FCC Opt-Out Rules: Stop Requests Count Now, but the Revoke-All Rule Waits Until 2027

What changed on January 6, 2026

The FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau released order DA 26-12 on January 6, 2026. It extended a waiver of part of 47 C.F.R. 64.1200(a)(10) until January 31, 2027. The delayed part is the requirement that callers “treat a request to revoke consent made by a called party in response to one type of informational message as applicable to all future robocalls and robotexts from that caller on unrelated matters.” People in the industry call it the revoke-all rule.

This was the second delay. The first came in order DA 25-312 on April 7, 2025, four days before the rule was due to start. Banking and credit union trade groups had asked on March 12, 2025 for a one-year delay. They said large companies with many business units needed time to make one opt-out stop every department’s calls and texts. The FCC agreed and moved the date to April 11, 2026.

Then, on October 29, 2025, the FCC asked for public comment on whether to change the revoke-all rule or replace it with something that gives consumers “greater control over their right to stop unwanted calls.” The January 2026 order says both consumer groups and financial institutions asked for more time while the FCC reviews those comments. It cites a September 18, 2025 joint letter from the American Bankers Association and the National Consumer Law Center.

The opt-out rules that already apply

Most of the FCC’s 2024 consent order (FCC 24-24, released February 16, 2024) took effect on April 11, 2025. Those rules are in force today. Here is what the current text of 47 C.F.R. 64.1200(a)(10) through (a)(12) says:

• Any reasonable method works. You can revoke consent by any reasonable means that clearly shows you do not want more calls or texts.
• Certain words count automatically. Replying “stop,” “quit,” “end,” “revoke,” “opt out,” “cancel” or “unsubscribe” to a text is a valid opt-out. So is using an automated opt-out on a call, or the caller’s own opt-out website or phone number.
• Other words can count too. If you reply “please don’t text me again,” the sender must treat it as a revocation if a reasonable person would read it that way.
• Ten business days. Callers must honor a revocation within a reasonable time, no more than ten business days after they receive it.
• No single required method. Callers may not name one exclusive way to opt out.
• Voicemail and email. An opt-out sent another way, like a voicemail or an email to the company, creates a rebuttable presumption that you revoked consent once you show you sent it.
• One confirmation text. The sender may send a single text confirming your opt-out, with no marketing in it. If it arrives within five minutes, it is presumed allowed.

What the delay means for you

The delay matters most for people who deal with one company in several ways. Picture a bank that texts you fraud alerts, payment reminders and credit card offers. If you reply STOP to the marketing text, the marketing texts must end within ten business days. What is on hold is whether that same STOP must also end the payment reminders and other informational messages on unrelated matters. Until January 31, 2027, it does not have to, under the waiver.

For most unwanted robocalls and spam texts, the delay changes nothing. A telemarketer that keeps texting you sales pitches after you replied STOP is not protected by this waiver. The ten-business-day clock has applied since April 2025. Our guide to revoking consent to robocalls and texts covers how to opt out and how to prove it.

The date could move again, or the rule could change. The FCC has said it is reviewing the record from its October 2025 notice. We will update this page if it acts.

Why a clear opt-out matters in a lawsuit

Consent is the most common defense in TCPA cases. A company says you agreed, often on a website you barely remember. A clear, dated opt-out cuts through that. Messages sent more than ten business days after you said stop are hard to explain away, whatever consent the caller claims to have had.

The statute allows $500 per violation, and up to $1,500 if a court finds the violation willful or knowing (47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3)). Our TCPA case value calculator shows how the numbers add up across many messages. Texts that come after a STOP reply are also covered in our page on spam text violations.

What to do if messages keep coming after you said stop

Take a screenshot of your STOP reply that shows the date and time. Then count the business days. Keep every message that arrives after day ten, and note the sender name and number. If you opted out by phone, write down the date, the time and the name of the person you spoke with.

If the messages keep coming after the ten-day window, you may have a claim. Put your records in order using our evidence and call log guide and ask for a free case review.