--- title: "What is a do not call list?" description: "A do not call list is a register of numbers you may not dial for sales. Read how registries work and how a calling team scrubs data before dialing." url: https://assistbpo.com/glossary/do-not-call-list/ updated: 2026-09-20 publisher: AssistBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # What is a do not call list? Glossary What is a do not call list? A do not call list is a register of phone numbers whose owners have opted out of telemarketing calls; callers must screen against it before dialing. Examples are the US National Do Not Call Registry (FTC), Canada's National DNCL (CRTC), the UK's TPS (enforced by the ICO) and Australia's Do Not Call Register (ACMA). Companies keep internal lists too. Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by [Nimra Khalid](https://assistbpo.com/team/nimra-khalid/) ## How does a do not call list work? 1. Consumers add their numbers to the national register, usually free of charge, and the entry stays active for years or indefinitely. 2. Before each campaign the business downloads or queries the register and removes every match from the dialing list. 3. Anyone who asks the company directly not to call again goes on the internal do-not-call list, regardless of the national register. 4. Existing customers and inbound inquiries often fall under limited exemptions, but each country defines those exemptions differently. 5. Scrub dates and list versions are logged so the company can show which register version it screened against. ## A worked example A residential cleaning company in Ontario runs a spring campaign to win back lapsed customers. Its office coordinator registers with the National DNCL, downloads the list for the relevant area codes, and removes 112 matches from a base of 900 numbers. Former customers who used the service in the last 18 months stay in, because CRTC rules allow calls within an existing business relationship. Three people ask not to be called during the campaign; the coordinator adds them to the internal list in Zoho CRM that afternoon. ## Where does a do not call list show up in your tools? Do-not-call screening appears as a DNC flag or suppression list in dialers like Aircall, Dialpad and RingCentral, as an opt-out-of-calls property in HubSpot and Zoho CRM, and as a scrub log attached to each campaign export. ## Common mistakes - Scrubbing once at list purchase and never again, so numbers registered later keep getting called for months. - Keeping the internal opt-out list in someone's inbox rather than the CRM, where every caller would see it. - Assuming a lead form submission overrides a national registration without checking whether the consent language actually meets the local rule. ## Why does a do not call list matter? Screening against do not call lists is the cheapest compliance step in any outbound program and the one regulators check first after a complaint. It also protects the brand, since the people on these lists have told you plainly they do not want the call. This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. ## How does AssistBPO handle a do not call list? Every AssistBPO outbound desk works with lawful consent and do-not-call scrubbing as a standing rule, not a client option. Lists are screened against the national register for the client's country plus the client's internal opt-out list before a dialing session, and any request to stop calling is written to the CRM before the assistant moves to the next call. [Verified lists, not scraped noise](https://assistbpo.com/services/lead-generation/)[Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) ## Related terms - [TCPA](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/tcpa/) - [TPS](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/tps/) - [DNCR](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/dncr/) - [CASL](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/casl/) ## Where it is used - [Verified lists, not scraped noise](https://assistbpo.com/services/lead-generation/) ## Next in the A to Z - [Drip campaign](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/drip-campaign/) - [Dropshipping](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/dropshipping/) - [Eligibility verification](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/eligibility-verification/) - [Email marketing](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/email-marketing/) [All 148 terms, A to Z](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/) Next step ## Your desk, staffed. Wherever you are. Tell us what is overloaded. A named person replies within 1 business day with a staffing plan, and we propose your assistant within 72 hours. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours, or [hear our demo receptionist](https://assistbpo.com/demo-line/). - A named assistant proposed within 72 hours - Employed, screened and managed staff, never freelancers - Your hours, your tools, your data --- Source: https://assistbpo.com/glossary/do-not-call-list/ · Contact: https://assistbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://assistbpo.com/llms.txt