WASHINGTON, D.C. – You may soon be getting those annoying telemarketer telephone calls during the dinner hour again, even though you signed up for the national “Do Not Call” list a few years ago.

It may come as a surprise to many that the registry of numbers on the Do Not Call list that was begun in June 2003 is only valid for five years. For millions of people who signed onto the list in the early days, their numbers will automatically be dropped from the list beginning next June if they do not enroll again, according to a story by the Associated Press.

The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the list, has a simple solution to enroll again. People can register their home and cell phone numbers by calling toll free 1-888-382-1222 or by using Web at www.donotcall.gov. You do not have to wait until next June to re-enroll and the process takes about five minutes on line.

The registry prohibits telemarketers from calling numbers on the list and companies face up to $11,000 fines for each violation. Charitable, political or survey organizations are exempt from the list, as are companies that have an established business relationship with a customer.

The Do Not Call list has 149 million telephone numbers registered. Since the program began the government has filed cases against more than 30 companies, resulting in $8.8 million in civil penalties and $8.6 million in compensation to consumers. The FTC will have a concentrated consumer education campaign next spring to remind people to re-register their telephone numbers.

Some lawmakers are trying to eliminate the five-year limit, but the FTC put that limit in place to take into account if people move or change their telephone numbers and to keep the list up-to-date.