The Do Not Call Register: What Australian Contact Centres Must Know
The Do Not Call Register is a free, official Australian list of phone and fax numbers that individuals have chosen to register so they don't receive unsolicited telemarketing and marketing calls.
It's run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006.
If your contact centre does any outbound telemarketing, this isn't optional reading. Calling a registered number you shouldn't have is a breach of the law — and the penalties are real, not theoretical.
This guide explains, in plain English, what the register is, who has to "wash" their lists against it, the 30-day rule, the exemptions, the penalties, and what it all means for an outbound operation.
What it is
A national register of numbers that must not receive unsolicited telemarketing or marketing-fax contact, administered by ACMA under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006.
Why it matters
Outbound teams must check ("wash") their calling lists against the register. Get it wrong and you risk ACMA enforcement, including penalties that have run into the millions.
What this guide covers
What the register is, who must comply, the 30-day washing rule, the exemptions, the penalties, and the practical implications for outbound contact centres.
What is the Do Not Call Register?
The Do Not Call Register is a secure database, run by ACMA, of Australian phone and fax numbers whose owners have opted out of receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls and marketing faxes.
Once a number is registered, businesses generally can't make unsolicited telemarketing calls to it.
Registration is free for the public, and — following changes some years ago — registered numbers now stay on the register permanently rather than expiring.
In simple terms: it's the line in the sand between "you may cold-call this number" and "you may not".
The obligation to stay on the right side of that line sits with the business making (or commissioning) the call — not with the consumer.
What it is
A legally backed opt-out list for unsolicited telemarketing and marketing faxes, covering fixed, mobile and VoIP numbers, that businesses must check their calling lists against before dialling.
What it is not
It is not a blanket ban on all calls. Calls you've consented to, calls from organisations you already deal with, and certain exempt categories (charities, research, political parties) can still reach a registered number.
Why It Matters for Contact Centres
For an outbound operation, the Do Not Call Register isn't a back-office compliance nicety — it's a core part of how you build and manage every calling list. Here's why it should sit near the top of your priorities.
⚖️ It's the law
The Do Not Call Register Act 2006 makes it unlawful to make unsolicited telemarketing calls to registered numbers (outside the exemptions). Compliance isn't a "nice to have" — it's a legal obligation enforced by ACMA.
💰 The downside is severe
ACMA can issue formal warnings, infringement notices, accept enforceable undertakings, or take Federal Court action. Court penalties have reached well into seven figures for serious or repeated breaches.
🎯 It protects your brand
Telemarketing is one of the most-complained-about activities ACMA handles. Calling people who've explicitly opted out destroys trust and reputation faster than almost anything else an outbound team can do.
Washing Your List & the 30-Day Rule
"Washing" (or "scrubbing") a list means submitting your calling numbers to the Do Not Call Register's checking service so that registered numbers are flagged and removed before you dial. You can't dial first and check later.
How washing works in practice
- You register as a list washer and pay for access (the public registers free; businesses pay to check lists).
- You submit your numbers through one of the available channels — from web upload for small lists through to automated batch transfers and a real-time API for per-number checks, which suits predictive and AI-driven dialling.
- Registered numbers are flagged so you can suppress them before the campaign runs.
The 30-day rule
The widely cited rule of thumb is that a list should be washed against the register within 30 days before calling.
If you washed a number within that window and the register did not flag it at the time, you generally have a defence if that number was later added to the register before you actually called it.
Wash outside that window, and you lose that protection. The practical takeaway: treat 30 days as a ceiling, not a target — and for high-volume or always-on dialling, real-time or near-real-time checking is the safer design.
The rules that apply
The register operates under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006, supported by the Telecommunications (Telemarketing and Research Calls) Industry Standard, which sets rules on calling hours, caller identification, and terminating calls on request.
ACMA administers the register and the standard. Industry information and the list-washing service are at the official site, donotcall.gov.au, with the regulator's guidance at acma.gov.au.
💡 Keep your wash records
Don't just wash — keep dated evidence of every wash and which numbers were checked.
If ACMA ever queries a call, your wash records are your defence. "We're pretty sure we washed it" is not a compliance position.
Exemptions: Who Can Still Call a Registered Number
The register stops unsolicited telemarketing. It does not stop every call.
Several categories can still contact a registered number — but most of them still have to follow the telemarketing and research industry standard (calling hours, identifying themselves, honouring opt-out requests).
Consent & existing relationships
- Express consent: if the person has agreed to be contacted (e.g. ticked a contact box or filled in a web form), you can call.
- Existing relationship: organisations you already deal with — your bank, utility, telco or service provider — can reasonably contact you about that relationship.
Public-interest categories
- Registered charities
- Registered political parties, candidates and political bodies
- Educational institutions (contacting students or former students and their households)
- Government bodies
- Market and social researchers / opinion pollsters — provided the call has no commercial purpose
A critical catch on research calls: the moment a "research" call carries any commercial-type purpose — even if it isn't the main reason for the call — it is treated as a telemarketing call and cannot be made to a registered number.
"Surveys" used as a softening front for a sales pitch are not exempt.
Penalties & Enforcement
ACMA has a tiered set of enforcement tools, escalating with the seriousness and repetition of the breach.
- Formal warnings and infringement notices for lower-level or first breaches.
- Enforceable undertakings, where a business commits to specific compliance actions.
- Federal Court proceedings for serious or repeated breaches, which can result in substantial civil penalties.
Enforcement is active — and expensive
This is not a dormant regime.
ACMA continues to take court action over Do Not Call breaches, and in a 2025 Federal Court matter a telemarketing business was hit with penalties totalling $1.5 million, with a further penalty against its director, after making hundreds of thousands of calls to numbers on the register.
ACMA also reports thousands of consumer complaints each year about telemarketing and spam, with sectors such as solar, retail and financial services frequently among the most complained about.
Maximum penalty figures and specific amounts change over time — always confirm the current figures with ACMA before relying on them.
⚠️ Outsourcing doesn't outsource the risk
If you engage a third-party telemarketing agency, you can't simply assume they're compliant and wash your hands of it.
Liability can flow to the business on whose behalf the calls are made. Contractually require list washing, ask for the wash evidence, and audit it.
Common Pitfalls
Most Do Not Call breaches aren't malicious — they're the result of lazy process. Here are the traps we see most often.
Washing once and reusing forever
A list washed three months ago is not a compliant list today. Numbers are added to the register constantly.
Re-wash on a disciplined schedule — and for ongoing campaigns, automate it.
Assuming "existing customer" covers everything
The existing-relationship exemption is narrower than people think.
Calling a dormant lead from three years ago, or cross-selling something unrelated, may not be covered. Don't stretch the exemption to fit the campaign.
⚠️ Challenge the lazy default: "we washed it, so we're fine"
The industry default of treating a single wash as a permanent clean bill of health is exactly how good operators end up in front of the Federal Court.
Compliance is a continuous process, not a one-off checkbox: re-wash regularly, log everything, honour opt-outs immediately, and build washing into your dialler workflow so it can't be skipped under pressure to hit targets.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Do Not Call Register
What is the Do Not Call Register?
The Do Not Call Register is a free, official Australian list of phone and fax numbers whose owners have opted out of receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls and marketing faxes. It is run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006. Businesses generally must not make unsolicited telemarketing calls to numbers on the register.
Who has to check their lists against the register?
Any business or person making unsolicited telemarketing calls or sending marketing faxes to Australian numbers must "wash" their calling lists against the register first, unless an exemption applies. This obligation sits with the business making or commissioning the calls — including when the calling is outsourced to a third-party agency.
What is the 30-day rule?
As a rule of thumb, a calling list should be washed against the register within 30 days before calling. If you washed a number within that window and it wasn't flagged at the time, you generally have a defence if it was later added to the register before you called. Washing outside that window removes that protection. Best practice is to treat 30 days as a ceiling and wash more frequently — or use real-time checking for always-on dialling.
Who is exempt and can still call a registered number?
Calls are allowed where there is express consent or an existing relationship (for example, your bank, utility or telco contacting you about your account). Certain public-interest categories are also exempt: registered charities, registered political parties and candidates, educational institutions, government bodies, and market or social researchers and opinion pollsters — provided the call has no commercial purpose. Most exempt callers still must follow the telemarketing and research industry standard.
Are "surveys" exempt from the register?
Only genuine, non-commercial research is exempt. The moment a research or survey call carries any commercial purpose — even if selling isn't the main reason for the call — it is treated as a telemarketing call and cannot be made to a number on the register. Using a survey as a front for a sales pitch is not exempt and is a common cause of breaches.
What are the penalties for breaching the register?
ACMA can issue formal warnings and infringement notices, accept enforceable undertakings, or take Federal Court action for serious or repeated breaches. Court penalties have reached well into seven figures — including a 2025 case with penalties totalling around $1.5 million plus a further penalty against the director. Specific maximum amounts change over time, so confirm current figures with ACMA.
If I outsource my telemarketing, am I still responsible?
Generally, yes — our firm editorial view is that you should never assume otherwise. Liability for Do Not Call breaches can flow back to the business on whose behalf the calls are made, not just the agency dialling. If you outsource outbound calling, contractually require list washing, obtain and audit the wash evidence, and don't treat the agency's assurance as the end of your obligations.
How long does a number stay on the register?
Following changes some years ago, numbers placed on the Do Not Call Register now remain there permanently and no longer expire. That makes a "wash once" approach even riskier over time, because the registered population only grows. Re-wash regularly to stay compliant.
Where to Next
Summary: The Do Not Call Register
The Do Not Call Register is Australia's legally backed opt-out list for unsolicited telemarketing, run by ACMA under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 — and the obligation to comply sits squarely with the business making or commissioning the calls.
Any outbound operation must wash its calling lists against the register, honour the 30-day window, respect the limits of the exemptions, and keep evidence of every wash.
Our editorial position is blunt: treating a single wash as a permanent clean list is the single most common way good operators end up in trouble.
Compliance is a continuous process — re-wash on a disciplined schedule, automate it into your dialler, honour opt-outs immediately, and never assume that outsourcing the dialling outsources the liability.
None of this is legal advice, and penalty figures and rules change — confirm the current detail with ACMA and the official Do Not Call Register.
For building a compliant, high-performing outbound operation, start with the ACXPA Call Centre resources.
