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Can you legally make this call?

Country, consumer or business, date and time: the tool checks legal calling hours, public holidays, consent, do-not-call lists and call limits. Every rule with its source.

The law, call by call

Your call

The verdict updates with every answer

Who are you calling?

Called party’s local time (“Now” uses Paris time).

Did they consent to your calls beforehand?

A clear positive act, naming your company and what you sell, less than a year old, with proof kept.

Including unanswered ones. Not counting this call.

The verdict

Not allowed

France

At least one rule stands in the way of this call.

Changing the day or time is not enough: clear the blocking points first.

Rules checked in October 2026 against official texts.

Information, not legal advice

The tool applies the texts cited to your description of the call. It knows nothing about your list, your industry or case law. When in doubt, have your practice reviewed by a lawyer.

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Cold calling hours by law

Few countries set calling hours in law. In the United States, the FCC’s TCPA rules and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule allow sales calls to residential numbers between 8am and 9pm, the called party’s local time, every day of the week (47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1), 16 CFR § 310.4(c)). Some states are stricter: Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland and Washington stop at 8pm, Connecticut allows 9am to 8pm, Texas 9am to 9pm and only from noon on Sundays.

In Canada, the CRTC’s Telemarketing Rules allow calls from 9am to 9:30pm on weekdays and from 10am to 6pm at weekends, in the called person’s time zone, and these hours also apply to business-to-business calls. In France, calls to consumers are limited to Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 8pm, never on a public holiday; Spain allows Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm. The United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal set no hours in law.

Do-not-call lists and consent

Two systems coexist. Under opt-out, you may call until the number is registered on the national list, which you must check recently: the National Do Not Call Registry in the US and the National DNCL in Canada (versions no older than 31 days), the TPS and CTPS in the UK, the Registro pubblico delle opposizioni in Italy (a check is valid 15 days), the “Do Not Call Me” list in Belgium.

Under opt-in, you need the person’s prior consent: Germany for consumers, the Netherlands for all individuals (including your own customers since 1 July 2026), Portugal for individuals, and France since 11 August 2026, which abolished its Bloctel opt-out list. Spain sits in between: consent or a strictly assessed legitimate interest, plus a Lista Robinson check without consent.

Do B2B cold calls follow the same rules?

Often not. In the US, calls to businesses are exempt from the Telemarketing Sales Rule (except misrepresentation) and business numbers are not on the national registry, though Maryland’s hours and call limit appear to cover them. Canada exempts business calls from the national list but not from calling hours or the internal do-not-call list. In France and Spain, hours and consent rules protect consumers only, and the GDPR applies to business contacts.

Sole traders are the grey area: in the UK, the Netherlands and Portugal they are treated as individuals, and elsewhere a self-employed person called on a personal phone, or about something unrelated to their trade, is usually protected as a consumer. The tool asks the question and applies the consumer rules when in doubt.

How many times can you call the same prospect?

France caps calls to a consumer at four attempts per 30 calendar days, unanswered calls included. Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland cap calls at three per 24 hours on the same subject, whatever number is used. Most other countries set no figure, but a refusal or do-not-call request applies at once: the US gives you at most 10 business days to honor it and keeps it for 5 years, Canada 14 days and 3 years.

Cold calling rules by country

Sales calls made by a person to a consumer, except for the B2B column. Checked October 2026.

CountryRegimeOpt-out listLegal hoursFrequencyB2B
France Prior consent (opt-in) since 11 August 2026 Bloctel abolished: checking it is no longer enough Mon-Fri 10am-1pm and 2pm-8pm, never on a public holiday Max. 4 attempts per 30 days Outside the Consumer Code; GDPR (legitimate interest, right to object)
Belgium Opt-out “Do Not Call Me” list, check before calling No hours set by law No numeric limit found The text does not separate consumers and businesses (inferred)
Spain Consent or strict legitimate interest (since 29 June 2023) Lista Robinson, check it without consent Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, never at weekends or on public holidays No numeric limit; refusals apply immediately Hours apply to consumers only; business contacts: legitimate interest presumed
Portugal Prior consent for individuals DGC list for companies, updated monthly No hours set by law No numeric limit found Companies opt-out; sole traders opt-in
Italy Opt-out Public Opt-out Register, a check is valid 15 days None in law; members’ code of conduct: 9am-8pm on weekdays No numeric limit found The register also covers business numbers
Germany Prior express consent (opt-in) No list: consent is what counts No hours set by law No numeric limit found At least presumed consent (mutmaßliche Einwilligung)
Netherlands Prior consent; no customer exception since 1 July 2026 Bel-me-niet register abolished in 2021 None in law; industry code: 9am-10pm on weekdays No numeric limit; opt-out offered on every call Companies outside the text (inferred); sole traders opt-in
United Kingdom Opt-out TPS (individuals) and CTPS (companies) No hours set by law No numeric limit; unanswered attempts count since February 2026 CTPS; sole traders treated as individuals
United States Opt-out, federal and state rules National Do Not Call Registry, version no older than 31 days 8am-9pm local time (federal), stricter in some states No federal limit; 3 calls per 24h in Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland Exempt from the TSR; business numbers outside the national registry
Canada Opt-out National DNCL, version no older than 31 days Mon-Fri 9am-9:30pm, weekends 10am-6pm No numeric limit; internal list within 14 days Exempt from the DNCL, but hours and internal list still apply

Simplified summary: details, exceptions and texts appear in the tool, country by country.

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Cold calling law FAQ

Federal rules allow telephone solicitations to residential and mobile numbers between 8am and 9pm, the called party’s local time, any day of the week (47 CFR § 64.1200(c)(1)). Some states are stricter: 8am to 8pm in Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland and Washington, 9am to 8pm in Connecticut, and only noon to 9pm on Sundays in Texas.
Under federal rules, generally no: the FCC does not include business numbers in the national registry and the FTC exempts calls to businesses from the Telemarketing Sales Rule. A mobile used for both work and personal life is a grey area, and a business that asks you to stop calling must be put on your internal do-not-call list.
Yes, under opt-out: you may not call a number registered with the TPS (individuals and sole traders) or the CTPS (companies), nor someone who asked you to stop. Show a number you can be called back on and give your name. There are no legal calling hours, but claims management and pension calls need consent.
Only with their prior consent since 11 August 2026 (art. L. 223-1 of the Consumer Code, as rewritten by Law No. 2025-594). Allowed calls must also fall Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 8pm, outside public holidays, with at most four attempts per 30 days. Calls between businesses are not covered by these rules.
Only with at least presumed consent (UWG s. 7(2) no. 1): you need concrete signs that the company is interested in your offer. Calling a consumer requires prior express consent, documented and kept for 5 years, with fines up to €300,000.
France allows four attempts per 30 days to a consumer. Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland allow three calls per 24 hours on the same subject. Most other countries set no number, but any do-not-call request must be honored: within 10 business days in the US, 14 days in Canada.
No. It applies the texts cited to your description of the call and shows every source with the date it was checked. It knows nothing about your list, your industry or case law: have your practice reviewed by a lawyer when in doubt.