The Do Not Call Register: How to Scrub Your AI Dial Lists Automatically
The Do Not Call Register: How to Scrub Your AI Dial Lists Automatically
V
Voxworks Team
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The Do Not Call Register exists for a good reason. Australians deserve the ability to opt out of telemarketing calls.
For businesses making ai calls in Australia, compliance is a legal requirement and essential for maintaining customer trust. The penalties for violations are severe enough to end your calling operation.
What You Need to Know About Australia's Do Not Call Register
The Do Not Call Register is a database maintained by ACMA where Australian phone numbers can be registered to opt out of telemarketing. Over 11 million mobile and landline numbers are registered (about 40% of all Australian phone numbers). Before you make ai calls in Australia for marketing, you must check your list against the Register and remove any matches.
Your legal obligations:
Check your calling list against the Register
Remove any numbers found on the Register
Do this at least every 30 days
Maintain records of the "washing" process
Penalties for non-compliance: As of November 7, 2024, the financial penalties for spam and telemarketing breaches have increased:
Penalty Unit Value: $330 (up from prior years)
Corporate Multiplier: Corporations face 5x the penalty of individuals.
If your AI dialer makes non-compliant calls, penalties can accrue per day of contravention:
Base Penalty (Body Corporate): Up to $33,000 per day for a first offense.
Federal Court Maximum: Up to $16.5 million.
Because AI scales your volume, it also scales your liability. A human might make 50 bad calls a day; an AI can make 50,000.
Recent enforcement actions have specifically targeted businesses using AI and automated calling systems. In 2025, the Federal Court imposed penalties totalling $1,500,000 against V Marketing, as well as ordering its sole director, to pay $60,000 following an ACMA investigation into telemarketing law contraventions relating to over one million telemarketing calls made to numbers on the Do Not Call Register.
When You Must Check the Register
Not every call requires DNC washing. Here's when you do and don't need to check:
Making calls themselves (not through commercial telemarketers)
Must identify as a charity
Educational institutions:
Calling current/former students
Calling parents of current students
Government bodies:
Not making commercial calls
Political parties:
During election periods
Important: Exemptions Are Narrow
The "business relationship" exemption has a specific legal meaning:
The relationship must be with your specific business
The call must relate to that relationship
Time limits apply (18 months for purchases, 3 months for enquiries)
When in doubt, wash your list. It's free on our platform and it protects you.
How DNC Washing Actually Works
The Four-Step Process
Step 1: Prepare your calling list
Compile all numbers you intend to call
Format according to ACMA requirements
Include only Australian numbers
Step 2: Submit to the Register
Upload via ACMA portal or API
Your list is checked against the Register
Results typically returned within hours
Step 3: Process the results
Receive list of numbers found on the Register
Remove these from your calling list
Store the wash receipt
Step 4: Call remaining numbers
Only call numbers not on the Register
Maintain documentation
Track wash date for the 30-day limit
Three Ways to Access the Register
Manual (ACMA website):
Upload a CSV file
Suitable for occasional use
Free for up to 5,000 numbers
Data service provider:
Third-party access to the Register
API integration available
Better for frequent washing
Platform integration:
Built into your calling platform
Automatic washing
Voxworks provides this
Manual vs. Automated DNC Checking
The Manual Approach (What Most Businesses Do)
Workflow:
Export contacts from your CRM
Format the list for ACMA submission
Submit to the Register
Wait for results
Process results and remove matched numbers
Import cleaned list back to your calling platform
Track the wash date manually
Problems with this approach:
Time-consuming (hours per campaign)
Error-prone (manual data handling)
Easy to forget (30-day limit sneaks up)
Doesn't scale (gets worse with volume)
Tracking is difficult (spreadsheets and calendars)
The Automated Approach (How Voxworks Does It)
Workflow:
Contacts sync from your CRM
Platform automatically checks DNC status
Numbers on the Register are automatically excluded
Wash records maintained automatically
30-day refresh happens automatically
Benefits:
Zero manual effort
No risk of forgetting
Always current
Audit trail built in
Scales infinitely
For ai calls in Australia, automation can help you avoid compliance violations at scale.
How Voxworks Handles DNC Compliance
We've built DNC compliance directly into the Voxworks platform. Here's how it works:
Real-Time Checking
Before every outbound call:
Number checked against the Register
No call initiated if number is registered
Result logged for audit purposes
This happens automatically. You don't configure it, manage it, or think about it.
Batch Washing
When you import a calling list:
Entire list washed automatically
Results stored with import records
Numbers flagged in the database
Import 10,000 contacts? They're all checked before the first call goes out.
Continuous Refresh
Every 30 days:
Numbers automatically rechecked
Status updated in the database
You stay compliant without lifting a finger
Before campaigns:
Automatic refresh triggered
Status always current
Configuration Options
Default behavior:
All outbound campaigns washed automatically
You cannot override to call DNC numbers
Wash receipts available for download
Custom settings:
Configure refresh frequency
Set notification preferences
Specify how exemptions are handled
Audit and Documentation
Available records:
Wash date and time for each number
Wash receipt reference numbers
Count of numbers washed
Count of matches found
Complete activity history
Compliance reporting:
On-demand wash reports
Scheduled compliance summaries
ACMA-format documentation
If ACMA comes knocking, you've got everything you need.
Best Practices for DNC Compliance
List Management
Clean your data:
Standardize phone number formats
Remove duplicates
Verify numbers are valid
Include only Australian numbers
Segment appropriately:
Track exempt vs. non-exempt contacts
Note the relationship basis for exemptions
Document your exemption reasoning
Campaign Planning
Allow time for washing:
Plan campaigns with wash lead time
Don't assume instant results (though they're usually fast)
Have backup plans if numbers are removed
Track dates religiously:
Know when each list was washed
Don't use lists washed more than 30 days ago
Automate this tracking (Voxworks does this automatically)
Exemption Management
Document carefully:
Record why each exemption applies
Store transaction/enquiry dates
Link to source records
Be conservative:
When in doubt, don't claim an exemption
Washing is free—penalties aren't
Better safe than fined $2.78 million
Record Keeping
Retain for 3+ years:
All wash receipts
Campaign records
Contact source documentation
Exemption justifications
Store securely:
Protected from loss
Accessible for audit
Organized logically
Common Questions About the DNC Register
"What if someone on DNC wants us to call them?"
Situation: A customer says "call me anytime" but they're on the DNC Register.
Answer: They need to remove themselves from the Register, OR you need documented written consent to call them for that specific purpose. The Register itself must be honored—verbal permission doesn't override it.
Best practice: Have them submit a written consent form, and document the specific types of calls they're consenting to.
"Do appointment reminders need DNC checking?"
Situation: You have a patient with an appointment tomorrow and want to send a reminder call.
Answer: Appointment reminders to existing customers about existing bookings generally aren't "telemarketing" and don't require DNC checking. BUT be careful not to include any sales or marketing content in that call.
"What about returning missed calls?"
Situation: Someone called your business but you missed them. Can you call back?
Answer: Returning a missed call isn't telemarketing—they initiated contact. However, if your return call includes marketing content, DNC rules apply.
"How do we handle inbound leads?"
Situation: Someone submits an enquiry form on your website. Can you call them?
Answer: A genuine enquiry creates a 3-month exemption for calls related to that enquiry. Document the enquiry carefully, and only make calls related to what they asked about.
"What about B2B calls?"
Situation: You're calling businesses, not consumers.
Answer: The DNC Register applies to personal numbers, not dedicated business lines. However, many business contacts provide mobile numbers, which may be registered. When in doubt, wash the list.
How DNC Fits Into Broader Compliance
The Do Not Call Register is just one piece of the compliance puzzle for ai calls in Australia. You also need to consider:
Before launching any outbound AI calling campaign, verify:
List preparation:
[ ] All numbers formatted correctly (Australian format)
[ ] Duplicates removed
[ ] Source documented
[ ] Exemptions identified and documented
DNC washing:
[ ] List submitted for washing
[ ] Results processed
[ ] Matched numbers removed
[ ] Wash receipt stored
Campaign configuration:
[ ] Calling hours compliance set up
[ ] Caller identification configured
[ ] Opt-out mechanism working
[ ] Scripts approved
Documentation:
[ ] Campaign records created
[ ] Wash date noted
[ ] Exemption reasoning documented
[ ] Contact sources recorded
Ongoing compliance:
[ ] 30-day refresh scheduled
[ ] Opt-out processing active
[ ] Monitoring in place
[ ] Records backed up
The Bottom Line on DNC Compliance
The Do Not Call Register is a fundamental compliance requirement for ai calls in Australia. The penalties for non-compliance are severe, and ACMA actively enforces the rules.
The good news is compliance is straightforward when you automate it.
Voxworks integrates DNC checking directly into the platform:
Every number checked before calling
Wash records maintained automatically
30-day refresh handled seamlessly
Audit documentation always available
Don't risk your business on manual DNC processes. Automate compliance and focus on what matters: effective customer communication.
Voxworks includes automatic DNC compliance for all AI calls in Australia. We handle the washing, the 30-day expiries, and the audit trails so you can focus on the conversation. Start your free trial at voxworks.ai.
