Virginia § 59.1-514 - (Effective January 1, 2026) Unwanted telephone solicitations prohibited

§ 59.1-514. (Effective January 1, 2026) Unwanted telephone solicitations prohibited

A. No telephone solicitor shall initiate, or cause to be initiated, a telephone solicitation to a telephone number when a person at such telephone number previously has stated that he does not wish to receive a telephone solicitation made by or on behalf of the person on whose behalf the telephone solicitation is being made. Such statement may be made to a telephone solicitor or to the person on whose behalf the telephone solicitation is being made if that person is different from the telephone solicitor. In the case of a telephone solicitation via text message, such statement shall be made by replying to the text message with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" or "STOP." Any such request not to receive telephone solicitations shall be honored for at least 10 years from the time the request is made.

B. No telephone solicitor shall initiate, or cause to be initiated, a telephone solicitation to a telephone number on the National Do Not Call Registry maintained by the federal government pursuant to the Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 310, and 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200.

C. It shall be an affirmative defense in any action brought under § 59.1-515 or 59.1-517 for a violation of this section that the defendant has established and implemented, with due care, reasonable practices and procedures to effectively prevent telephone solicitations in violation of this section, including using in accordance with applicable federal regulations a version of the National Do Not Call Registry obtained from the administrator of the registry no more than 31 days prior to the date any telephone solicitation is made.

D. For purposes of this section, "telephone solicitation " shall not include a telephone call made to any person (i) with that person's prior express invitation or permission as evidenced by a signed, written agreement stating that the person agrees to be contacted by or on behalf of a specific party and including the telephone number to which the call may be placed, (ii) with whom the person on whose behalf the telephone call is made has an established business relationship, or (iii) with whom the telephone solicitor making the telephone call has a personal relationship. The exemption for an established business relationship or a personal relationship shall not apply when the person called previously has stated that he does not wish to receive telephone solicitations as provided in subsection A.

2001, cc. 528, 553; 2004, cc. 202, 224; 2005, c. 296; 2025, c. 626.