Your rights · UK & US
Stop spam calls for good
Both the UK and the US run free, official do-not-call registers. Registering takes two minutes and is genuinely worth doing. But registers only bind the callers who follow the law — they do nothing about the lists your number is sold on. This page covers both halves.
United Kingdom — Telephone Preference Service
The TPS is the UK's official do-not-call register, backed by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Once your number is listed, it is unlawful for UK telemarketers to call it without your consent.
- Register free at tpsonline.org.uk — landlines and mobiles both qualify. You can also check whether a number is already registered there.
- Allow up to 28 days for registration to take full effect — marketers screen their lists on a cycle.
- Businesses can register on the separate Corporate TPS, which covers company numbers.
- Registration never expires. A caller telling you it has lapsed is a red flag in itself.
- Report breaches to the ICO — companies calling TPS-registered numbers face fines of up to £500,000. See how to report a company.
United States — National Do Not Call Registry
The FTC's National Do Not Call Registry is the US equivalent. Sales calls to registered numbers are illegal for legitimate telemarketers.
- Register free at donotcall.gov — online or by calling from the number you want to register.
- Telemarketers have 31 days to stop calling once you are listed. Registration does not expire.
- Political calls, charities, surveys and debt collectors are exempt — the registry covers sales calls.
- Report violations at donotcall.gov — reports feed FTC enforcement, and your carrier's free call-blocking tools use the same complaint data.
Why the calls continue anyway
Registers work on the demand side: they forbid compliant companies from dialling you. They do nothing on the supply side — the data brokers and lead-generation lists that sell your number to new buyers every month. Scam operations and overseas call centres never check the registers at all; they just buy the lists.
That is why a number can be TPS-registered for years and still ring daily. The durable fix is upstream: get your number off the broker sites and marketing databases that keep re-supplying it, and exercise your right to erasure against the companies that hold it.
Find out who is selling your number
A free exposure check shows where your phone number and other personal data are circulating.
Run my free exposure checkFAQ
Why am I still getting calls after registering with the TPS?
Three reasons. First, TPS registration takes up to 28 days to fully take effect. Second, the TPS only binds legitimate UK telemarketers — scammers and many overseas call centres ignore it. Third, your number keeps circulating on data-broker and lead-generation lists, so new callers keep acquiring it. The register stops the compliant; removing your number from the lists stops the supply.
Does the TPS actually work?
Yes, for what it covers. It is a legal requirement under PECR for UK telemarketers to screen against the TPS, and the ICO can fine companies up to £500,000 for breaches. It does not cover scam calls, calls from abroad, or companies you have given consent to — which is why registration alone rarely silences a phone completely.
Do I need to re-register with the TPS or Do Not Call Registry?
No. Both registrations are permanent for as long as you keep the number. You only need to register again if you change numbers. If a caller claims your registration has “expired”, that is a known scam tactic.
What happens if a company calls a TPS-registered number?
If you did not consent to the call, the company is breaching the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). You can report it to the ICO, which has fined repeat offenders. Keep the date, time, number and company name — that is all a report needs.
Is there a charge to register?
No. TPS, Corporate TPS and the US National Do Not Call Registry are all free. Any service charging a fee just to place you on these registers is charging for something you can do yourself in two minutes.