State calling rules

Can telemarketers call on Sunday?

Yes, in most states. Federal law allows telemarketing calls on Sunday from 8 AM to 9 PM in the contact's local time, the same as any other day. But Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Utah ban telemarketing calls on Sunday, and Pennsylvania joins them on October 18, 2026. Texas allows Sunday calls only from noon to 9 PM. Several other states set shorter hours that apply on Sundays too.

States that ban Sunday telemarketing calls

States with shorter Sunday hours

These states allow Sunday calls, but only inside a narrower window than the federal 8 AM to 9 PM.

Every other state, D.C. and the U.S. territories follow the federal rule on Sunday: 8 AM to 9 PM, contact's local time. See every state's hours, or how late telemarketers can call.

Where Sunday calls go wrong

The hours are the contact's local time, not yours. A call placed at 10 AM Eastern on a Sunday reaches a California contact at 7 AM, an hour before the federal start.

Area codes are a poor guide because people move. A Texas area code on someone who now lives in Alabama means no Sunday call at all, so go by the contact's address or ZIP when you have it.

Most of the states that ban Sunday calls also ban calls on state holidays, and some move a Sunday holiday to the Monday after. Each state's page lists its holiday dates. Daily limits apply on Sundays too: some states allow only 3 telemarketing calls per person in 24 hours.

Rules last reviewed October 2026 and checked weekly for changes. This page is a summary, not legal advice. Exemptions (for example, existing customers or prior consent) vary by state. Federal rule: 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(1).