Cold calling laws
Real estate cold calling laws by state
Federal law sets the floor for calling homeowners. Many states add their own do-not-call list, shorter calling hours, a cap on call attempts, a required opening, or a wholesaling law. Here are the 20 states we cover, side by side, each linked to its full page.
The federal floor
What applies in every state
- The national Do Not Call Registry, plus your own do-not-call list: no sales calls to listed numbers.
- Calling hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the called person’s local time.
- No recorded or AI voices, and no autodialed calls to cell phones, without the person’s prior express written consent.
- An honest caller ID and introduction.
The details are in is real estate cold calling legal? The table below covers what each state adds. Whether a state’s telemarketing law reaches a call offering to buy a house is unsettled almost everywhere, because most are written around selling to the person called, so the safe course is to follow the stricter rule.
State by state
What each state adds
Checked against each state’s statutes and agency pages in October 2026. Click a state for its full rules, sources and markets.
| State | Own do-not-call list | Calling hours | Other call rules | Wholesaling law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No (merged into the national list) | 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; no Sundays or holidays | Name, company and offer within 30 seconds; telephone sellers licensed by the AG | Written disclosures before marketing and assigning (2023) |
| Arizona | No (national list; texts covered since 2023) | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | No unsolicited sales calls to mobile phones; true name, seller and address up front; registration and bond | Written wholesale-buyer disclosure; seller can cancel before escrow closes (2022) |
| California | No (merged into the national list) | Federal; recorded-message dialers not 9 p.m.–9 a.m. | Identity and offer at first contact; all parties must consent to recording; no text ads to mobiles | None enacted; buying from owners with a notice of default has a 5-business-day cancel right |
| Colorado | Yes, quarterly | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | No blocked caller ID | No statute; buying from owners in foreclosure has a 3-day cancel right |
| Florida | Yes, quarterly | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | 3 calls per 24 hours; written consent for autodialed or recorded calls and texts; seller license | None; selling property for someone else needs a broker license |
| Georgia | No (merged into the national list) | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | Real property named in the no-call law (2024); working caller ID; permit for recorded-message dialers | None; written offers to buy need solicitation and value notices (2024) |
| Illinois | No | 8 a.m.–9 p.m.; autodialers not 9 p.m.–9 a.m. | Name, business and purpose up front, then ask to continue | Broker license after 2 deals in 12 months (2019) |
| Indiana | Yes, quarterly | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | Caller’s first and last name and business up front | “Not from a licensed real estate professional” disclosure (2024) |
| Kentucky | No (Zero Call list is the national list) | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | Name, business, location, then what’s offered and ask to continue | License to advertise a contract you hold (2023) |
| Louisiana | Yes, with annual registration | 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; no Sundays, holidays or declared emergencies | Cell phones need prior consent | Cancellation notice and 5-day cancel right (2026) |
| Maryland | No separate list found | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | 3 calls per 24 hours; written consent for automated calls | Assignment disclosure to the owner (2025) |
| Michigan | No (national list adopted) | 9 a.m.–9 p.m. per the AG | No recorded messages; name and business up front | None yet (a 2025 bill is pending) |
| Missouri | Yes, quarterly, covers texts | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | No blocked caller ID | Signed disclosure; owner can cancel before closing (2026) |
| North Carolina | No (national list) | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. | Name and company up front; no recorded-message dialer calls without approval; texts count | None (a 2025 license bill passed only the House) |
| Ohio | No | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | Name, company and purpose within 60 seconds; AG registration and bond | Signed bold disclosure before the contract, or the owner can cancel (2026) |
| Oklahoma | Yes, quarterly | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | 3 calls per 24 hours; written consent for automated calls | License to market a contract (2021); disclosure and 2-day cancel (2025) |
| Pennsylvania | Yes, quarterly | 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; no Sundays or holidays (from Oct 18, 2026) | Telemarketer registration and bond; Philadelphia has its own list | Real estate license and 30-day cancel right (2024) |
| South Carolina | No (national list) | Federal (8 a.m.–9 p.m.) | Name and business up front; $1,000 per violation | Marketing a home under contract before title is licensed work (2024) |
| Tennessee | Yes, calls and texts, updated monthly | 8 a.m.–9 p.m. | Name and company up front; annual registration; consent for recorded calls | Written disclosures and 3 business days’ notice of assignment (2025) |
| Texas | Yes, quarterly | 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sundays noon–9 p.m. | Name, business and purpose up front; registration and bond (texts too since 2025) | Written disclosure of your equitable interest to market a contract (2017, seller notice 2024) |
Patterns
What stands out
State do-not-call lists
Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas keep their own do-not-call lists on top of the national registry. A list for those states needs both scrubs before anyone dials.
Shorter calling days
Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas cut the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, and some ban Sunday or holiday calls. Set calling hours by the owner’s local time, not the caller’s.
Wholesaling laws are spreading
Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have passed laws on wholesaling, from a written disclosure to a real estate license. If you assign contracts, have your attorney review your paperwork in each state you buy in.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change; have your attorney confirm what applies to your campaign.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states have their own do-not-call list?
Of the 20 states on this page: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. The others rely on the national Do Not Call Registry.
Which states limit cold calling hours more than federal law?
Of the 20 states on this page: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. The table above gives each state’s window.
Which states regulate real estate wholesaling?
Of the 20 states on this page: Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. They range from a written disclosure to the seller to a real estate license.
Do these laws apply to calls offering to buy a house?
It is unsettled in most states, because most telemarketing laws are written around selling something to the person called. Follow the stricter rule anyway: a lawsuit over a call costs more than following the hours and scrubbing the lists.
Calling done by the rules, for you
Real estate investors: your first week of calling is free. If we don’t hand you at least 3 sellers who want an offer, you pay nothing.