Washington Telemarketing and Cold Calling Laws
In Washington, 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.
Washington rules next to federal law
| Rule | Washington | Federal baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | Telephone solicitors may not make calls that will be received before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. at the called party's location.RCW 80.36.390(8) | 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: telephone solicitations to Washington customers whose numbers are on the federal Do Not Call Registry are unlawful. If a called party asks not to be called, the solicitor must say the number will be removed for at least one year, end the call within 10 seconds, and not call that number again for at least one year.RCW 80.36.390(7), (9) | 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 | Using an automatic dialing and announcing device (a recorded or artificial-voice message, including one left in voicemail) for unsolicited commercial solicitation aimed at Washington telephone customers is banned; the statute has no consent exception beyond the call being unrequested, and it also bars knowingly assisting such calls. Injured persons recover the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation.RCW 80.36.400 | 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 | It is unlawful to make a telephone solicitation to Washington customers that violates the federal Truth in Caller ID Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227(e)(1) (misleading or inaccurate caller ID with intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain anything of value).RCW 80.36.390(10) | 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 | Commercial telephone solicitors must register with the Department of Licensing before doing business in Washington, which is done as a Commercial Telephone Solicitor endorsement through the Business Licensing Service ($82 per location per the Department of Revenue). Exemptions include sellers calling only previous purchasers, callers who only arrange a later face-to-face sales presentation, many licensed or regulated businesses, and B2B sales for resale or manufacturing.RCW 19.158.020, 19.158.050 | No general federal equivalent |
| Call recording consent | Recording a private phone call requires the consent of all participants; consent is deemed given if one party announces to everyone, in a reasonably effective way, that the call is being recorded, and the announcement is itself recorded.RCW 9.73.030(1)(a), (3) | Federal law allows recording when one party to the call consents.18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d) |
| Business-to-business calls | 'Business-to-business contacts' are excluded from the telephone solicitation rules in RCW 80.36.390 (hours, identification, do-not-call, caller ID). The prerecorded-message ban in RCW 80.36.400 has no B2B exemption, and the RCW 19.158 registration exempts only B2B sales where the buyer will resell the goods or use them in manufacturing, recycling, reuse or remanufacturing.RCW 80.36.390(1)(b)(v); RCW 80.36.400; RCW 19.158.020(2)(b)(xix) | No general federal equivalent |
Recent changes
- 2023: ESHB 1051 (Laws 2023, ch. 103), effective July 23, 2023, extended the robocall ban to messages left in voicemail and to those who knowingly assist transmission, raised robocall damages from $500 to the greater of actual damages or $1,000, barred solicitations to numbers on the federal Do Not Call Registry and those violating federal caller-ID law, and raised the minimum private award for repeated solicitation violations from $100 to $1,000.
- 2022: ESHB 1497 (Laws 2022, ch. 195) set the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. window, required identification within the first 30 seconds and ending the call within 10 seconds on request, set a one-year removal period, and extended coverage from residential customers to all persons (B2B contacts remain excluded).
Calling Washington 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.
Washington calling questions
What are the legal calling hours in Washington?
Telephone solicitors may not make calls that will be received before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. at the called party's location. (RCW 80.36.390(8)). Federal law also limits telephone solicitations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
Does Washington have its own do-not-call list?
No state list: telephone solicitations to Washington customers whose numbers are on the federal Do Not Call Registry are unlawful. If a called party asks not to be called, the solicitor must say the number will be removed for at least one year, end the call within 10 seconds, and not call that number again for at least one year. (RCW 80.36.390(7), (9))
Is Washington a one-party or all-party consent state for recording calls?
Recording a private phone call requires the consent of all participants; consent is deemed given if one party announces to everyone, in a reasonably effective way, that the call is being recorded, and the announcement is itself recorded. (RCW 9.73.030(1)(a), (3))
Do Washington telemarketing rules apply to business-to-business calls?
'Business-to-business contacts' are excluded from the telephone solicitation rules in RCW 80.36.390 (hours, identification, do-not-call, caller ID). The prerecorded-message ban in RCW 80.36.400 has no B2B exemption, and the RCW 19.158 registration exempts only B2B sales where the buyer will resell the goods or use them in manufacturing, recycling, reuse or remanufacturing. (RCW 80.36.390(1)(b)(v); RCW 80.36.400; RCW 19.158.020(2)(b)(xix))
Do telemarketers need to register in Washington?
Commercial telephone solicitors must register with the Department of Licensing before doing business in Washington, which is done as a Commercial Telephone Solicitor endorsement through the Business Licensing Service ($82 per location per the Department of Revenue). Exemptions include sellers calling only previous purchasers, callers who only arrange a later face-to-face sales presentation, many licensed or regulated businesses, and B2B sales for resale or manufacturing. (RCW 19.158.020, 19.158.050)
This page summarizes Washington 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.