What is a DNC list?
A registry of phone numbers that must not receive telemarketing calls: national, state and internal.
DNC list — A Do Not Call (DNC) list is a registry of phone numbers that must not receive telemarketing calls. It covers the US National DNC Registry plus state lists and a company's own internal list. Callers must scrub against it regularly and honour internal requests at once.
Also known as: Do Not Call list
Why it matters
A DNC list is not a single list. It is a category made up of several sources a calling program has to check. The US National DNC Registry is the largest and best known. Individual states also maintain their own registries, with rules that can differ from the federal one. Every company also builds up its own internal list, from people who have directly asked not to be called again. A compliant calling program checks against all three, not only the national registry.
The registry itself is not static. Numbers are added continuously. A list scrubbed once at import time drifts out of date as new numbers register and the company's own internal requests build up. That is why scrubbing has to happen on a recurring basis, close to the point a campaign calls. It is not a one-time step done when a list is first purchased or built. Internal requests are the most urgent case. When someone directly asks a company not to call them again, that request has to be honoured at once, not queued for the next scheduled scrub.
How DNC scrubbing works
- 1
Build the calling list
Numbers are gathered from prospecting or a segment for an upcoming campaign.
- 2
Scrub against the National DNC Registry
Numbers registered nationally are removed before the campaign is frozen.
- 3
Scrub against relevant state lists
State registries with stricter or additional numbers are checked too.
- 4
Scrub against the internal list
Anyone who directly asked this company not to call is removed regardless of registry status.
- 5
Re-scrub close to campaign time
Because registries update continuously, the check is repeated near the actual calling date.
The mistake to watch for
Questions
- How is a DNC list different from a suppression list?
- A DNC list is specific to telemarketing calls. It is tied to government registries such as the US National DNC Registry, plus a company's internal call list. A suppression list is broader and channel-agnostic, covering email and other outreach as well.
- Is checking the National DNC Registry enough?
- No. State-level Do Not Call registries can add requirements beyond the national list. A company's own internal list of direct requests has to be checked as well.
- How often should a calling list be scrubbed against DNC registries?
- Regularly, and close to the actual calling date. Registries are updated continuously. A list scrubbed only once at import will be out of date by the time a campaign runs. This is not legal advice.