There is no time limit or expiration date on consent. However, consent is tied to the called party, not the phone number. So if a number is reassigned to a new person, whatever consent you may have had for that number is no longer valid. Also, consumers can revoke their consent at any time and by any means.

As defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), prior express written consent is a written agreement between the caller and the receiver of the call that clearly authorizes the caller to deliver “advertisements or telemarketing messages using an automatic telephone dialing system [(ATDS)]or an artificial pre-recorded voice.” This type of consent must specify the phone number to be called and must also include the receiver’s written or electronic signature, which may be a signed piece of paper, or simply a button press affirming the agreement.

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2015 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Omnibus Declaratory Ruling and Order established a one-call safe harbor for reassigned phone numbers. This safe harbor applied to situations in which callers mistakenly called a phone number for which they had previously received consent but had since been reassigned to another person. Because consent is tied to the called party and not the phone number, the phone call in this situation would be considered a violation.

Consent applies to the called party. So, if a number is reassigned to a different person, whatever consent you may have had for that number is no longer valid. Because the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a strict liability statute—meaning violation is not contingent on fault or criminal intent—any call placed to a recycled number is a potential TCPA violation.

In certain circumstances, utilities are exempt from following the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s (TCPA) usual consent requirements. Namely, they are allowed to use the less stringent standard of implied consent if they are a bona fide non-profit or when sending non-marketing messages. Examples of such messages would be information about such topics as emergencies, circumstances where services will be shut off, and service notifications.

In certain circumstances, schools are exempt from following the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s (TCPA) usual consent requirements. Namely, they are allowed to use the less stringent standard of implied consent if they are a bona fide non-profit or when sending non-marketing messages. Examples of such messages would be information about such topics as emergencies, school closures, and unexpected absences.