CAN-SPAM Act
In force since 1 January 2004
Agent Navigation: For section discovery, use /regulations/us/can-spam/llms.txt
Quick Reference
The CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act) sets requirements for commercial email in the United States. Applies to any commercial message sent to US recipients, regardless of sender location.
Applies to: Any person or business sending commercial email to US recipients
Key rules:
- Must honor opt-out requests within 10 business days [15 U.S.C. § 7704(a)(3)]
- Header information (From, To, routing) must be accurate [15 U.S.C. § 7704(a)(1)]
- Subject lines must not be deceptive [15 U.S.C. § 7704(a)(2)]
- Must include valid physical postal address [15 U.S.C. § 7704(a)(5)]
- Must provide clear opt-out mechanism [15 U.S.C. § 7704(a)(3)]
| Question | Answer | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Need consent to send? | No, opt-out model | § 7704 |
| How fast honor opt-out? | 10 business days | § 7704(a)(3)(A) |
| Need physical address? | Yes, in every email | § 7704(a)(5)(A) |
| Applies to B2B? | Yes | § 7702(2) |
| Penalty per violation? | Up to $51,744 | § 7706(a) |
| Who enforces? | FTC, state AGs, ISPs | § 7706 |
Regulation Map (All Chunks)
Every section of the CAN-SPAM coverage is listed here for full-text lookup and agent navigation.
Definitions
Requirements
- CAN-SPAM: Content Requirements
- CAN-SPAM: Header Accuracy Requirements
- CAN-SPAM: Opt-Out Requirements
- CAN-SPAM: Prohibited Conduct