Georgia’s no-call law lets you sue when you get more than one telephone solicitation from the same company while your number is on the no-call list, if within a certain timeframe. Under the current version of the law, you can recover your actual losses or statutory damages for each violation. Telemarketing and robocall rules in Georgia change often, so check with an experienced attorney for the most current version of these laws before relying on them.
Georgia Do Not Call List: Now Part of the National Do Not Call Registry
Many Georgians still search for a separate “Georgia do not call list.” It no longer exists as its own sign-up. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division says the names and numbers on the Georgia list “were merged into the Federal Do Not Call (DNC) registry after it was established in 2003.” The statute itself directs the Public Service Commission to include the Georgia portion of any national database in the state database.
How to Register for the Do Not Call List in Georgia
Register once at donotcall.gov or by calling 888-382-1222 from the number you want to list. That registration also counts for Georgia law, and it does not expire. Allow roughly a month for it to take full effect, since telemarketers get a short window to update their call lists after you sign up. Only personal home and cell numbers qualify. Business lines cannot be registered.
What Georgia’s Telemarketing Law Requires From Callers
O.C.G.A. 46-5-27 applies to “telephone solicitation,” meaning a voice call made to encourage you to buy, rent, or invest in personal property, real property, goods, or services. It covers residential, mobile, and wireless subscribers, and it applies whether the caller is a live agent or a recorded message. The main rules are:
- No solicitation to a number on the no-call database, whether the business calls you itself or has someone else call on its behalf.
- At the start of the call, the caller must “state clearly the identity of the person or entity initiating the call.”
- The caller may not use any method to block or get around your caller ID.
Calls Exempt From Georgia’s No-Call Law
A call is not a telephone solicitation if you gave prior express invitation or permission, if you have a prior or current business or personal relationship with the caller, if a qualifying charitable or religious organization is calling, or if the caller belongs to certain categories of state-licensed professionals that the statute carves out. Political, polling, and survey calls that are not selling anything also fall outside the law.
How to Sue a Telemarketer Under Georgia’s Do Not Call Law
The private right of action has a threshold. You must have received more than one telephone solicitation within any 12-month period by or on behalf of the same person or entity, in violation of the no-call rule or the identification and caller ID rules. If you meet it, you can sue the company that placed the calls, the company the calls were made for, or both, and ask the court to:
- Stop the calls with an injunction.
- Award your actual monetary loss or up to $1,000 per violation, whichever is greater, plus reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
- Do both.
These claims can also proceed as a class action, where the per-violation cap does not apply.
Every case turns on its own facts, so what a court actually awards can vary widely. An experienced consumer protection attorney can review your call records and explain what your specific claim may be worth.
What Changed in Georgia’s Telemarketing Law in 2024
Many guides still describe the older version of this statute. A 2024 amendment changed several points that matter to consumers:
- No knowledge requirement. You used to have to show a “knowing” violation. That requirement is gone, so the focus is on whether the calls happened and broke the rules.
- Lower cap, but fee shifting. The old ceiling was $2,000 per knowing violation. The current cap is $1,000 per violation, but a prevailing consumer can also recover attorney’s fees and costs, making smaller cases more practical.
- Businesses answer for their vendors. A company generally cannot escape liability by saying a hired telemarketer made the call or that it did not know the call was illegal.
- Narrower defenses. A business can still defend itself by showing that it had policies in place to prevent illegal calls and that it actually required and enforced compliance by whoever called on its behalf. There is also a defense when someone else gave the company your number by mistake, and the company had no reason to know.
Deadlines for Filing a Georgia Do Not Call Lawsuit
Georgia sets a time limit for bringing these claims. Act promptly once you see a pattern of calls, and talk with a consumer protection attorney about how these deadlines apply to your situation.
Attorney General Enforcement and Penalties
The Attorney General can bring its own case and seek civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation. The AG’s consumer page also describes state-law penalties of up to $5,000 per violation and additional penalties when elderly or disabled consumers are targeted.
Georgia Robocall Law: ADAD Permits and Written Consent Rules
Georgia regulates automatic dialing and announcing devices (ADADs) in a separate statute, O.C.G.A. 46-5-23. It is stricter than most people expect. For sales calls:
- Anyone using ADAD equipment in Georgia must first get a permit from the Public Service Commission and renew it every two years.
- The caller needs your consent before the recorded message plays. Ongoing consent must be in writing, must explain its purpose and how to withdraw, and lasts up to two years unless you withdraw it. A live operator can also ask for permission at the start of a single call, but that consent applies only to that one call.
- Calls are allowed only between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
- Random or sequential dialing is not allowed.
- The recorded message must state the caller’s name and phone number within the first 25 seconds and again at the end.
- The device must disconnect within ten seconds after you hang up or decline.
A violation is a misdemeanor, and an operator whose violations do not stop within ten days of notice can have its phone service disconnected. We did not find a private damages remedy in 46-5-23 itself. A consumer hurt by an unpermitted robocall would usually rely on the federal TCPA instead; see our page on prerecorded voice calls.
Georgia No-Call Law vs. the Federal TCPA
The two claims are built on the same trigger, so they usually travel together. The TCPA does not preempt stricter state telephone solicitation rules (47 U.S.C. 227(f)(1)). The Georgia claim’s fee-shifting and lack of a knowledge requirement make it a strong companion to the federal claim, while the TCPA offers a higher per-call amount and the possibility of treble damages for willful calls. For the federal side, read our do not call rule explainer.
Where to File a Telemarketing Complaint in Georgia
- Attorney General Consumer Protection Division: (404) 651-8600 or toll-free (800) 869-1123, or online through the division’s no-call law page.
- Public Service Commission (for ADAD robocalls): (404) 656-4501 in metro Atlanta or 1-800-282-5813 elsewhere.
- Federal: file at donotcall.gov.
Next Steps: Building Your Georgia Do Not Call Claim
Confirm your number is on the federal registry, since that is now Georgia’s list. Then track each sales call by date, time, the number shown, the company, and whether the caller identified itself at the start. If a telemarketing firm was calling for another business, write down both names. Once a second call from or for the same company lands within 12 months, you meet the statute’s threshold. If you told the caller to stop and it called again, note that too. Georgia no longer requires proof of a knowing violation, but a stop request still strengthens your case and can support higher damages under federal law. Our call log guide shows the format, and the state law hub lists Georgia’s neighbors.
Georgia Do Not Call Law FAQs
Does Georgia have its own do not call list?
Not as a separate sign-up anymore. The Georgia Attorney General says the Georgia list was merged into the federal registry after 2003. Registering at donotcall.gov covers both.
How much can I sue for under Georgia’s no-call law?
Your actual monetary loss or up to $1,000 per violation, whichever is greater, plus reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, once you have received more than one solicitation from or on behalf of the same entity within 12 months, under O.C.G.A. 46-5-27(i). The per-violation cap does not apply in a class action.
Do I have to prove the telemarketer knew it was breaking the law?
No. Georgia removed the knowing-violation requirement for private lawsuits in 2024. The company may still raise defenses, such as showing that it had policies in place and enforced them to prevent illegal calls.
Are robocalls legal in Georgia?
Only with a Public Service Commission permit, the recipient’s consent, and calls between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., under O.C.G.A. 46-5-23. Federal law adds its own consent rules for prerecorded sales calls.
Who do I complain to about telemarketers in Georgia?
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division handles no-call complaints at (404) 651-8600 or (800) 869-1123. The Public Service Commission handles complaints about automated dialers.
Before You File a Do Not Call Lawsuit in Georgia
This page provides general information about Georgia’s telemarketing laws and is not legal advice. Laws, deadlines, and court interpretations change, and how they apply depends on the details of your situation. Before taking action, speak with an experienced attorney who handles do not call and TCPA claims for advice specific to your case. Reach out today for a free case review.