FTC Releases Annual National Do Not Call Registry Access Fees

Fee increases take effect Oct. 1, 2026. While most ACA debt collector members are exempt, creditor members making calls subject to the Telemarketing Sales Rule should review these changes.

The Federal Trade Commission will implement fee increases for telemarketers using the National Do Not Call Registry (DNC) for fiscal year 2027, which begins on Oct. 1, 2026.

Telemarketers are required to subscribe to the DNC each year to access consumers’ registered phone numbers, according to a news release from the FTC.

They are required to download the numbers from the registry to ensure they do not call consumers who have opted out of receiving calls.

The registry offers the first five area codes at no charge. Exempt organizations, including charities and political groups, may access the entire list free of charge.

The fee increases for fiscal year 2027, taking effect on Oct. 1, 2026, include:

• Single area code access (annual): $85 (up $3 from fiscal year 2026)
• Additional area code access (six months): $43 (up $2 from fiscal year 2026)
• Maximum cost for nationwide access: $23,425 (up from $22,626 in fiscal year 2026)

ACA’s Take

Generally speaking, the DNC prohibitions apply only to telemarketers, or “telephone solicitation” calls.

The DNC provisions do not cover calls from political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, or companies with which a consumer has an existing business relationship, such as debt collectors.

For the most part, debt collectors in ACA International’s membership do not need to consider the fee increases and do not need to access the registry. However, creditor members who make calls subject to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) should carefully review the information on the fee increase.

For background on the registry, ACA members can access ACA SearchPoint #9516: National Do Not Call Registry (PDF) and ACA SearchPoint #9515: TCPA Overview (PDF).

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