Florida’s ‘Do Not Call List’ Hits 1 Million Users

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Tampa Bay area residents tired of constant calls from telemarketers may want to join the 1 million Floridians who have added their numbers to the state’s Do Not Call List.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Tuesday the list had hit the 1-million mark . A total of 928,000 new users have been added to the list since 2012 when it became free to use the service.

Adam Putnam, the state’s commissioner of agriculture, worked with state representatives back in 2012 to remove the fee once required to join the list. Its popularity has boomed ever since, the agency said in a media release.

“Since eliminating the fee to join several years ago, we have seen an explosion of Florida residents seeking relief from unwanted sales calls and joining Florida’s Do Not Call List,” Putnam said.

The list is meant to protect Florida residents from having their home, mobile or paging device numbers called by solicitors. It is, in fact, illegal for solicitors to call or text numbers on the state’s Do Not Call List. The penalty for calling a number on the list can go up to $10,000 per violation.

Florida residents who want to add their names to the list can visit the Florida Department of Agriculture online to find out more about subscribing.

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