Federal telemarketer registry will take over in state in July

NAMPA, Idaho — Idaho residents who registered for the state’s do not call list to ward off unwanted telemarketer calls will automatically be included on the national registry starting July 1.

The Legislature recently updated Idaho’s law to work in conjunction with the national no-call registry, state Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said. The state will stop maintaining its roster.

“The Idaho no-call list has been a great success and has provided a worthwhile service to the people of Idaho over the past three years,” Wasden said. “This merger with the national list is a positive move, streamlining do-not-call protection for citizens and allowing my office to focus on enforcement of the law.”

The lists allow the state or federal government to fine telemarketers who ignore the rules.

In the past, Idaho privacy law prohibited the state from sharing its data with the national list. The new law allows the state attorney general’s office to provide phone numbers registered on the Idaho list to the Federal Trade Commission for its registry.

However, due to language of the federal statute, Idaho residents who have registered only for the state list may experience a brief period in which they receive unwanted telephone solicitations, Wasden said.

It is not illegal for telemarketers to call phone numbers on the national list until three months after the date of registration.