Pennsylvania Strengthens Telemarketing Laws to Target Robocalls
Pennsylvania's updated telemarketing law bans robocalls without prior written consent.
Why it matters: Marketing compliance and privacy professionals must update strategies to meet stricter state telemarketing regulations taking effect in October 2026.
- The law bans robocalls to any phone line without prior express written consent, effective October 2026.
- Telemarketing allowed only between 9 AM and 7 PM, with a ban on Sundays.
- Definitions include robocalls as automated prerecorded voice calls and telephone solicitation covering calls, voicemails, ringless voicemails, and texts.
- Telemarketers cannot use false caller ID or deceptive automated messages to mislead consumers.
Starting in October 2026, Pennsylvania will enforce an updated telemarketing law that tightens restrictions on robocalls and text message marketing. Under the new Senate Bill 992, telemarketers must obtain prior express written consent before initiating robocalls to residential, business, or wireless telephone lines. This requirement is designed to curb unsolicited and potentially fraudulent calls.
The law further limits telemarketing calls to the hours between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM, prohibiting such activity on Sundays to reduce consumer intrusion during typical off-hours. It also expands the definition of telephone solicitation to include not only calls and voicemails but also ringless voicemails and text messages, broadening regulatory reach over modern marketing channels.
Permissible behavior excludes any use of automated messages intended to defraud, deceive, or mislead called parties. Telemarketers are barred from falsely identifying their name or telephone number, addressing common issues with caller ID spoofing that enable scams.
Attorney General Dave Sunday emphasized the seriousness of the problem, stating, "Robocalls are more than just a nuisance — they are often a means to perpetrate a scam, and when they involve legitimate phone number 'spoofs,' they are more effective in achieving their mission of duping Pennsylvanians." His office, along with 48 other attorneys general, has urged the Federal Communications Commission to further tighten controls to cut scammers' access to legitimate numbers. This movement comes amid a backdrop of nearly 30 billion scam robocalls and texts nationwide in the previous year, underscoring the scale of the issue.
Legal professionals advising telemarketers, marketing teams, and privacy compliance officers should closely review the new requirements to ensure campaigns align with Pennsylvania’s expanded telemarketing laws once they take effect.
By the numbers:
- October 2026 — effective date of Pennsylvania’s telemarketing law update
- 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM — permitted telemarketing hours
- Nearly 30 billion — scam robocalls and text messages Americans received last year