You're reading the Georgia version.Change state →
GA

Robocall and Telemarketing Rights in Georgia

Researched by , Lead Engineer

Primary sources cited; not legal advice.

Last verified:

Source: Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. § 227. FCC regulations at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200. Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), 16 C.F.R. Part 310. National Do Not Call Registry administered by the FTC. CAN-SPAM Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7701 et seq. (email). Note: The FCC's December 2023 "one-to-one consent" rule was vacated by the Eleventh Circuit in January 2025 (*Insurance Marketing Coalition Ltd. v. FCC*) before it took effect; the core TCPA consent requirements below remain in force.

About this article

Sourced from primary statutes (U.S. Code, CFR, state compiled statutes) and official government agency guidance. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards

I keep getting robocalls in Georgia?See the focused guide →
Georgia Law

How Georgia differs from federal law

Georgia has state-level protections against unwanted telemarketing calls in addition to federal law:

  • Georgia Telemarketing Act: Prohibits certain deceptive and abusive telemarketing practices
  • State Do Not Call list: Georgia maintains its own Do Not Call registry in addition to the federal registry
  • Criminal penalties: Violations of the Georgia Telemarketing Act can carry criminal penalties
  • The Georgia Attorney General enforces state telemarketing laws
  • Federal TCPA protections also apply, including the national Do Not Call Registry

Additional Steps in Georgia

Register on both the Georgia and federal Do Not Call lists. Report violations to the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at 404-651-8600 and to the FTC at donotcall.gov. Document unwanted calls with dates, times, and caller information.

Relevant Law: Georgia Telemarketing Act, OCGA § 46-5-27. Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. § 227.

Federal baseline: Robocall and Telemarketing Rights nationwide

What is this right?

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act passed in 1991, when fax machines were the cutting edge of unsolicited spam. Congress did something unusual when they wrote it: instead of relying on a federal agency to enforce, they baked in a private right of action — $500 per illegal call or text, $1,500 if the violator did it knowingly. No lawyer required to file in small claims, though most TCPA cases run in federal court.

The rule has held up well across three decades of changing technology. Companies need your prior express written consent before sending a marketing robocall or text. The National Do Not Call Registry stops most telemarketing on top of that. Telemarketers have to identify themselves and call between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time. Keep a clean log when violations happen — date, time, number, what was said — and the TCPA basically enforces itself. Class actions against robocallers have settled for hundreds of millions.

When does it apply?

The TCPA covers you when:

  • You're getting robocalls or prerecorded messages without consent.
  • You're getting telemarketing calls after you registered on the Do Not Call list.
  • Companies are auto-sending you text messages without consent.
  • A company is calling or texting after you asked them to stop.

Key rules:

  • Written consent. For marketing robocalls and texts, the law requires prior express written consent. The FCC tried to tighten this to one-to-one consent in 2023; the Eleventh Circuit vacated that rule in January 2025 (Insurance Marketing Coalition v. FCC) before it took effect. The original written-consent baseline still applies.
  • Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers must scrub their lists against the registry every 31 days. Calling a registered number, with no existing business relationship and no prior consent, is a violation.
  • Time window. Telemarketing calls are out before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. in your local time zone.
  • Identification. The caller has to give you their name, the company they're calling for, and a callback number.

What people get wrong:

  • "The DNC list stops everything." It stops most for-profit telemarketing. It doesn't stop political calls, charities, survey companies, or businesses you already have a relationship with.
  • "I consented once, they can call forever." No. You can revoke consent at any time, by any reasonable method — phone, email, text. Saying "stop calling" is enough. Continued calls after that are violations.
  • "Nothing I can do." $500 to $1,500 per call adds up fast. A pattern of 20 illegal calls is a $10,000 case before willfulness is even argued.

What to Do If You Keep Getting Robocalls and Spam Calls

Step 1: Register at donotcall.gov. Free, permanent, and a prerequisite for most claims against telemarketers.

Step 2: Don't engage. Hang up. Don't press buttons to "opt out" — pressing anything confirms your number is live and gets you sold to more lists.

Step 3: Log everything. Date, time, the displayed phone number, the company name if given, whether it was prerecorded. Screenshot spam texts. This log is your case.

Step 4: File complaints. FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. State AG too. The complaints create a paper trail and help regulators identify big violators.

Step 5: Consider suing. $500 per violation, $1,500 if willful, in federal court. Many TCPA lawyers work on contingency. For a pattern of calls from the same number or company, the math gets serious quickly.

What should you NOT do?

Don't say "yes" to inbound calls from unknown numbers. Scammers record "yes" responses and splice them into authorization tapes for fraudulent charges. Just hang up.

Don't hand out your number anywhere it isn't required. Every loyalty program, contest entry, and online form is a potential pipeline to a telemarketing list. Skip the field when you can.

Don't write off spoofed-number calls. Even if caller ID is fake, the TCPA violation still happened. Regulators and lawyers can trace the actual caller through carrier records via subpoena.

Don't pay for call-blocking services. Every major carrier offers free filters — T-Mobile Scam Shield, AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter. Your phone's built-in "silence unknown callers" setting handles a lot too.

You shouldn't have to hire a lawyer to assert your rights.

Answer a few questions. We generate a personalized letter citing your state's exact statutes, deadlines, and penalties — ready to print and send in minutes.

Lawyers charge $350+. Your letter: $19.

TCPA Complaint$19Debt Collector C&D$19Debt Validation$19Credit Dispute$19
See all 20 letter types →

Robocall and Telemarketing Rights in other states

Same topic, different jurisdiction. Pick the one that applies to you.

More in Consumer Rights

Debt CollectionBefore 1977, debt collectors could call your house at 2 a.m., tell your neighbors you were a deadbeat, threaten violence...Read more →Credit Report RightsFor most of the 20th century, credit bureaus were closed shops — they kept files on you, sold them to lenders, employers...Read more →Small Claims CourtSmall claims court is the part of the court system actually built for normal people. No lawyer required, simplified rule...Read more →

Related Topics

Workers' RightsWhistleblower Protections (nationwide) →Tax RightsIRS Payment Plans (nationwide) →
← Browse all Consumer Rights

Legal Resources

We may earn a commission if you use these services — at no extra cost to you. This supports our mission to make legal information free for everyone.

Credit KarmaFree credit monitoring, dispute tools, and alerts. Know when your credit report changes.Check Your Credit Free →IdentityGuardIdentity theft protection and monitoring. Get notified if your personal information is misused.Protect Your Identity →

Last verified:

You came here to know your rights — help someone else know theirs.

Support This Mission