Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-110

§1473 Commission Proceeding on Autodialing

Title 47 › CHAPTER 13 — PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM AUCTIONS › SUBCHAPTER V — NEXT GENERATION 9–1–1 ADVANCEMENT ACT OF 2012 › § 1473

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The FCC must begin, within 90 days after February 22, 2012, a rule-making to set up a special Do-Not-Call list for 9-1-1 trunks and other phone lines used for emergency services. The FCC must make rules only after giving public notice and a chance to comment. The rules must let verified public safety managers register those numbers, check at least once every 7 years that the numbers still belong, control and track who can access the list, keep the list from being shared, and ban autodialers or robocalls to registered numbers. Penalties range from $100,000 to $1,000,000 per incident for unlawful disclosure, $10,000 to $100,000 per call for autodial violations, and fines can be adjusted based on negligence or willfulness and whether it is a repeat offense.

Full Legal Text

Title 47, §1473

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Not later than 90 days after February 22, 2012, the Commission shall initiate a proceeding to create a specialized Do-Not-Call registry for public safety answering points.

(b)Features of the registry

The Commission shall issue regulations, after providing the public with notice and an opportunity to comment, that—

(1)permit verified public safety answering point administrators or managers to register the telephone numbers of all 9–1–1 trunks and other lines used for the provision of emergency services to the public or for communications between public safety agencies;

(2)provide a process for verifying, no less frequently than once every 7 years, that registered numbers should continue to appear upon the registry;

(3)provide a process for granting and tracking access to the registry by the operators of automatic dialing equipment;

(4)protect the list of registered numbers from disclosure or dissemination by parties granted access to the registry; and

(5)prohibit the use of automatic dialing or “robocall” equipment to establish contact with registered numbers.

(c)Enforcement

The Commission shall—

(1)establish monetary penalties for violations of the protective regulations established pursuant to subsection (b)(4) of not less than $100,000 per incident nor more than $1,000,000 per incident;

(2)establish monetary penalties for violations of the prohibition on automatically dialing registered numbers established pursuant to subsection (b)(5) of not less than $10,000 per call nor more than $100,000 per call; and

(3)provide for the imposition of fines under paragraphs (1) or (2) that vary depending upon whether the conduct leading to the violation was negligent, grossly negligent, reckless, or willful, and depending on whether the violation was a first or subsequent offence.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

47 U.S.C. § 1473

Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110