Law / United States

Truth in Caller ID Act

47 U.S.C. 227(e)

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What follows is LexLint's own research summary of this law, not legal advice.

In force since .

A telephone contact rule binding public and private bodies.

As of .

What it requires

  • Do not cause a caller identification service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information on a voice call or text message, with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value; this does not restrict blocking your own caller ID.
  • Expect Federal Communications Commission forfeiture liability of up to $10,000 per violation, three times that amount for each day of a continuing violation and capped at $1,000,000 for a single act or failure to act, and a criminal fine of up to $10,000 per violation for a willful and knowing violation; the subsection gives no private suit.

If you get it wrong

Criminal exposureYes

Private right of actionNo

Criminal exposure note

A person who willfully and knowingly violates this subsection is, upon conviction, fined not more than $10,000 for each violation, or three times that amount for each day of a continuing violation.

Penalty structure

Civil forfeiture of up to $10,000 for each violation, or three times that amount for each day of a continuing violation, capped in aggregate at $1,000,000 for any single act or failure to act (47 U.S.C. 227(e)(5)(A)); enforced by the Federal Communications Commission, not by a private plaintiff.

Rule
Per violation only
As of
Currency
USD
Fixed cap
1,000,000
Per violation unit
Violation
Per violation amount
10,000

Who enforces it

Enforcement body

Federal Communications Commission (civil forfeiture); United States Department of Justice (criminal prosecution); a State attorney general, suing as parens patriae after serving written notice on the Commission

What it reaches

Obligation class

Prohibition

What this law does

Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.

It is unlawful for any person, in connection with a voice call or text message, to cause a caller identification service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value; the subsection does not restrict a caller from blocking its own caller ID. Its enforcement provisions name a Federal Communications Commission forfeiture, a criminal fine and a State attorney general's civil action, and give no private suit.

A violation is punishable by a Federal Communications Commission forfeiture of up to $10,000 per violation, trebled for each day of a continuing violation and capped at $1,000,000 for any single act, and by a criminal fine of up to $10,000 per violation for a willful and knowing violation.

When LexLint raises it

  • automated_outreach

Read the law

US Code, official text (uscode.house.gov)

Every line above is drawn from the primary source linked here, read on the date shown. This is a research summary, not legal advice.

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