission keeps a state Do Not Call/Text register of residential numbers, which also includes Tennessee numbers from the federal registry; solicitors may not call or text listed numbers and must register to obtain it. Fines run up to $2,000 per knowing violation.Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 65-4-404, 65-4-405; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.03, -.07 | 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 | Recorded-message (ADAD) calls selling consumer goods or services need the called party's prior consent: either a live operator's consent for that single call or written consent that lasts two years. Random or sequential dialing is banned, the message must state the caller's name and number within 25 seconds, and the device must disconnect within 10 seconds of hang-up.Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-18-1502 | 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 | Solicitors may not block or interfere with caller ID or make sales calls from an unlisted number. Since July 1, 2024, knowingly transmitting misleading caller ID with intent to defraud, harm or obtain value is an offense; for calls on behalf of debt collectors or inbound telemarketer services this expressly includes a number that does not match the area code of the caller or client, or is not toll-free.Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 47-18-1526(c), 47-18-2302(a); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.02(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 | Telephone solicitors calling or texting Tennessee residential subscribers must register with the TPUC and pay a $500 annual fee (due May 1 for the July 1 to June 30 year) for register access; principal solicitors may pay $1,000 plus $50 per independent solicitor.Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-4-405(d); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.04 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | A party to a call, or a person with one party's prior consent, may record it unless the purpose is a criminal or tortious act.Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601(b)(5) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | Business telephone subscribers cannot enroll on the Tennessee Do Not Call register, and the register, hours and disclosure rules apply to residential subscribers; the TPUC rule treats using a residential line to run a business as express permission. The § 47-18-1526 and ADAD rules cover only sales of consumer goods or services.Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.05(1)(c), -.01(19)(a)(2); Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 47-18-1526(a), 47-18-1502 | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2026: Pub. Ch. 1029 (HB 2408), effective July 1, 2026, added § 65-4-411: monthly record-keeping and a 10,000-per-month cap on automated prerecorded-voice solicitations to residential subscribers (a Tennessee Consumer Protection Act violation with a minimum $1,000 civil penalty), plus semiannual reports to the TPUC from Oct. 1, 2026 for those making 500 or more a month (first report due April 1, 2027).
- 2024: Pub. Ch. 758 (HB 2504), effective July 1, 2024, broadened the caller-ID spoofing offense in § 47-18-2302, including area-code-mismatch rules for debt collectors and inbound telemarketer services.
Calling Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.
Tennessee calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Tennessee?
Telephone and text solicitations to residential subscribers are allowed only between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time unless the subscriber gave permission. Automated (ADAD) sales calls are limited to the same window. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-4-402; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.02(1); Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-18-1502(a)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Tennessee have its own do-not-call list?
The Tennessee Public Utility Commission keeps a state Do Not Call/Text register of residential numbers, which also includes Tennessee numbers from the federal registry; solicitors may not call or text listed numbers and must register to obtain it. Fines run up to $2,000 per knowing violation. (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 65-4-404, 65-4-405; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.03, -.07)
Is Tennessee a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
A party to a call, or a person with one party's prior consent, may record it unless the purpose is a criminal or tortious act. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601(b)(5))
Do Tennessee telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
Business telephone subscribers cannot enroll on the Tennessee Do Not Call register, and the register, hours and disclosure rules apply to residential subscribers; the TPUC rule treats using a residential line to run a business as express permission. The § 47-18-1526 and ADAD rules cover only sales of consumer goods or services. (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.05(1)(c), -.01(19)(a)(2); Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 47-18-1526(a), 47-18-1502)
Do telemarketers need to register in Tennessee?
Telephone solicitors calling or texting Tennessee residential subscribers must register with the TPUC and pay a $500 annual fee (due May 1 for the July 1 to June 30 year) for register access; principal solicitors may pay $1,000 plus $50 per independent solicitor. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-4-405(d); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1220-04-11-.04)
This page summarizes Tennessee 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.