You may not notice the difference immediately, but big changes are just around the bend for Wisconsin’s Do Not Call list. Beginning August 1, consumers will no longer be required to register their phone numbers every two years to receive protection from unwanted telemarketing calls and text messages, and new registrations will be active the following day rather than the next quarter.
“Consumers can sign up once and not have to worry about whether their registrations will lapse or whether there will be a three-month delay before they are protected under the program,” said Sandy Chalmers, Division Administrator for Trade and Consumer Protection.
Changes in the state’s Do Not Call law will make numbers on the Wisconsin Do Not Call Registry permanent, moving the registration process to the Federal Trade Commission’s nationwide list. Phone numbers on the previous Wisconsin list will automatically be transferred to the federal list. If a Wisconsin consumer has previously registered their number to the federal list, they do not need to re-register for protection under the new law.
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will continue to enforce the state’s Do Not Call laws, protecting Wisconsin residents registered on the federal list.