Do Not Call Register
Australian Business & ComplianceAlso: DNCR
Quick definition
The Do Not Call Register is an Australian list of phone numbers whose owners have opted out of unsolicited telemarketing. Businesses that make marketing calls must check their lists against the register and remove listed numbers. It is run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and breaching it carries significant penalties.
How it varies across Australia
Outbound calling in Australia rewards the businesses that treat the register as a routine list-washing step and punishes the ones that treat it as optional. The penalties for calling listed numbers dwarf any short-term gain from a larger uncleaned list.
See how channel mix varies across Australian industries →What it actually means
The Do Not Call Register is a national opt-out list. Australians who do not want telemarketing calls add their numbers, and businesses that run outbound marketing calls are legally required to scrub their calling lists against it before dialling.
The obligation sits with the caller, not the person. You must subscribe to the register as a business, wash your lists, and avoid calling any number on it. The rules cover unsolicited marketing calls and marketing faxes. There are some carve-outs, including for certain existing-relationship contact and a few exempt categories like registered charities and political calls, but the default for commercial telemarketing is that listed numbers are off limits.
It is administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the same regulator that enforces the Spam Act for electronic messages. Together they form the Australian framework for unsolicited contact. The penalties for breaches are large, and they scale with how many listed numbers you called.
For marketers the practical version is simple. If outbound calling is a channel, list washing against the register is a non-negotiable step in the process, not an afterthought.
The Do Not Call Register turns a big uncleaned phone list from an asset into a liability.
How it shows up
Compliance shows up as a documented list-washing step before every outbound campaign, with a record of when the list was last checked. Trouble shows up as complaints and regulator contact, which usually means an uncleaned list slipped into the dialler. Treat the wash date like a freshness stamp on the list.
The Australian context
The Do Not Call Register is specific to Australia and sits beside the Spam Act for electronic messages. Together they make Australia a consent-first market for unsolicited contact. Imported outbound playbooks that assume cold calling is unrestricted will breach the rules. Any Australian calling programme needs register subscription and list washing built into the workflow from the start.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
What is the Do Not Call Register?
A national list of Australian phone numbers whose owners have opted out of unsolicited telemarketing. Businesses that make marketing calls must subscribe, wash their lists against it, and avoid calling listed numbers. It is run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Whose responsibility is it to check the register?
The caller's. If you run outbound marketing calls you must subscribe and scrub your lists before dialling. The person who listed their number does not have to do anything more, the obligation sits entirely with the business making the call.
Are there any exemptions?
Some, including certain existing-relationship contact and exempt categories such as registered charities and political calls. The carve-outs are narrower than many marketers assume, so relying on them without checking is risky for ordinary commercial telemarketing.
How often should I wash my call list?
Before every campaign. Numbers are added to the register continually, so a list washed weeks or months ago is no longer clean. Treat the wash as a fresh step each time, not a one-off.
About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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