                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

(EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026) UNWANTED TELEPHONE SOLICITATIONS PROHIBITED (§
59.1-514)

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 &#8220;UNSUBSCRIBE&#8221; or &#8220;STOP.&#8221; 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. &#xA7; 64.1200.

C. It shall be an affirmative defense in any action brought under &#xA7;
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, &#8220;telephone solicitation &#8221; shall not
include a telephone call made to any person (i) with that person&#8217;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.

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