TCPA Calling Hours by State
Federal TCPA: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time zone. That is the floor. 6 states impose stricter windows. 4 restrict or prohibit Sunday calls. Calling outside the legal window is a separate violation per call — federal damages start at $500, state damages stack on top.
The short answer
- Federal hours: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM, recipient's local time. 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1).
- Strictest state windows: Florida (8 AM – 8 PM), Louisiana (no Sunday), Alabama (no Sunday solicitation).
- Sunday calls: Federally permitted. State law overrides in Alabama, Louisiana, and others.
- Holidays: No federal holiday ban. Several states prohibit calls on listed holidays.
- Time zone rule: The recipient's time zone controls. A 9:30 AM Eastern call to a California 619 number is a 6:30 AM Pacific call — that is a violation.
States stricter than federal TCPA
Federal TCPA caps calls at 9 PM. These states cut off earlier or impose additional weekend or holiday restrictions. If you call into them, the federal window does not protect you.
Calling hours — all 50 states
Every state, alphabetically. Click through for the full statute citation, enforcement history, and state-specific compliance notes.
| State | Hours | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| AlabamaAL | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| AlaskaAK | 9 AM – 9 PM | Stricter |
| ArizonaAZ | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| ArkansasAR | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| CaliforniaCA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| ColoradoCO | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| ConnecticutCT | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| DelawareDE | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| FloridaFL | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| GeorgiaGA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| HawaiiHI | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| IdahoID | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| IllinoisIL | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| IndianaIN | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| IowaIA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| KansasKS | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| KentuckyKY | 10 AM – 9 PM | Stricter |
| LouisianaLA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| MaineME | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| MarylandMD | 8 AM – 8 PM | Federal |
| MassachusettsMA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| MichiganMI | 9 AM – 9 PM | Stricter |
| MinnesotaMN | 9 AM – 9 PM | Stricter |
| MississippiMS | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| MissouriMO | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| MontanaMT | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| NebraskaNE | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| NevadaNV | 9 AM – 8 PM | Stricter |
| New HampshireNH | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| New JerseyNJ | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| New MexicoNM | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| New YorkNY | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| North CarolinaNC | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| North DakotaND | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| OhioOH | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| OklahomaOK | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| OregonOR | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| PennsylvaniaPA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| Rhode IslandRI | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| South CarolinaSC | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| South DakotaSD | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| TennesseeTN | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| TexasTX | 9 AM – 9 PM | Stricter |
| UtahUT | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| VermontVT | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| VirginiaVA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| WashingtonWA | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| West VirginiaWV | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| WisconsinWI | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
| WyomingWY | 8 AM – 9 PM | Federal |
Sundays — federal vs. state
Federal TCPA does not prohibit Sunday calls. Calls between 8 AM and 9 PM local time on Sunday are federally legal.
These states restrict or prohibit Sunday calls:
Penalties for calling outside legal hours
| Source | Per Violation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal TCPA — standard | $500 | Statutory damages, no proof of harm required |
| Federal TCPA — willful | $1,500 | Court can treble for willful or knowing violations |
| FTC TSR — DNC violation | $51,744 | Civil penalty, separate from TCPA private suits |
| Florida FTSA | $500 / call | Private right of action + class certification routinely granted |
| Class action exposure | Uncapped | Per-call damages × class size, no statutory ceiling |
What "recipient's local time" means in practice
The area code is not enough. A 305 number can be in Miami or anywhere else in the world. Use the recipient's billing or registered address as the time zone source. If you only have an area code, route by the NPA-NXX time zone — and be conservative on the edges.
Daylight saving time matters. Arizona does not observe DST. Hawaii does not observe DST. The Aleutian Islands run on Hawaii-Aleutian time. Audit your dialer twice a year when DST flips for the rest of the country.
Inbound is not restricted. Calling-hour limits apply to outbound telemarketing. Calls initiated by the consumer — return calls, customer service, scheduled inbound — are not subject to the 8 AM – 9 PM window.
EBR does not extend the hours. A prior business relationship can soften some consent requirements. It does not let you call at 6 AM or 10 PM. Time-of-day rules apply to every outbound solicitation, with or without an EBR.
Need a specific state?
Every state has its own page with the full statute citation, calling hours, enforcement examples, and penalty structure. Drop in to your state, or browse all 50.
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This is a reference, not legal advice. Calling-hour compliance depends on the recipient's actual location, your dialing technology, and whether the call qualifies for a state exemption. Verify with counsel before launching multi-state campaigns.
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