Analysis · FCC & rulemaking
190 Tracebacks and a "C" on Every Call: State AGs Warn iDentidad Telecom
Here's the thing ... if you get one traceback notice, maybe you had a bad customer. If you get 190, that's not bad luck. That's a business model.
Topic 07
State Laws
The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) does not stop states from adding their own rules, and many have. These "mini-TCPAs" often go further than federal law. Some reach any automated system for selecting or dialing numbers. Some stop calls at 8 p.m. Many cap calls at three per day on the same subject and expressly cover texts.
States to watch
- Florida. The Florida Telephone Solicitation Act covers calls, texts, and voicemail, requires written consent for automated calls, and allows private suits. Texters get a 15-day window to stop after a "STOP" reply before a suit can be filed.
- Oklahoma. A Florida-style law in effect since November 1, 2022, with a private right of action.
- Maryland. The Stop the Spam Calls Act, in effect since January 1, 2024, with private suits under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
- Texas. Senate Bill 140, effective September 1, 2025, brings texts into the definition of telephone solicitation and makes more violations actionable under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
- Virginia. Since January 1, 2026, text solicitations are covered, and "STOP" requests must be honored for at least 10 years.
- Oregon. House Bill 3865, effective January 1, 2026, covers texts and limits solicitations to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Pennsylvania. Act 47 of 2026 takes effect on or about October 18, 2026. It prohibits solicitations on Sundays and legal holidays and outside 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and covers texts.
Here is why it matters
A program that complies at the federal level can still find itself in trouble at the state level. In the Seventh Circuit, where federal do-not-call suits over texts are now barred, state laws that cover texts take on more weight.
The articles in this section track new bills, amendments, and court rulings in the states.
The maintained guide
State Telemarketing Laws
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) establishes a federal floor, not a ceiling. States can add their own rules, and many have.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Analysis and news 4
Case analysis · Litigation & decisions
Seventh Circuit Holds Text Messages Are Not "Telephone Calls" Under TCPA Section 227(c)(5)
The bottom line: on July 14, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services, No. 25-2398, that the private right of action in 47 U.S.C. § 227(c)(5) of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) does not cover text messages.
Analysis · State telemarketing laws
Operation Stop Scam Calls: What the 2023 Federal and State Sweep Targeted
On July 18, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and law enforcement partners nationwide, including the attorneys general of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, announced "Operation Stop Scam Calls," a joint crackdown on illegal robocalls.
Analysis · FCC & rulemaking
Operation Robocall Roundup Phase 2: State AGs Put Four Major Carriers on Notice
Members of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, a bipartisan group of state attorneys general, launched the second phase of "Operation Robocall Roundup" on December 3, 2025.