Ask Sid: Re-Registering for the Do Not Call List

Q. Do people need re-register for the do not call list?

A. No. Your number will stay on the Do Not Call list unless you direct the Federal Trade Commission to remove it.

The FTC no longer requires people to sign up every five years. (It’s not necessary to register cellphone numbers, since telemarketing to them is illegal.) Sign up at the FTC website, www.donotcall.gov, or call 1-800-382-1222.

Check, too, to see if your state has a no-call list.

Despite the lists, it’s impossible to stop all telemarketing calls. The best thing to do is hang up—and report the offender’s number to the FTC.

Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life.