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Playbook

TCPA, STOP, and Quiet Hours for AI Follow-Up

An AI CRM that texts has to honor consent, STOP, and quiet hours. What the FCC's TCPA rules mean in practice — and what to ask a vendor.

· 8 min read · Nurture247

Nurture247 playbook card: TCPA, STOP, and quiet hours — AI CRM follow-up that can be audited.
STOP is absolute. Quiet hours are not optional. Every send should be on the record.

Key takeaways

  • In the U.S., the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and FCC rules govern marketing calls and texts: consent, opt-out, and restrictions on when you may contact people.
  • STOP (and the usual variants) must be honored. Treating opt-out as a courtesy is how you become the defendant; damages accrue per message.
  • Persistence research (Velocify) supports more attempts, not more disregard. A cadence that cannot stop is not a cadence. It is a risk.
  • Ask any vendor to show consent capture, quiet hours, instant STOP, and an audit log. If they cannot, do not let them text your customers.

The law is not a vibe

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 U.S.C. § 227) and the FCC's implementing rules restrict certain calls and texts, especially marketing sent with autodialers or prerecorded voice. Consent requirements, identification, and opt-out are not product preferences. They are the floor.

AI does not get a waiver. If software sends the message, your business is still the sender the customer and the regulator see.

STOP is the easy test

If someone texts STOP, the next marketing text should not go out. HELP should say who you are and how to opt out. The FCC's consumer materials on unwanted calls and texts are unambiguous about the direction: people must be able to end the messages.

A CRM that "queues one more follow-up" after STOP is broken. Velocify's finding that converting leads often need more attempts is about people who have not opted out. It is not permission to ignore the ones who have.

Quiet hours and consent belong on the account

Calling or texting at 11:40 PM because a form arrived at 11:39 is how you turn a lead into a complaint. Quiet hours are policy you set; the agent should not need a person to remember them. Consent should be captured where the number was collected and visible on the record.

The same record should show every send and why. That is the only way you can defend the cadence you ran.

What we built

Nurture247 treats TCPA hygiene as part of the AI CRM, not an add-on: consent, quiet hours, STOP, and a log. Persistence continues until there is a reason to stop. STOP is a reason.

Frequently asked questions

Does TCPA apply to AI text messages?
Yes. If your systems send marketing texts or calls, TCPA and FCC rules still apply — consent, opt-out, and identification. The software is not a separate legal person.
What should an AI CRM do when someone texts STOP?
Honor it immediately. Do not send the next scheduled marketing message. Log the opt-out on the record. STOP is a legal requirement, not a preference.

Sources

  1. Federal Communications Commission — consumer guide to stopping unwanted robocalls and texts; TCPA implementing rules.
  2. 47 U.S.C. § 227 — Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
  3. Velocify — "The Ultimate Contact Strategy" persistence research.

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