Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)

The Telemarketing Sales Rule is the FTC regulation that governs telemarketing in the US, including the National Do Not Call Registry, calling hours, and required disclosures.

The FTC issued the TSR under the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act. It lives at 16 CFR Part 310. It overlaps with the FCC's TCPA rules, and many sales teams need to follow both.

Main points of the TSR:

• Calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry are restricted unless an exemption applies, such as an established business relationship or written permission.
• Telemarketers must not call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the consumer's local time.
• Callers must quickly disclose the seller's name, that the purpose is a sale, and what is being sold.
• Abandoned calls are limited, and a call must connect to a live representative within two seconds of the person's greeting to avoid counting as abandoned.
• Prerecorded sales messages generally need the consumer's signed written agreement.
• Caller ID must be transmitted, and it must show a number the consumer can call back during normal business hours.

Business-to-business calls are exempt from much of the TSR, but not all. Some industries are outside FTC jurisdiction, which is one reason the FCC rules matter too. This is a summary only. Read the rule and get legal advice for your situation.

Sources

• 16 CFR Part 310 (eCFR): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-310 (accessed October 17, 2026)
• National Do Not Call Registry for telemarketers: https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov/ (accessed October 17, 2026)

This entry is general information, not legal advice.