United States

Permitted Calling Hours: US Federal & State Rules

Federal TSR and TCPA calling hour restrictions, state-specific rules, and how to implement time-zone-aware dialing.
Last updated: June 25, 2026

Key Rule

Calls may only be placed between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time zone. Calling outside these hours is a per-call violation of the FTC TSR and TCPA.

Overview

Outbound telemarketing calls in the United States are regulated by both the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and the TCPA. Federal rules restrict calls to 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM local time. However, many states impose stricter windows, day-of-week restrictions, and holiday calling bans. Time-zone-aware dialing is not optional — it is a legal requirement for any multi-state outbound campaign.

In-Depth Guidance

Compliance Checklist

  • Confirm your dialer uses per-number time-zone calculation (not call centre time zone) Required
  • Only place calls between 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time Required
  • Check state-specific rules for all high-volume target states Required
  • Block calls on major federal holidays (TSR best practice)
  • Verify NPA-NXX database is updated to reflect phone number portability
  • Test time-zone logic when launching campaigns in new geographic markets

Penalties & Fines

Calling outside permitted hours (federal TSR)

FTC TSR civil penalty per violation

Up to $51,744 per call

Calling outside permitted hours (TCPA)

TCPA statutory damages apply in addition to TSR exposure

$500–$1,500 per call

Automatic Time-Zone Call Suppression

Klozer.io calculates the local time for every number in a campaign queue and automatically suppresses calls outside permitted hours — including state-specific windows.