TCPA calling hours checker: can you call this number now?
The federal TCPA rule bars telephone solicitations to residential subscribers before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time at the called party's location (47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1)). Enter numbers above to see each one's local time from its area code, whether it's inside that window and stricter state hours, and when calling reopens. This is not legal advice.
Not legal advice. This checks clock times against the federal rule and the state rules listed below, nothing else. Consent, do-not-call lists, exemptions and holidays decide whether a call is lawful; ask a lawyer about your calls.
Calling hours by state: the rules this checker applies
The federal window is 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM in the called party's local time (47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1)). These 19 states set different hours in statute text we read on an official government site, checked 2026-10-17. Every other state is checked against the federal window only; that doesn't mean it has no rule of its own.
| State | Hours (local) | Covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Every day 9:00 AM-8:00 PM | Telephonic sales calls to residential, mobile or paging numbers. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-288a(c) |
| Florida | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Commercial telephone sellers and salespersons under the Florida Telemarketing Act, with that Act's exemptions. It also limits calls to three per 24 hours on the same subject. | Fla. Stat. § 501.616(6)(a) |
| Illinois | Every day 9:00 AM-9:00 PM | Autodialed calls only. Autodialer calls only. Live solicitation calls follow 815 ILCS 413/15(a), which matches the federal hours. | 815 ILCS 305/15(a) |
| Indiana | Every day 9:00 AM-8:00 PM | Autodialed calls only. Commercial solicitation with an automatic dialing-announcing device only. | Ind. Code § 24-5-14-8(b) |
| Kentucky | Every day 10:00 AM-9:00 PM | Telephone solicitations to a person's residence. | KRS § 367.46955(16) |
| Louisiana | Mon-Sat 8:00 AM-8:00 PM; Sun no calls; no legal holidays | Calls by autodialer (ADAD) or live operator to sell consumer goods, services or property, or to conduct polls or gather information. | La. R.S. 45:811(2)-(3) |
| Massachusetts | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Unsolicited telephonic sales calls to consumers. | M.G.L. c. 159C, § 3(ii) |
| Maryland | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Telephone solicitations as defined in the Stop the Spam Calls Act. It also limits calls to three per 24 hours on the same subject. | Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-4502(c)(1) |
| Minnesota | Every day 9:00 AM-9:00 PM | Commercial telephone solicitations and automatic dialing-announcing devices. | Minn. Stat. § 325E.30 |
| Mississippi | Mon-Sat 8:00 AM-8:00 PM; Sun no calls | Telephone solicitations (77-3-723); unsolicited sales calls to residential numbers under 77-3-603 run 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday.Source is the 2023 HB 1225 text on the Legislature's site, which restates these sections; the statute names Central Standard Time rather than the called party's time. | Miss. Code §§ 77-3-723(1) and 77-3-603(a) |
| Nevada | Every day 9:00 AM-8:00 PM | Telephone solicitation at a person's residence (a deceptive trade practice). | NRS § 598.0918(3) |
| Oklahoma | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Commercial telephone sellers and salespersons under the Telephone Solicitation Act, with its exemptions. It also limits calls to three per 24 hours on the same subject. | 15 O.S. § 775C.4(A)(1) |
| Oregon | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Telephone solicitations, calls and texts, unless there's an established business relationship. | ORS § 646.563(1)(b) |
| Pennsylvania | Mon-Sat 9:00 AM-7:00 PM; Sun no calls; no legal holidaysFrom 2026-10-18 | Telephone solicitations, which the amended Act defines to include calls, voicemail, ringless voicemail and texts.Approved 20 July 2026, in effect 90 days later. Before then the Act allowed 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., the same as the federal rule. | Telemarketer Registration Act § 5(a)(1), (10), as amended by Act 47 of 2026 (SB 992) |
| Rhode Island | Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-6:00 PM; Sat 10:00 AM-5:00 PM; Sun no calls; no legal holidays | Unsolicited telephonic sales calls to residential, mobile or paging numbers. | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-3.6(a) and 5-61-2(2) |
| Texas | Mon-Sat 9:00 AM-9:00 PM; Sun 12:00 PM-9:00 PM | Consumer telephone calls by telephone solicitors; calls at the consumer's request, about an existing debt or contract, or to existing customers are excluded. | Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 301.051(b)(2) |
| Utah | Mon-Sat 8:00 AM-9:00 PM; Sun no calls; no legal holidays | Telephone solicitations to residential or cell phones without prior express consent. | Utah Code § 13-25a-103(3) |
| Washington | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Telephone solicitors making telephone solicitations. | RCW 80.36.390(8) |
| Wyoming | Every day 8:00 AM-8:00 PM | Unsolicited telephonic sales calls. | Wyo. Stat. § 40-12-302(d) |
Sample result
It's Mon 8:30 AM in area code 512 (Texas), so wait until 9:00 AM to call.
- Area code
- 512 (Texas)
- Local time
- Mon 8:30 AM
- Next allowed
- Mon 9:00 AM
What this means for you
Texas starts later than the federal 8 a.m. rule, so check each state before you dial. Not legal advice.
- Local time from each number's area code
- Federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window
- Stricter state rules quoted from statute
- Next allowed time for every blocked number
- TCPA
- Calling hours
- Bulk
By SimpleVerifier Team · Last updated · Runs in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to us
How do I check if I can call a number now?
- Paste phone numbers or area codes, one per line, or upload a CSV up to 25 MB; the phone column is found for you.
- Choose Now, or pick a date and time to plan a calling block. Leave Apply the stricter state rules on unless you only want the federal window.
- Tick the autodialer box if the calls are autodialed or prerecorded, which adds the autodialer-only hours in Illinois and Indiana.
- Press Check calling hours. One number shows its local time, the rule applied with the statute quoted, and the next allowed time; a list gives a table and a CSV.
Example
- You enter
- The number
(512) 555-0123, checked at Monday 8:30 AM Texas time with the stricter state rules on. - You get
- Area code 512 is Texas, it is Mon 8:30 AM there, so the verdict is wait: the federal and Texas rule (Mon-Sat 9:00 AM-9:00 PM, Sun 12:00 PM-9:00 PM) allows the next call at Mon 9:00 AM.
- Limits
- Uploaded files can be up to 25 MB; there is no cap on the number of rows, and it all runs in your browser. Not legal advice.
What are the TCPA calling hours?
8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the called party's local time. The FCC's rule under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act says no person or entity shall initiate any telephone solicitation to a residential telephone subscriber before the hour of 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (local time at the called party's location), in 47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1). The FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 CFR 310.4(c), sets the same window for outbound telemarketing calls to a person's residence.
The rule is about telephone solicitations, which the regulation defines as calls encouraging a purchase or investment, with exceptions such as calls to people who gave prior express invitation or permission, calls to existing business relationships and calls by tax-exempt nonprofits. The clock is the called party's, which is why this checker works in each number's local time, not yours.
What are the TCPA calling hours by state?
Most states follow the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but some set narrower hours in their own telemarketing laws. The table under the tool lists the 19 this checker applies, each quoted from the statute on an official state site and checked on 17 October 2026: for example 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Florida (Fla. Stat. 501.616), Maryland, Oklahoma and Washington; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Sundays from noon in Texas; and no Sunday calls in Louisiana, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Utah.
Pennsylvania's Act 47 of 2026 moves its window to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with no calls on Sundays or legal holidays, from 18 October 2026; the checker applies it from that date. States not in the table are checked against the federal window only. That isn't a finding that they have no rule; it means we couldn't confirm one from an official source.
Do TCPA calling hours apply to text messages?
The federal hours rule is written for calls, but texts are covered by the TCPA's consent rules: the FCC's robocall and robotext guide says its rules ban text messages sent to a mobile phone using an autodialer unless the owner previously consented. Some state laws name texts outright: Oregon's 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. rule covers calls and texts, and Pennsylvania's amended Act defines telephone solicitation to include text messages.
Many SMS teams apply the same hours to marketing texts for that reason. For the opt-in and STOP wording carriers expect, see the SMS compliance message generator.
Why does the local time come from the area code?
Because the area code is the only location a phone number carries. The checker reads it, looks up the zones NANPA lists for it, and works out the time there; codes that cross a time zone line, like 208 in Idaho, are checked against both zones and pass only when both are open. See the area code time zone tool for the zone data itself.
The rule, though, uses the called party's actual location, and people keep mobile numbers when they move. A 212 number answered in California is a Pacific-time call. If you hold a customer's address, the time there is the safer one to use.
Federal TCPA hours or state hours: which applies?
Both, where both cover the call. A caller has to satisfy the stricter one, which is why the checker uses the overlap.
| Federal (47 CFR 64.1200) | Stricter state rules | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Often 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; some start at 9 or 10 a.m. |
| Sundays | Allowed | Barred in LA, MS, PA, RI, UT; noon start in TX |
| Whose clock | Called party's location | Usually the called party's; Mississippi names Central Standard Time |
| What it covers | Telephone solicitations to residential subscribers | Varies by statute; see the scope column in the table |
Who uses this tool, and for what?
- Call centers
- Check a dial list before a shift starts and hold back the numbers whose local window hasn't opened, or has already closed, under the stricter state rules.
- Insurance and real estate agents
- Plan a Saturday or Sunday calling block with the custom time, and see that Rhode Island, Utah and Louisiana numbers are off-limits on Sundays.
- SMS teams
- Apply the same windows to marketing texts, including Oregon and Pennsylvania, whose laws name texts.
- Sales ops
- Add status and next-allowed columns to a CRM export, then sort by next-allowed time to schedule follow-ups.
What can’t this tool tell you?
- Not legal advice. It checks clock times only: not consent, do-not-call status, exemptions or whether a call counts as a solicitation.
- Location comes from the area code, which is where the number was issued; a mobile can be answered anywhere.
- It can't date legal holidays; states that bar holiday calls are flagged so you can check the calendar.
- State rules are the 19 we confirmed from official statute text on 17 October 2026. Other states are checked against the federal window only, and laws change.
- Canadian and Caribbean numbers aren't checked; the TCPA is a US rule and Canada's CRTC sets its own.
Common questions
- What is TCPA?
- The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, the US law behind the do-not-call registry, the consent rules for autodialed and prerecorded calls and texts, and the FCC's 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. calling window.
- Is TCPA a federal law?
- Yes. It's codified at 47 U.S.C. 227 and enforced by the FCC, state attorneys general and private lawsuits. Many states add their own telemarketing laws on top, some with stricter hours.
- Does TCPA apply to text messages?
- Yes, in its consent rules: the FCC says autodialed texts to mobiles need the owner's prior consent, and commercial texts need written consent. Some state laws, such as Oregon's and Pennsylvania's, apply their calling hours to texts too.
- Does TCPA apply to manually dialed calls?
- The 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. rule applies to telephone solicitations however they're dialled. The extra consent rules for autodialed and prerecorded calls apply only to those calls.
- Does TCPA apply to business to business calls?
- The federal hours rule is written for residential subscribers, so calls to business lines generally fall outside it. The autodialer and prerecorded-call consent rules for mobile numbers apply whoever owns the phone.
- How much is a TCPA fine?
- In private lawsuits, $500 per violation or actual losses if higher, and up to three times that if the violation was willful or knowing (47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3) and (c)(5)). The FCC and states can bring their own actions.
- How to be TCPA compliant?
- Get and keep the right consent for each number, scrub against the do-not-call registry, honour opt-outs, identify yourself, and call inside the hours that apply. This page covers only the hours; ask a lawyer about the rest.
Sources
Embed this tool on your site
Paste this code into any page to give your readers the TCPA calling hours checker for free. The frame resizes to fit and works on light and dark pages. Keep the link under it so readers can find the full guide. More tools to embed are on the embeddable tools page.
<iframe src="https://simpleverifier.com/embed/tools/tcpa-calling-hours-checker" title="TCPA calling hours checker by SimpleVerifier" data-sv-embed="tcpa-calling-hours-checker" width="100%" height="640" loading="lazy" allow="clipboard-write" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:760px;display:block"></iframe>
<p style="margin:6px 0 0;font-size:13px"><a href="https://simpleverifier.com/tools/tcpa-calling-hours-checker">Free TCPA calling hours checker by SimpleVerifier</a></p>
<script>(function(){if(window.__svEmbed)return;window.__svEmbed=1;window.addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e.origin!=="https://simpleverifier.com")return;var d=e.data;if(!d||d.type!=="simpleverifier:embed-height"||typeof d.slug!=="string"||typeof d.height!=="number"||!isFinite(d.height))return;var f=document.querySelectorAll("iframe[data-sv-embed]");for(var i=0;i<f.length;i++){if(f[i].contentWindow===e.source){f[i].style.height=Math.min(Math.max(Math.ceil(d.height),200),4000)+"px";}}});})();</script>The numbering plan only knows what a range was issued for.
In the US and Canada mobiles and landlines share the same prefixes, and anywhere a number can be ported or reassigned the range stops telling the whole story. A live carrier lookup asks the network data instead, which is what the Email + Phone plan adds.
- 5,000 live carrier lookups a month: real line type, including US numbers
- Carrier name for every number looked up
- Upload a CSV up to 100,000 rows; emails in the same file get a mailbox check
One plan, cancel anytime, no contract. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. The free tools stay free either way.