State law guide · New Jersey
Unwanted calls and texts in New Jersey: what the rules say
New Jersey's telemarketing law regulates sales calls, including calls to numbers on its no-telemarketing list. Covered callers must identify themselves and the purpose of the call, follow the statutory calling window, and honor the applicable do-not-call rules.
Where the rules draw a line
The cited telemarketing provisions define solicitation by telephone and do not expressly cover ordinary SMS or MMS messages. New Jersey's 2023 amendment to the call rules took effect December 1, 2023. Separate federal rules may apply to texts.
What this can mean for a consumer
The telemarketer law does not promise a set payment for each call. A private Consumer Fraud Act claim requires an ascertainable loss caused by an unlawful practice; damages may be trebled and fees and costs may be available when the statutory requirements are met. Public enforcement is separate.
Keep the details
Save the full text thread, call log, voicemails, dates and times, the company or product named, and any reply asking the sender to stop. Those details can help show what happened; they do not establish by themselves that a law was violated.
Official New Jersey sources
- N.J.S.A. §§56:8-120–130, official statutory definitions
- P.L. 2003, c.76, Telemarketing and Do Not Call Act
- P.L. 2023, c.58, amendment to telemarketing sales-call requirements
- N.J.S.A. §56:8-19, private Consumer Fraud Act remedy (official statutes portal)
- New Jersey Attorney General complaint alleging no-call violations under the Consumer Fraud Act
This page is general information, not legal advice. State and federal rules have different definitions, exceptions, and deadlines. Whether a rule applies depends on the facts and current law.