Vermont Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Vermont, sales calls follow the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, the National Do Not Call Registry applies, and recording a call needs one party’s consent.
Vermont rules next to federal law
| Rule | Vermont | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | No separate state rule confirmed | 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 | No state list: any call to a Vermont number that violates the FTC or FCC do-not-call rules (the National Do Not Call Registry and company-specific lists) also violates Vermont law. Recipients may sue for the greater of actual damages or $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each later one.9 V.S.A. §§ 2464a(b)(2), 2464c | 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 | Since July 1, 2023, automatically dialed or prerecorded calls to Vermont consumers that violate the federal TCPA or Telemarketing Sales Rule also violate state law, so federal consent rules apply as Vermont law. Recipients may sue ($500 first violation, $1,000 each later), and knowing and willful violations carry up to 90 days in jail and/or $1,000 per violation.9 V.S.A. § 2464e | 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 | Anyone placing a telephone solicitation or charitable-solicitation call must transmit its telephone number, and its name if the carrier makes it available, to the recipient's caller ID. The name and a number answered during business hours of the party on whose behalf the call is made may be substituted.9 V.S.A. § 2464a(b)(3) | 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 | Telemarketers must register with the Secretary of State ($125) and designate an agent for service of process before soliciting Vermont numbers; soliciting while unregistered can bring up to 18 months in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. Solicitors already registered or licensed with, or regulated or chartered by, the Secretary of State, Public Utility Commission, Department of Financial Regulation or Department of Taxes (tax-only registrants must file an agent address), and GLBA-regulated financial institutions, are not 'telemarketers' and need not register.9 V.S.A. §§ 2464a(a)(7), (b)(1), (d); 2464b | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Vermont has no statute on recording calls, so the federal one-party consent rule governs: a participant, or someone with a participant's consent, may record.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) (no Vermont recording statute) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | No express B2B exemption: 'customer' means any customer of a telecommunications company residing or located in Vermont, so the caller-ID and registration rules reach calls to businesses. The do-not-call prohibition follows the FTC and FCC rules it incorporates, including their scope.9 V.S.A. § 2464a(a)(1), (b)(2) | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2023: 9 V.S.A. § 2464e (added by 2022 Acts No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), § 57) took effect July 1, 2023, making robocalls that violate the federal TCPA or Telemarketing Sales Rule a state-law violation with a private right of action and criminal penalties.
Calling Vermont 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.
Vermont calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Vermont?
We could not confirm a Vermont calling-hours rule, so the federal limit applies: 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)).
Does Vermont have its own do-not-call list?
No state list: any call to a Vermont number that violates the FTC or FCC do-not-call rules (the National Do Not Call Registry and company-specific lists) also violates Vermont law. Recipients may sue for the greater of actual damages or $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for each later one. (9 V.S.A. §§ 2464a(b)(2), 2464c)
Is Vermont a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Vermont has no statute on recording calls, so the federal one-party consent rule governs: a participant, or someone with a participant's consent, may record. (18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) (no Vermont recording statute))
Do Vermont telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
No express B2B exemption: 'customer' means any customer of a telecommunications company residing or located in Vermont, so the caller-ID and registration rules reach calls to businesses. The do-not-call prohibition follows the FTC and FCC rules it incorporates, including their scope. (9 V.S.A. § 2464a(a)(1), (b)(2))
Do telemarketers need to register in Vermont?
Telemarketers must register with the Secretary of State ($125) and designate an agent for service of process before soliciting Vermont numbers; soliciting while unregistered can bring up to 18 months in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. Solicitors already registered or licensed with, or regulated or chartered by, the Secretary of State, Public Utility Commission, Department of Financial Regulation or Department of Taxes (tax-only registrants must file an agent address), and GLBA-regulated financial institutions, are not 'telemarketers' and need not register. (9 V.S.A. §§ 2464a(a)(7), (b)(1), (d); 2464b)
This page summarizes Vermont 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.