47 U.S.C. § 227 (TCPA) Explained: Robocalls & Texts

47 U.S.C. § 227 is the core provision of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the federal statute that restricts robocalls, autodialed and prerecorded-voice calls, unwanted telemarketing texts, and junk faxes, and that lets a consumer sue for statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per violation.

This article explains the statute itself: what it prohibits, how the Supreme Court has narrowed and clarified it, and how its private right of action works. For a broader introduction to the TCPA and the National Do Not Call Registry, see recordinglaw.com's TCPA overview; for a closer look at damages, settlements, and the FCC's current rulemaking posture, see TCPA Damages and Lawsuits. This article covers the federal statute, which applies nationwide by its own force. It does not cover state wiretap and recording-consent statutes, a separate body of law and the main subject of the rest of this site; see US recording laws by state for that topic.

Information last verified against primary federal sources on August 12, 2026. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

What 47 U.S.C. § 227 Actually Prohibits

Section 227(b) sets out three separate prohibitions, and courts treat them as independent theories of liability. First, § 227(b)(1)(A)(iii) makes it unlawful to call an emergency line, a hospital patient or guest room, or a number assigned to cellular, paging, or other service the called party is charged for, using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice, unless the call is for emergency purposes or is made with the called party's prior express consent. The printed statute still lists a further exception for calls to a paging, cellular, or other charged-for number made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States, but the Supreme Court held that 2015 government-debt exception unconstitutional and severed it in Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants, Inc. (2020), so it cannot be relied on and those calls fall under the general restriction. Second, § 227(b)(1)(B) separately bars initiating a call to a residential telephone line using an artificial or prerecorded voice to deliver a message, without the called party's prior express consent, subject to an emergency-purpose exception and any exemption the FCC issues by rule. The printed text of § 227(b)(1)(B) also lists an exception for calls made solely pursuant to the collection of a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States; the Supreme Court's 2020 Barr decision addressed the parallel cell-phone exception in § 227(b)(1)(A)(iii) by its terms, so treat the residential-line debt exception as uncertain and check current law with a licensed attorney before relying on it. Third, § 227(b)(1)(C) restricts sending an unsolicited advertisement to a fax machine, permitting it only where the sender has an established business relationship with the recipient, obtained the fax number through voluntary communication within that relationship or from a directory or website the recipient posted it to voluntarily, and the ad carries a compliant opt-out notice.

Each of these three prongs is its own basis for a claim, and a single call or fax can violate more than one at once. The residential prerecorded-voice prong in § 227(b)(1)(B) does not require automatic dialing equipment at all; a prerecorded message delivered to a residential line without consent can violate it regardless of how it was dialed.

What Counts as an Automatic Telephone Dialing System After Duguid

§ 227(a)(1) defines an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) as equipment with the capacity to store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator, and to dial those numbers. For years, lower courts split over whether that definition covered equipment that dials automatically from a stored list of numbers, even without generating those numbers randomly or sequentially itself.

The Supreme Court resolved that split in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, 592 U.S. 395 (2021), holding unanimously that a device must have the capacity to use a random or sequential number generator, either to store or to produce the numbers dialed, to qualify as an ATDS. Equipment that simply auto-dials down a list of numbers a business already has, such as a customer database, does not meet the statutory definition, even if the dialing itself is automated.

Duguid narrowed ATDS liability nationwide, but the Court said its decision does not affect the separate prohibition on calls using an artificial or prerecorded voice under § 227(b)(1)(A) and (B), which applies irrespective of the type of technology used.

The Do-Not-Call Provisions and Who Can Sue Under § 227(c)

§ 227(c) directs the FCC to prescribe regulations protecting residential subscribers' privacy rights, including a national database of people who don't wish to receive telephone solicitations, which became the National Do Not Call Registry. The statute defines telephone solicitation, for purposes of this framework, as a call or message made for the purpose of encouraging the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services. That definition itself excludes three categories of calls: those made with the recipient's prior express invitation or permission, those made to a person the caller has an established business relationship with, and those made by a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Because a political or survey call typically is not made to sell anything, it generally falls outside the telephone-solicitation definition on its own terms, separately from those three listed exclusions.

§ 227(c)(5) creates a private right of action for do-not-call violations, but with a real limitation the ATDS provisions in § 227(b) do not share: it is available only to someone who received more than one telephone call within any 12-month period, by or on behalf of the same entity, in violation of the FCC's do-not-call regulations. A single unwanted telemarketing call does not support a claim under § 227(c)(5) by itself, though it might still support a claim under § 227(b) if it used an ATDS or a prerecorded voice.

How Much You Can Sue For

Both private rights of action in § 227 use the same damages structure. Under § 227(b)(3), a person may bring an action in an appropriate court to recover actual monetary loss from an ATDS, prerecorded-voice, or fax violation, or $500 in damages for that violation, whichever is greater, plus injunctive relief. § 227(c)(5) provides the same choice, actual loss or up to $500 per violation, plus injunctive relief, for a do-not-call violation that clears the more-than-one-call threshold described above.

In either case, if the court finds the violation was willful or knowing, it may, in its discretion, increase the award to as much as three times the amount otherwise available, meaning up to $1,500 per violation. That increase is never automatic; the statute gives the court discretion, and a plaintiff has to show willfulness or knowledge, not just a bare violation, to obtain it. This article covers the statutory framework; for how courts count violations in practice and examples of recent settlements, see TCPA Damages and Lawsuits.

Do TCPA Text-Message Protections Match Phone-Call Protections?

Courts have long treated text messages as calls for purposes of the ATDS and prerecorded-voice restrictions in § 227(b), so an unwanted marketing text sent with equipment covered by § 227(a)(1) can violate the statute the same way an unwanted call can.

The do-not-call private right of action in § 227(c)(5) is a narrower question. In July 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois held in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services that a text message is not a telephone call within the meaning of § 227(c)(5), and dismissed the plaintiffs' do-not-call claims over unwanted marketing texts, without prejudice. Recordinglaw.com's news coverage of this case is at Seventh Circuit Rules TCPA Text Messages Are Not Telephone Calls Under Do-Not-Call Law.

This question affects only the do-not-call theory under § 227(c)(5). It does not affect a text-message claim brought under § 227(b) over ATDS or prerecorded or artificial-voice use, which remains available nationwide regardless of which circuit hears the case. Because this is a very recent and unsettled area, confirm the current law in your circuit, or talk to a licensed attorney, before assuming a text-based do-not-call claim will or will not proceed.

FCC Rules That Implement § 227

§ 227 itself is short on operational detail for consent and revocation; Congress gave the FCC authority to fill much of that in by regulation, currently codified at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200. Those regulations address matters the statute does not spell out directly, including what qualifies as prior express consent for different categories of calls and texts, and how a consumer can revoke consent they previously gave.

The FCC has updated 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 more than once in recent years, including changes addressing how a consumer can revoke consent and how quickly a business must honor that revocation. Because the FCC's rules in this area, and their phase-in timelines, have continued to change, this article does not state specific compliance-window dates here; check the current text of 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 directly, or consult a licensed attorney, for what applies today.

The Supreme Court's 2025 decision in McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates, Inc. v. McKesson Corp. adds a wrinkle to how much weight FCC interpretations carry in private litigation. The Court held that the Hobbs Act does not require a district court hearing a private TCPA suit to treat an FCC order's interpretation of the statute as binding; the court must independently interpret the statute, giving the agency's reading appropriate respect but not conclusive deference. Practically, that means an FCC order interpreting § 227 or its regulations is a strong, but no longer automatically controlling, guide in a private lawsuit.

How Courts Have Applied § 227

§ 227 has generated a large body of litigation. More than 3,200 federal court decisions cite the statute, according to recordinglaw.com's case-law index, with the pace of citing decisions roughly quadrupling from the 2000s to the 2010s and continuing to climb through the 2020s.

Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, 592 U.S. 395 (2021), discussed above, is the leading modern case on the ATDS definition and has been cited by 386 subsequent decisions per recordinglaw.com's case-law index.

Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, 577 U.S. 153 (2016), addressed a defense tactic used in TCPA class actions: a defendant offering the named plaintiff a settlement covering their full individual claim, then arguing the case is moot once the plaintiff turns it down. The Supreme Court held that an unaccepted Rule 68 settlement offer has no force once rejected, so it does not moot the plaintiff's individual claim or a putative class claim. It has been cited by 967 subsequent decisions per recordinglaw.com's case-law index, reflecting how central the mootness question is to TCPA class litigation.

Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants, Inc., decided July 6, 2020, held that the 2015 exception in § 227(b)(1)(A)(iii) for robocalls made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States violated the First Amendment, because it favored debt-collection speech over political and other speech. Rather than strike down the whole cell-phone robocall restriction, the Court severed the government-debt exception and left the 1991 restriction in force. The exception's words remain in the printed U.S. Code because Congress has not repealed them, which is why reading the statute text alone can mislead.

McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates, Inc. v. McKesson Corp., decided in 2025 and discussed above, is the most recent Supreme Court decision to reach § 227, and it changed how much deference an FCC order gets in private litigation going forward, rather than changing what the statute itself prohibits.

Common Misconceptions About § 227

"The TCPA bans all robocalls." It bans specific categories: automatic-dialing or prerecorded-voice calls to cell phones without prior express consent, prerecorded-voice calls to residential lines without consent, and telemarketing calls that violate the FCC's do-not-call regulations, with several carve-outs, including emergency calls. The exception for cell-phone calls made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States still appears in the printed statute, but the Supreme Court struck it down and severed it in 2020, so it no longer applies.

"Any automated dialing software counts as an ATDS." Since Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, a system that only auto-dials down a stored customer list, without using a random or sequential number generator, does not meet the statutory ATDS definition, though it can still create liability under the prerecorded-voice or do-not-call provisions.

"You need the FCC to sue on your behalf." § 227(b)(3) and § 227(c)(5) both create a private right of action a consumer can bring directly in court, without an FCC enforcement action coming first.

"One unwanted telemarketing call is always worth a lawsuit." The § 227(c)(5) do-not-call private right of action specifically requires more than one call within a 12-month period from the same entity. A single call can still be actionable under § 227(b) if it used an ATDS or prerecorded voice, just not under § 227(c)(5) alone.

"Statutory damages are automatically tripled." Treble damages, up to $1,500 per violation, are available only if a court finds the violation was willful or knowing, and the increase is discretionary; it is never automatic.

Disclaimer

This article explains 47 U.S.C. § 227, the core provision of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as general legal information verified against primary federal sources on the date noted above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. FCC regulations implementing this statute change over time, and courts continue to interpret provisions like the ATDS definition and the do-not-call private right of action; confirm current law in your jurisdiction, and consult a licensed attorney, before relying on anything here for a specific call, text, or potential claim.

Related Articles

• TCPA overview: robocalls, texts, and the Do Not Call Registry
• TCPA Damages and Lawsuits: Penalties, Settlements
• Seventh Circuit Rules TCPA Text Messages Are Not Telephone Calls Under Do-Not-Call Law
• US recording laws by state

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Last updated: August 12, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I sue for under the TCPA?

Statutory damages are $500 per violation, or your actual monetary loss if higher, under 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3) for ATDS, prerecorded-voice, or fax violations, and up to $500 per violation, or actual loss if higher, under § 227(c)(5) for qualifying do-not-call violations. A court may increase that up to three times, to $1,500 per violation, only if it finds the violation was willful or knowing.

Can I sue a robocaller in small claims court?

Section 227(b)(3) lets you bring the claim in state court, so a state small claims division is often an option as a practical matter. Whether a particular small claims court can hear your case depends on that court's own dollar limits and procedures, which vary by state, so check your local court's rules or ask a licensed attorney.

What counts as prior express consent for robocalls?

The statute itself does not define prior express consent in detail. FCC regulations at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 fill in the specifics for different call types, and those requirements have changed over time, so check the current regulation text or consult a licensed attorney for what counts today.

Is prior express written consent required for all telemarketing calls and texts?

This is addressed by FCC regulation, not by the text of § 227 itself, and the written-consent requirements have been the subject of ongoing FCC rulemaking. Confirm the current text of 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 rather than relying on a general rule of thumb.

How do I revoke consent to be called or texted, and how fast must a company stop?

The FCC has updated its revocation rules under 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 more than once in recent years, and the compliance timelines for some of those changes were still phasing in as of this writing. Check the current regulation text directly, or a licensed attorney, for the revocation method and compliance window in effect now.

Does registering on the National Do Not Call Registry stop all unwanted calls?

No. Section 227(c)'s framework is built around a definition of telephone solicitation that excludes calls made with your prior express invitation or permission, calls from a business you have an established relationship with, and calls from a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, so registry protection does not reach every call.

Are political calls, charity calls, and survey calls exempt from the TCPA's do-not-call rules?

The statute's telephone solicitation definition covers calls made to encourage a purchase, rental, or investment. A political or survey call generally is not made for that purpose, so it typically falls outside the definition on its own terms. Calls made by a tax-exempt nonprofit organization are separately excluded from the definition.

What is an automatic telephone dialing system after Facebook v. Duguid?

Under § 227(a)(1) as interpreted in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, 592 U.S. 395 (2021), an ATDS must have the capacity to store or produce telephone numbers using a random or sequential number generator, then dial them. Equipment that just auto-dials a stored contact list, without generating numbers that way, is not an ATDS.

Do TCPA rules apply to text messages the same as phone calls?

Mostly, yes, for the ATDS and prerecorded-voice restrictions in § 227(b). For the do-not-call private right of action in § 227(c)(5) specifically, a July 2025 federal district court ruling in Illinois, Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services, held that a text is not a telephone call under that subsection. This is an unsettled area, so check current law where you live.

What should I document if I think I received a TCPA violation?

Keep the caller ID number or sender information, the date and time of each call or text, screenshots of any texts, any voicemail recordings, and notes on whether you gave the caller your number, for what purpose, and whether you ever asked them to stop. This is general practical guidance, not a legal requirement of the statute.

Can a company keep calling me if I am an existing customer?

An established business relationship is one of the categories the statute excludes from the telephone solicitation definition that drives the do-not-call rules in § 227(c). That is a separate question from the ATDS and prerecorded-voice restrictions in § 227(b), which turn on prior express consent rather than customer status.

What is the difference between suing under § 227(b) and § 227(c)?

Section 227(b)(3) covers ATDS, prerecorded-voice, and fax violations, with no minimum number of calls required. Section 227(c)(5) covers do-not-call telemarketing violations, but only for someone who received more than one call from the same entity within a 12-month period.