10DLC Registration for Online Brands, Step by Step

If your store texts customers from a regular 10-digit phone number, US carriers want to know who you are and what you send before they deliver those texts. That check is called 10DLC registration, short for 10-digit long code. Skip it and your texts don't arrive. Get it half right and you lose a week or two to rejections.

This guide walks through the whole thing in order: what to gather, how to register your brand and your campaign, the sample messages and opt-in proof reviewers look for, why registrations get rejected, and what changes once you're approved.

Not legal advice. This is a practical guide to carrier requirements, not legal advice. Rules change, and your provider's form is the final word. We checked these sources on October 17, 2026: The Campaign Registry (TCR), Twilio's A2P 10DLC business information guide (last updated June 22, 2026), Telnyx's 10DLC documentation, and the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023 edition).

What 10DLC is and who needs it

A2P (application-to-person) texting is any text a business sends from software: order updates, reminders, marketing, replies from a shared inbox. When those texts go out from a local 10-digit number in the US, the major carriers require the sender to register with The Campaign Registry, an industry database the carriers use to vet business senders.

Registration has two parts. Your brand is your business: legal name, tax ID, address and website. Your campaign is what you send and how people agreed to get it. Carriers review both. Unregistered 10DLC traffic is blocked, and providers say so plainly: Twilio's guide notes that every text from a 10DLC number to a US phone is covered, whatever the volume. Sending ten texts a month doesn't exempt you.

10DLC is one of three ways to text customers at scale. Here is how they compare:

Before you start: what to gather

Most rejections come from details that don't match. Collect these first, and copy them exactly:

• Legal business name: Exactly as it appears on your IRS EIN letter (the CP 575 or 147C notice). "Brightleaf Wellness LLC" and "Brightleaf Wellness, LLC" can be treated as different names.
• EIN: Your 9-digit federal tax ID. Twilio notes that a brand-new EIN can take 30 to 90 days to show up in the databases reviewers check, so don't register the week you form the company.
• Business type and address: Private company, public company, nonprofit or government, and a street address. A P.O. box is a common reason for rejection.
• A live website: On a domain that matches the business, not parked, not behind a login and not redirecting somewhere else.
• A business email: On your own domain. Free mail addresses and shared lists often fail.
• An authorized contact: Name, title, phone and email of the person responsible for the account.
• A privacy policy and terms page: Both public and on your domain. The privacy policy should say that mobile numbers and opt-in data aren't sold or shared with third parties for marketing.
• Your opt-in points: Every place a customer can agree to texts: the checkout checkbox, a popup, a keyword, a form. Screenshots help.

Step 1: Register your brand

Brand registration tells the carriers who is sending. You enter the business details above, and the registry checks them against public records. Creating the brand is instant, but most providers then run automatic vetting, which produces a trust score. Telnyx describes standard vetting as taking 1 to 7 business days.

The score matters because it sets your throughput: how many texts per minute or per day the carriers will accept from you. A higher score comes from a business that checks out cleanly, with an established website and records that match. If your score comes back low, the usual fixes are correcting mismatched details and asking your provider about enhanced vetting.

Sole proprietor or business?

There is a separate, lighter path for sole proprietors, but it's narrower than many people think.

• Use the business path if you have an EIN: Twilio's guide says a sole proprietor with a tax ID should register as a standard or low-volume standard brand. Registering as a sole proprietor anyway adds fees and can limit sending.
• The sole proprietor path is for businesses without a tax ID: You register under your own name (or an accepted DBA) and verify a real US or Canadian mobile number with a one-time code. The number can't come from a texting provider, and Twilio notes it can be used for no more than three brand registrations anywhere.
• Expect limits: Sole proprietor brands get low throughput and tight limits on campaigns and numbers. They suit a one-person shop sending a modest volume, not a growing store running campaigns.

Step 2: Register your campaign

The campaign describes what you'll send. Carriers approve it, so this is where most of the care goes.

• Use case: Pick the one that matches your texts: marketing, customer care, delivery notifications, account notifications, or mixed for a combination. Most online stores that send both promotions and order updates choose mixed. A use case that doesn't match your samples gets rejected.
• Campaign description: Who is sending, who receives the texts and why. "Brightleaf Wellness sends order updates, subscription reminders and occasional offers to customers who opt in at checkout or on our website" is better than "Marketing texts."
• Message flow: How people opt in, step by step, with a link to the page where they do it. Say what they see: the checkbox wording, the disclosure, and the confirmation text that follows.
• Sample messages: Two to five real examples. Each should name your brand, mark variable parts in brackets, include any links or phone numbers you'll actually use, and show opt-out wording.
• Keywords and replies: Your replies to HELP and STOP, and to START if people can opt back in. Twilio sets each reply at 20 to 320 characters.
• Links and phone numbers: Tick the boxes if your texts will contain links or phone numbers. Sending links you didn't declare is a filtering risk later.

Sample messages that pass review

Reviewers want samples that look like what you'll really send, with your name in them. Generic or vague samples are one of the most common rejection reasons Telnyx lists.

If you plan to send marketing, include at least one marketing sample. If your texts carry links, use a link on your own domain in the samples. Public link shorteners shared by many senders are a red flag for carrier filters.

The opt-in proof carriers expect

Carriers want to see that every person you text agreed to it, and that they agreed knowing what they'd get. For each opt-in point, the disclosure near the checkbox or form should cover:

• Your brand name and what kind of texts you send (order updates, offers, reminders).
• That texts are recurring and how often, for example "up to 6 msgs/month".
• That message and data rates may apply.
• How to get help (reply HELP) and how to stop (reply STOP).
• Links to your terms and privacy policy.
• That consent is not a condition of purchase, for marketing texts.

In your campaign's message flow, describe each opt-in point and link to it, or attach screenshots if the form isn't public. A checkbox at checkout should be unchecked by default; carriers don't treat a pre-checked box as consent. Bought lists and "partner" consent don't count. For wording you can copy, see SMS opt-in language: examples for checkout, forms and keywords, and our TCPA compliance page for how consent is handled on Chargezen.

Why 10DLC registrations get rejected

• Name or EIN mismatch: The legal name doesn't match IRS records, or the EIN is too new to show up yet.
• Website problems: No site, a parked domain, a site under construction or a site that doesn't match the brand name.
• A P.O. box address: Use a street address.
• Samples that don't match the use case: Promotions in samples for a "delivery notifications" campaign, for example.
• Missing opt-out wording: At least the first message, and your samples, should show "Reply STOP to opt out" or similar.
• A thin message flow: "Customers opt in on our website" without a link, the disclosure text or a screenshot.
• Privacy policy gaps: No statement that mobile numbers and opt-in data aren't shared with third parties.
• Restricted content: Cannabis, some gambling and other restricted categories are refused or need extra review.

A rejection isn't final. Fix what the reviewer flagged, change only that, and resubmit. If the reason is unclear, ask your provider for the exact rejection code before you guess.

What changes after approval

• Your numbers attach to the campaign: Texts from those numbers now carry your registration. Numbers that aren't attached are still unregistered.
• Throughput follows your score: Carriers allow a set rate based on your vetting score and use case. Big campaigns may go out over a longer stretch rather than all at once.
• Content still gets checked: Approval doesn't stop filtering. Texts that drift from your registered use case, look like spam or carry flagged links can still be blocked. See why business texts aren't delivering.
• New kinds of texts may need a new campaign: If you registered customer care and now want to send promotions, update or add a campaign before you send them.
• Keep your details current: If your legal name, address or website changes, update the brand. Out-of-date details can cause trouble at the next review.

How long it takes

Your 10DLC checklist

• Legal name and EIN match your IRS letter, character for character.
• Street address, live website and a business email on your domain.
• Privacy policy says mobile numbers and opt-in data are not shared for marketing.
• Terms page covers your text program: frequency, rates, HELP and STOP.
• Every opt-in point has the full disclosure and an unchecked box.
• Two to five samples with your brand name and STOP wording.
• Use case matches every sample you submit.
• HELP, STOP and START replies written.
• Links in your texts use your own domain.

How Chargezen handles registration

When you text customers through Chargezen, registration is part of setting up the number, not a separate project.

• 10DLC and toll-free, handled: Chargezen registers 10DLC brands and campaigns for local numbers, and handles toll-free verification for toll-free numbers, which are our default. See text messages in Concierge.
• Opt-outs enforced on every send: STOP, CANCEL, QUIT, UNSUBSCRIBE, END and STOPALL opt a customer out, and opted-out or suppressed numbers are blocked from every send.
• Permission and timing checked: SmartyTap texts check opt-ins, opt-outs, quiet hours and preferences before each text goes out. Campaign texts to US numbers can carry your store name up front and "Reply STOP to opt out" at the end automatically.
• Texts that answer back: Concierge replies to customers who text your number, and can skip, reschedule or swap a subscription in the same thread.

SmartyTap Starter is $20 a month with 250 SMS credits, and Pro is $199 a month with 2,500. Concierge Starter is $20 a month and Pro is $199 a month, with phone and text charges billed as used. See pricing.

Glossary: 10DLC, A2P messaging, SMS opt-in and toll-free number. Read next: Toll-free text verification: what carriers ask for, Why your business texts aren't delivering and SMS opt-in language examples.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need 10DLC if I only send a few texts?

Yes, if you send from a local 10-digit number in the US. The requirement covers every business text from a 10DLC number, whatever the volume. Low-volume senders can choose a cheaper low-volume brand type with some providers, but they still register.

Do I need 10DLC for a toll-free number?

No. Toll-free numbers go through toll-free verification instead. It asks for similar information: business details, use case, sample messages and opt-in proof.

What does 10DLC registration cost?

There are carrier and registry fees for the brand, vetting and each campaign, and some are monthly. Providers pass them through at different prices, so check your provider's current price list rather than a figure from an old blog post.

Is 10DLC registration the same as TCPA compliance?

No. 10DLC is a carrier requirement for delivering texts. The TCPA is a federal law about consent to receive texts and calls. Registration doesn't make your consent valid, and valid consent doesn't register your number. You need both. This isn't legal advice; for your own program, ask a lawyer.