The complex landscape of outreach laws and how leadping keeps you on the right side.
There are more rules for calling and texting than most teams ever imagine. Federal statutes, state restrictions, carrier requirements, and industry guidelines all stack up. Below is a high‑level tour of what sales teams need to keep in mind—and how leadping keeps the process manageable.
TCPA – The Telephone Consumer Protection Act regulates consent, autodialers, and calling hours. Prior express written consent is required for marketing calls or texts to cell phones. Prerecorded or artificial-voice messages must clearly identify the caller and offer an opt‑out. Fines range from 500to1,500 per violation.
CAN-SPAM – Although best known for email, CAN-SPAM governs commercial SMS as well. Messages must accurately identify the sender, include a physical mailing address, and provide an easy way to opt out. Violations can lead to FTC enforcement actions.
FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule – Covers disclosures at the start of a call, prohibits deceptive practices, and enforces the National Do Not Call Registry. It also sets payment restrictions for certain goods and services.
FCC regulations – Define what qualifies as an autodialer and outline robocall rules. The FCC also oversees caller ID requirements and the STIR/SHAKEN framework to reduce spoofing.
Other federal obligations – Industries that handle personal or financial information may also fall under HIPAA, GLBA, or similar laws that specify how data can be shared.
Record keeping – Many federal rules require detailed logs of consent, call attempts, and opt-out requests that must be retained for years.
Nearly every state layers additional restrictions on top of federal law. These include:
Varying quiet hours beyond the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window—for example, Florida limits sales calls to before 8 p.m.
Registration fees or surety bonds for telemarketers in states like Washington and Louisiana
State Do Not Call lists and mini‑TCPA statutes with steeper damages
Special opt‑in language or double-consent requirements
Two-party consent and other call-recording laws in states such as California and Pennsylvania
Permits or disclaimers for political, emergency, and debt collection calls
Some states require a permit before sending any commercial SMS or prerecorded voice. Others mandate strict opt-out wording or prohibit certain promotional language altogether. Dozens of bills appear each year, so tracking updates across all states can be overwhelming.
10DLC registration – Carriers require brands and campaigns to be registered with The Campaign Registry. Vetting determines daily throughput limits and helps avoid filtering.
STIR/SHAKEN – Caller authentication technology for voice traffic. Numbers without proper tokens may be blocked or labeled as spam.
CTIA guidelines – Outline acceptable message content, mandatory keywords like “STOP” and “HELP,” and pacing expectations. Ignoring these guidelines often results in filtering.
Volume and content policies – Carriers monitor for sudden spikes, suspicious links, or restricted topics. Traffic that appears abusive can be throttled or suspended.
A2P vs. P2P distinctions – Application-to-person messaging must use registered 10DLC numbers or short codes; unregistered traffic is typically blocked.
Number reputation – Carriers and analytics providers keep internal spam scores. Numbers with poor reputations may be displayed as “scam likely” or blocked outright.
Missing identification or misleading content in calls or texts
High complaint rates from recipients or regulators
Ignoring opt-out requests or DNC lists
Using shady links, aggressive capitalization, or emoji spam
Aggressive volume spikes from new numbers
Suspiciously short or overly long call durations
Content that resembles phishing or illegal offers
Unregistered numbers or unverified caller IDs
Consequences range from messages silently filtered to long-term number suspension and costly legal fines. Rebuilding trust with carriers or regulators can take months.
