Businesses that market to Pennsylvania residents by phone or text are now operating under stricter rules. Amendments to the state’s telemarketing law, enacted as Senate Bill 992, took effect on October 18, 2026. The changes extend the law to text messages and ringless voicemail, shorten permitted calling hours, ban Sunday solicitations and tighten consent requirements for automated calls.
Background
The governor signed SB 992 on July 20, 2026. The law gave businesses 90 days to comply, which set the effective date at October 18. Pennsylvania joins a growing number of states, often called “mini-TCPA” states, that have adopted telemarketing rules stricter than the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
What the law changes
Texts and voicemail. The definition of a telephone solicitation now expressly includes text messages and ringless voicemail, in addition to phone calls.
Calling hours. Solicitations are now limited to between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., down from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. They are prohibited on Sundays. Holidays were already excluded.
Consent. According to analyses by law firms Kelley Drye and Mac Murray & Shuster, the law replaces an “express request” exception with a prior express written consent standard that largely aligns with federal TCPA rules. Robocalls using prerecorded or artificial voice require that consent, subject to listed exceptions. Electronic signatures are allowed. The exception for an established business relationship remains.
Deceptive practices and AI. The law prohibits unfair or deceptive practices to obtain consent, and bans the use of any technology or synthetic or computer-generated messaging to defraud, deceive or mislead.
Caller ID. Telemarketers may not falsify the name or number shown on caller ID.
Responsibility for hired telemarketers. The prohibitions apply to anyone who initiates or “causes to be initiated” a solicitation, which commentators say can extend liability to the business that hired the telemarketer.
Opt-outs. According to Ginsburg Law Group and Mac Murray & Shuster, opt-out requests made with words such as stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel or unsubscribe must be honored.
Enforcement and penalties
Violations can bring penalties of up to $1,000 each, rising to $3,000 when the person contacted is 60 or older. The Attorney General and district attorneys can bring enforcement actions. Legal commentators differ on how readily individual consumers can sue under the state’s consumer protection statute, which generally requires a showing of financial loss.
Pennsylvania officials have been active on robocalls. In July 2026, Attorney General Dave Sunday co-led a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general urging the FCC to strengthen “Know Your Customer” obligations for phone providers. His office cited an estimated one billion robocalls to Pennsylvanians the previous year.
What businesses should do
Companies that call or text Pennsylvania residents should update scheduling systems to the new hours and Sunday ban, extend those rules to text and voicemail campaigns, review consent language on lead forms and partner sources, and update contracts with outside telemarketing vendors.
Businesses can also reduce their exposure to lawsuits by checking contact lists before they call. TCPALitigatorList.com offers screening against known TCPA litigators, helping companies spot high-risk numbers before a campaign begins.
Outlook
With federal rules on consent revocation also changing on November 25, 2026, businesses face a busy end of year for calling and texting compliance. Pennsylvania’s law is a reminder that state requirements can be stricter than federal ones, and that national programs need state-by-state settings.
Sources
- TCPAWorld: Pennsylvania SB 992: Signed by the Governor (July 21, 2026)
- Kelley Drye Ad Law Access: State Telemarketing Update: What to Know About Changes Coming in Pennsylvania (Aug. 13, 2026)
- Mac Murray & Shuster: Pennsylvania Overhauls Its Telemarketing Law: What Changes on October 18, 2026 (Aug. 20, 2026)
- Ginsburg Law Group: Pennsylvania telemarketing law, texts and ringless voicemail (Oct. 11, 2026)
- Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General: AG Sunday Pushes Federal Government to Strengthen ‘Know Your Customer’ Obligations (July 28, 2026)










