TCPA Compliance for Contact Centers
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act governs how contact centers may use autodialers, prerecorded voices, and texts. TCPA damages are per-call and add up fast — this guide covers what agents and dialer teams must know.
The TCPA (47 U.S.C. §227) restricts calls and texts made with an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial/prerecorded voice, and imposes consent, disclosure, and timing rules. Statutory damages run $500–$1,500 per call or text, so a single non-compliant campaign can be catastrophic.
Prajñā trains both agents and dialer operations on the consent lifecycle and the disclosures that keep automated outreach compliant.
What the TCPA regulates
Calls and texts to wireless numbers using an autodialer or prerecorded/artificial voice, and prerecorded calls to residential lines, generally require prior express consent — and for marketing, prior express written consent. Knowing your dialing technology and the number type is the first compliance question.
Consent and revocation (current 2026 rules)
Consumers may revoke consent through any reasonable means, and revocation must be honored promptly across channels. Recent FCC rules tightened revocation handling and confirmation. Every consent and opt-out must be captured with a timestamp and source.
Calling times & Do-Not-Call
TCPA telemarketing rules restrict calls to 8am–9pm local time and require honoring the National and internal Do-Not-Call lists. Even where collections calls differ from telemarketing, disciplined time-zone and DNC handling protects the operation.
Required disclosures on automated calls
Prerecorded and artificial-voice calls must identify the caller and provide an automated, interactive opt-out mechanism. Our dialer training builds these disclosures into the call flow rather than bolting them on.
Frequently asked questions
What is the TCPA?
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 U.S.C. §227) is a U.S. federal law restricting telemarketing calls, autodialed calls and texts, and prerecorded/artificial-voice messages, with consent, disclosure, and calling-time requirements.
What are TCPA penalties?
The TCPA allows statutory damages of $500 per violating call or text, rising to $1,500 for willful or knowing violations — and because damages are per message, class actions can reach enormous sums.
Do I need consent to call a cell phone?
Generally yes. Calls or texts to wireless numbers using an autodialer or a prerecorded/artificial voice require prior express consent, and prior express written consent for marketing content.
Can a consumer revoke TCPA consent?
Yes. Consumers may revoke consent through any reasonable means, and under current FCC rules the revocation must be honored promptly. Best practice is to capture every consent and revocation with a timestamp and channel.
Bring this into your operation
Every rule on this page is drilled through real-call scenarios inside the Prajñā knowledge base. See pricing, explore the collections and healthcare BPO libraries, or talk to us about a portal for your team.