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Montana Telecom Compliance Guide

MT

Telecom Compliance Reference — Updated 2025

TCPA Standard

Calling Hours

8:00 AM9:00 PM

Min Penalty

$500

Registration

Not Required

Montana Do Not Call Registry

Montana relies on the federal National DNC Registry. Here's how to register and what it actually does — 2026.

Montana uses the federal registry

Montana does not maintain a separate state Do Not Call list. The federal National DNC Registry at donotcall.gov is the registry that covers Montana residents.

Federal registration is free and permanent. Telemarketers must scrub against the federal list every 31 days under FTC rules.

How to register your number

Federal National DNC Registry

donotcall.gov

Administered by the Federal Trade Commission. Free, permanent, covers landlines and cell phones in every state.

Register online →Or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register

How long it takes effect

Federal: 31 days for telemarketers to scrub against your number. State registries vary — most align with the federal 31-day window. Reputable telemarketers stop calling within a week. Bad actors keep calling and rack up violations.

What the registry covers

Landlines

Yes

Cell phones

Yes

Text messages

Restricted under TCPA

What it blocks: Telemarketing sales calls and texts. Calls trying to sell you something.

What it does NOT block: Political calls, charitable solicitations, calls from companies you have a current business relationship with (within 18 months of last purchase / 3 months of inquiry), debt collectors, surveys, and informational calls.

Robocalls and AI voice: Already restricted by TCPA regardless of registration. Adding your number to the DNC list adds an extra layer of liability for callers.

Federal National DNC Registry — what you need to know

Consumer registrationFree, permanent
Scrub frequency requiredEvery 31 days (telemarketers)
Telemarketer costFree up to 5 area codes; $75 / 5 area codes / year above

Because Montana does not run a separate state list, the federal registry is your one-stop registration. Add your number once, leave it there, and any telemarketer calling you in violation is exposed to TCPA damages plus FTC penalties.

What to do when telemarketers call after you registered

  1. Tell the caller to put you on their internal do-not-call list. That triggers a separate 30-day cure obligation under federal law. If they call again after 30 days, that is an independent violation.
  2. File a federal complaint at donotcall.gov/report. The FTC tracks these and pursues serial offenders.
  3. Document the call. Date, time, number that called, company name, what they were selling. Screenshot or save voicemails. This is the evidence you need if you sue or file a state complaint.
  4. File a complaint with the Montana attorney general. Montana state penalties are $500 per violation, enforced by the AG. Federal TCPA also gives you a private right of action for $500 per call. File a complaint here →

Recent Montana DNC enforcement actions

Montana Home Services LLC

home_services

Jun 2023

$75,000 penalty

Home services company penalized for prerecorded calls to MT DNC registrants.

Calling a registered Montana number costs telemarketers: $500 per call under state law, plus $500–$1,500 per call under federal TCPA.

Running a telemarketing operation?

This page is for consumers and Montana residents. If you operate outbound calls into Montana, the compliance scrub workflow is documented separately.

Montana DNC compliance for telemarketers →

Compare DNC Registry across states

Federal TCPA is the floor. Each state can — and many do — go further.

Stay Current

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Telemarketers — need automated DNC scrubbing?

Catalyst Partners sets up automated DNC scrubbing across every state you operate in. Federal list, state lists, internal lists, on a schedule that keeps you legal.

Book a Compliance Call →

This is a compliance reference tool, not legal advice. Data compiled from public statutes, LegiScan, CourtListener, state AG offices, and AI-assisted analysis. Verify all information with qualified counsel before relying on it. Full terms & data sources →