Arizona lawmakers pass law to block unwanted text messages. Here's how to sign up

A new law in effect Monday gives Arizonans new – albeit slim - hope for fighting back against unwanted texts.

Americans lost $10.3 billion to online scams last year, not including productivity lost by dealing with the deluge of spam calls and texts. Former state Attorney General Mark Brnovich warned last year that texting scams were on the rise, and cost Americans more than $131 million last year.

Lawmakers this year decided to try something new to address the problem.

What does the new texting ban do?

The law, House Bill 2498, was passed nearly unanimously by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. It bans solicitors from unwanted texting as well as phone calls to numbers registered on the federal government's do-not-call list. The law calls for civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for offenders, authorizing the state attorney general to investigate violations.

Arizona laws: Tax rebates and more: These new laws might have an impact on your life

Doesn’t the law already ban spam text messages?

Former Gov. Jan Brewer approved a state law in 2013 that makes sending an automated text message “for the purpose of soliciting persons to purchase goods or services” a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Do-not-call list violators are sometimes held to account. Brnovich, during his time as attorney general, ordered civil penalties of hundreds of thousands of dollars for several companies disregarding the list between 2017 and 2022. One – Adobe Carpet Cleaning – was fined $1 million for making harassing calls. The company is no longer in business.

The new law allows civil penalties for text spam, too.

How to get on the list and report violators

Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry by going to https://www.donotcall.gov/ and following the instructions. Once registered, you can verify to make sure you're on the list. You can also call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register.

The Arizona Attorney General's Office gives online advice on how to take action against spam texts and calls, including how to file a complaint with the office.

Does the Do Not Call Registry stop unwanted calls and texts?

No, but it may reduce them. It stops many legitimate companies, but not those that don't care about the rules. Some scofflaw companies build penalties for violations into their business model.

Nearly 247 million people were on the list as of last year. But the Federal Trade Commission received an average of about 6,300 complaints per day last year from people who are still receiving pestering calls and texts. About half the complaints were about robocalls. No FTC data was immediately available about text spam.

The number of complaints has decreased over the last few years because of FTC enforcement actions and consumers use of robocall-blocking apps, said FTC spokesman Mitchell Katz.

FTC statistics put the Arizona at No. 6 in the nation for Do Not Call Registry complaints.

“We do encourage consumers to sign up for the Do Not Call Registry to allow bad actors to be held responsible for violations, said Mayes’ spokesman Richie Taylor.

Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hobbs signs law to help prevent spam calls and texts in Arizona