Guide · Compliance
DNC Registry Singapore: Do Not Call Registry Rules
The DNC Registry in Singapore, the national Do Not Call Registry, lets people block marketing calls, texts and faxes to their Singapore numbers. If your business or agency sends that kind of message, the law says you must check your list first. This guide covers when to check, how, what it covers and what happens if you skip it.
What the Do Not Call Registry is
The DNC Registry was set up under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA). People can register their Singapore phone numbers to opt out of unwanted telemarketing from organisations. The rules came into force on 2 January 2014.
There are three registers: one for voice calls, one for text messages and one for faxes. When you check a number, it is checked against all three.
Only Singapore numbers are checked: 8-digit numbers starting with 3, 6, 8 or 9.
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) runs the registry. Our PDPA Singapore guide covers the wider data protection rules that sit beside it.
Sources: PDPC, PDPA Overview; PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF)
The core rule
Section 43 of the PDPA is short and strict. You must not send a "specified message" to a Singapore number unless, at the time you send it, you have valid confirmation that the number is not on the relevant register.
A specified message is, in short, a marketing message. Compliance guides describe it as one that offers, advertises or promotes goods or services, real estate, or a business or investment opportunity. The duty covers the organisation that sends it, the one that causes it to be sent and the one that authorises it. So a brand that hires an agency to run an SMS campaign is still on the hook.
You get valid confirmation in one of two ways:
- You check the number with PDPC within the allowed window before you send.
- You get the result from a "checker", a third party that checked with PDPC for you, and you have no reason to think the result is stale or wrong.
Sources: Singapore Statutes Online, PDPA 2012 section 43; PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF)
How long a check lasts: 21 days
A check result does not last forever. A 2023 PDPC enforcement decision states the current window: you must apply for and receive PDPC's confirmation within 21 days before you send the message.
Older PDPC material for organisations gave 30 days. Some websites still repeat the old figure. Plan around 21.
In practice, a campaign that runs for a whole month needs at least two checks. A list checked once in January cannot be reused for a March send. Check again, every time the window runs out.
Sources: PDPC enforcement decision [2023] SGPDPC 8 (listed on PDPC's decisions page); PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF)
When you do not need to check
The main exception is consent. You do not need to check a number if its user has given clear and unambiguous consent to get your marketing message, in writing or another accessible form.
Compliance firms also point to other cases listed in the PDPA's Eighth Schedule. Messages to people you have an ongoing relationship with can be exempt within limits. So can market research surveys, and messages that only confirm a purchase, give warranty details or update a delivery. Business to business marketing aimed at an organisation, rather than a person, is also generally outside the DNC rules.
These exemptions have conditions. Read PDPC's advisory guidelines or ask a lawyer before you rely on them for a full campaign.
Sources: PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF); privacy.com.sg, Check the Do Not Call Registry in Singapore
How to check numbers
First, open an account on the DNC Registry website. There are three account types:
Account type Who it is for Log in with Organisation registered in Singapore Firms with a UEN from ACRA Corppass Overseas organisation Firms not registered or present in Singapore A user ID issued by the registry Individual Freelancers, agents and others checking on their own Singpass Each organisation gets one main account and can add sub-accounts for staff. There is a one-time fee for each account, and a charge for every number you submit, even a number you checked before.
Then submit numbers in one of two ways:
- Small Number Lookup: type in up to 10 numbers on the website. Results show straight away.
- Bulk Filtering: upload a file with as many numbers as you need. Results come within 24 hours, with an email or SMS when ready.
If you check numbers for a client, list that client on the account's "on behalf of" declaration. That is how agencies stay within the rules for each brand they work for.
Sources: PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF); DNC Registry, User Guide for Organisation v2.1 (PDF)
Other rules every marketing message must follow
Checking the registry is only part of it. When you send telemarketing messages, you must also:
- Include contact details for the organisation that sent or authorised the message.
- Not hide or withhold your caller ID on marketing calls.
- Not use "dictionary attacks" or address-harvesting software to build lists. This is a separate offence under Part 9A of the PDPA.
Sources: PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF); Singapore Statutes Online, PDPA 2012 section 48J
Which law covers which channel
The DNC Registry is about phone numbers. Bulk marketing email sits under a different law. This table shows where to look first for each channel.
Channel Main rule to check Who runs it Marketing voice call to a Singapore number DNC Registry check under the PDPA PDPC Marketing SMS or text to a Singapore number DNC Registry check under the PDPA PDPC Marketing fax to a Singapore number DNC Registry check under the PDPA PDPC Marketing text sent through a chat app to a Singapore number Treated as a text message by compliance firms; check the DNC Registry PDPC Bulk unsolicited commercial email Spam Control Act 2007 IMDA Any personal data you hold about the person PDPA data protection rules PDPC The Spam Control Act sets out requirements for anyone who sends, causes or authorises bulk unsolicited commercial electronic messages. IMDA's guidance points senders to the Act's Second Schedule. If one campaign uses SMS and email, both sets of rules apply.
Our email and lifecycle category notes and performance marketing notes show how the editors read agency work in those channels.
Sources: IMDA, Best practices for organisations; privacy.com.sg, Check the Do Not Call Registry in Singapore; PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF)
Penalties
PDPC can impose a financial penalty on anyone who breaks the DNC rules on purpose or through negligence. The ceilings in the Act are:
Who broke the DNC rules Maximum financial penalty An individual S$200,000 Any other person, such as a company S$1 million For dictionary attacks and address harvesting, the ceiling for a business with Singapore turnover above S$20 million is 5% of that turnover. Otherwise it is S$1 million for a firm and S$200,000 for an individual.
The best defence is simple. Keep a record of every check, with the date, the list and the result, so you can prove each number was clear when you sent the message.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DNC Registry in Singapore?
It is the national Do Not Call Registry set up under the PDPA. People list their Singapore numbers to opt out of marketing calls, texts and faxes, and organisations must check it before sending such messages.
How long are DNC check results valid?
21 days. You must get PDPC's confirmation that a number is not registered within 21 days before you send the marketing message. Older guides quoting 30 days are out of date.
Do I need to check the DNC Registry if the person gave consent?
No. You do not need to check a number if its user gave clear and unambiguous consent to your marketing message, in writing or another accessible form.
Does the DNC Registry cover email?
No. The DNC Registry covers voice calls, texts and faxes to Singapore numbers. Bulk unsolicited commercial email falls under the Spam Control Act 2007, which IMDA administers.
What happens if you call a number on the DNC Registry?
PDPC can impose a financial penalty of up to S$1 million on an organisation, or up to S$200,000 on an individual, for breaking the DNC rules on purpose or through negligence.
How do I check if a number is on the DNC Registry?
Open an account on the DNC Registry website, then use Small Number Lookup for up to 10 numbers or Bulk Filtering for a full list. Each number checked is charged.
Sources
- PDPC, PDPA Overview
- PDPC, Do Not Call Registry for Organisations (PDF)
- Singapore Statutes Online, PDPA 2012 section 43
- PDPC enforcement decision [2023] SGPDPC 8 (listed on PDPC's decisions page)
- privacy.com.sg, Check the Do Not Call Registry in Singapore
- DNC Registry, User Guide for Organisation v2.1 (PDF)
- Singapore Statutes Online, PDPA 2012 section 48J
- IMDA, Best practices for organisations