South Dakota is joining the list of states with do-not-call lists, a popular backlash tool against telemarketing. According to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, residents will be able to sign up online or by phone with the state's registry of do-not-call telephone numbers. The registry, approved by the 2003 Legislature, will be maintained by the state but paid for by fees charged to telemarketers and will be piggybacked on the new federal do-not-call registry, also scheduled to start in July.
As in other states, the South Dakota registry is not designed or expected to stop all telemarketing calls. It allows solicitation of people who are already customers of a given company or who were customers within the past year.
—Douglas Clement
