How to register for 10DLC and verify toll-free numbers

To register for 10DLC, your texting provider submits two records to The Campaign Registry: your brand (legal name, tax ID, address, website, contact) and your campaign (what you text, how people opt in, sample messages). Carriers review both before your 10-digit numbers can text US mobiles. Canadian mobiles are usually reached through a separately verified toll-free number.

This guide explains what 10DLC is, what to gather, how to fill in each part so it gets approved the first time, how long it takes, and how texting Canadian customers works. It summarizes public rules and carrier guidance as of October 2026. It is not legal advice; ask a lawyer about your own program.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC stands for "10-digit long code": an ordinary local phone number used by a business to send texts to people (application-to-person, or A2P, messaging). The Campaign Registry, the database the US carriers use, describes it as "an A2P messaging channel in which Brands and Campaign Service Providers (CSPs) are verified" (The Campaign Registry).

Registration exists so carriers know who is texting their subscribers and why. Your business is the brand. What you text and why is the campaign. Your texting provider is the Campaign Service Provider, and it files both for you. Businesses can't register on their own: "Currently, direct registration with TCR is not available for Brands" (The Campaign Registry).

Number type	What it looks like	Registration	Typical use
10DLC (local)	(512) 555-0142	Brand and campaign through The Campaign Registry	Conversational texting to US mobiles
Toll-free	(833) 555-0142	Toll-free verification for each number	Texting US and Canadian mobiles
Short code	5 or 6 digits	Carrier "upfront vetting and ongoing auditing" (CTIA, 2023)	High-volume alerts and marketing

Who needs to register for 10DLC?

Any business that texts US mobile numbers from a standard 10-digit number needs a registered brand and campaign. That covers sales follow-up, reminders, customer service and marketing alike. Business texts from unregistered 10-digit numbers are blocked by the carriers' texting providers, so registration comes before your first campaign.

Toll-free numbers follow their own process: each one must pass toll-free verification before it can text US or Canadian mobiles.

Related: agency texting for clients, on whose brand registers when an agency texts for a client.

What do you need to register?

Gather six things before you start. The details must match your official records exactly, because reviewers check them against public sources.

What you need	Where it comes from	Common mistake
Legal business name, and trading name if different	Your incorporation or IRS records	Using the trading name where the legal name is asked for
Tax ID	EIN in the US; business number in Canada	An EIN that doesn't match the legal name on file
Business address and website	Your registered address; a live website	A website with no privacy policy or no mention of texting
An authorized contact	Name, title, email and phone of a real person	A generic inbox with no named person
Your use case and how people opt in	What you text, to whom, and where they agreed	"We text leads" with no opt-in described
Two sample messages	Real texts you plan to send	Samples with no business name or opt-out wording

How do you register for 10DLC, step by step?

Follow these eight steps. Take the most care over the website (step 2), the opt-in description (step 5) and the samples (step 6), because reviewers read them closely.

1. Choose a provider that registers for you. It will ask for your details once and submit the brand and campaign on your behalf.
2. Get your website ready. Reviewers look at it to confirm you are a real business doing what you describe. Make sure it shows your legal or trading name, a way to contact you, a privacy policy, and terms that explain your texts. If people opt in on your site, the opt-in form should be live and visible.
3. Submit your brand. Use the legal name and tax ID exactly as they appear on your tax records, with the same address.
4. Describe your campaign. Say what you send and why, in plain words: "Follow-up texts to people who request a demo on our website, and reminders for booked calls." One campaign per use case.
5. Describe exactly how people opt in. Name the place (form, checkbox, verbal at sign-up, a text to your number), the wording they see, and what they agree to. A reviewer should be able to find the form and read the same words.
6. Write two sample messages. Use your business name, realistic placeholders in brackets, and opt-out wording, as in the example below.
7. Set your opt-in, HELP and STOP replies. CTIA's guidance says the opt-in confirmation should include the program name, customer care contact or HELP instructions, how to opt out, how often you text, and that fees may apply (CTIA, 2023, section 5.1.2.1).
8. Wait for approval, then attach your numbers. Once the campaign is approved, your provider links your numbers to it and they're ready to send.

A sample message that reviewers can read at a glance:

Northwind: Hi [first name], thanks for asking about [product] on our website. Is a quick call today or tomorrow good? Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

An opt-in description that answers a reviewer's questions:

People request a demo at [website]/demo and give their mobile number. Below the phone field is an unticked checkbox: "I agree to receive texts from Northwind about my request, including follow-up and reminders. Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase." We store the date, time, page and wording for each person who ticks it.

How long does 10DLC registration take, and what does it cost?

Registration usually takes from a few days to two or three weeks, depending on the carriers' review queue and whether anything is sent back. Canadian toll-free verification typically takes one to two weeks. These are typical times; the carriers set the pace and publish no guaranteed turnaround.

Costs come in two parts: a one-time fee when the brand and campaign are registered, and a small monthly carrier fee per campaign. The carriers and the registry set these amounts, and texting providers pass them on. Check your provider's price list before you submit, and ask whether a resubmission after a send-back costs extra.

Why do 10DLC registrations get sent back?

Check these before you submit. Each one is a reason a registration can be sent back:

• The legal name or tax ID doesn't match public records.
• The website is missing, under construction, or doesn't match the business.
• The opt-in description is vague, or the form it describes can't be found.
• Sample messages don't name the business or include opt-out wording.
• The campaign describes one use case and the samples show another.
• The content falls in a restricted category. Carrier guidance lists "SHAFT (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco), gambling, and sweepstakes and contests" as categories with prohibitions or extra requirements (CTIA Short Code Monitoring Handbook, 2023, section 3.5).
• Opt-in lists were bought or shared. CTIA says senders "should not use opt-in lists that have been rented, sold, or shared" (CTIA, 2023).

If a registration comes back, fix the exact reason given and resubmit. Changing several things at once makes the next review slower.

How do you text Canadian customers?

Canada has no 10DLC registry. Business texting to Canadian mobiles usually goes through a toll-free number that has passed toll-free verification, and the content of each text follows Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

CASL covers texts directly: an "electronic message" includes "a text, sound, voice or image message", and an "electronic address" includes "a telephone account" (CASL, S.C. 2010, c. 23, s. 1(1)). For a commercial text, CASL requires:

1. Consent, express or implied (s. 6(1)). An express consent request must state its purpose and who is asking (s. 10(1)).
2. Implied consent only in set cases (s. 10(9)), including an existing business relationship. That relationship counts for "the two-year period" after a purchase or lease and "the six-month period" after an inquiry or application (s. 10(10)).
3. Identification and an unsubscribe mechanism in every message (s. 6(2)), with contact details valid for at least 60 days.
4. Unsubscribes honored without delay, and in any event no later than 10 business days (s. 11).

Some messages are exempt from the consent requirement, though they still need identification and an unsubscribe: a message that "solely" provides a quote or estimate the person asked for, "facilitates, completes or confirms" a transaction they agreed to, or gives factual information about an ongoing subscription, membership, account or loan (s. 6(6)). The maximum penalty is $10,000,000 per violation for a business (s. 20(4)). Canadian recipients may reply ARRET, the French opt-out word, so treat it the same as STOP.

What rules apply once you're registered?

Registration lets your numbers send. The law and the carriers' rules decide who you may text and how. The main ones, side by side:

Rule	United States	Canada
Consent	"Prior express written consent" for autodialed or prerecorded marketing calls and texts to mobiles (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2)); carriers expect opt-in for every message	Express or implied consent for commercial texts (CASL s. 6)
Opt-out	Any reasonable method; STOP, QUIT, END, REVOKE, OPT OUT, CANCEL and UNSUBSCRIBE count; honored within 10 business days (64.1200(a)(10))	No cost, same channel, effective within 10 business days (s. 11)
Identify yourself	Expected by carriers in each program	Required in every message (s. 6(2))
Hours	8 a.m. to 9 p.m. recipient time for telephone solicitations (64.1200(c)); some states 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.	CASL sets no texting hours
Bought lists	Carriers say no (CTIA, 2023)	Consent must cover your business and your texts; check how any list was gathered

Two recent changes matter. The FCC's "one-to-one consent" rule was struck down by the Eleventh Circuit on 2025-01-24 (Insurance Marketing Coalition v. FCC) and removed from the rules on 2025-08-29 (Federal Register, 2025). And on 2026-09-30 the FCC adopted an order letting senders make a reply with one of the standard opt-out words the exclusive way to revoke consent, if each text discloses it; it takes effect 30 days after Federal Register publication, which had not happened as of 2026-10-14 (FCC 26-67). For a short version of the rules, see texting rules.

Where does Textually fit?

Textually handles registration as part of setup. You fill in your business and campaign details once in Textually, and we register your brand and campaign with the US carriers for 10DLC and verify toll-free numbers for Canadian recipients, then set up your numbers. The one-time carrier registration fee is charged at cost, and Canadian toll-free verification has no fee (pricing). Once your numbers are live, every text carries the registered opt-out line until the person replies, STOP and ARRET end texts at once, and HELP returns your business name and how to reach you. To see how registration fits into a full follow-up program, read our guide to SMS for sales and customer follow-up, or apply for access.

Questions

How long does 10DLC registration take?

Usually from a few days to two or three weeks, depending on the carriers' review queue and whether anything is sent back for changes. Complete, consistent details (matching legal name and tax ID, a live website, a clear opt-in description) are the best way to avoid a second review.

Can I register for 10DLC myself?

Not directly. The Campaign Registry says direct registration "is not available for Brands", so a texting provider acting as your Campaign Service Provider files the brand and campaign for you, using details you give it.

Do I need 10DLC registration if I only send reminders or customer service texts?

Yes, if you send them from a standard 10-digit number to US mobiles. Registration covers business texting of every kind, and the campaign description simply says what kind of texts you send.

What is the difference between 10DLC and toll-free texting?

10DLC uses local numbers registered through The Campaign Registry with a brand and campaign. Toll-free numbers go through a separate verification for each number and can text both US and Canadian mobiles once verified. Many teams use 10DLC for US recipients and a verified toll-free number for Canadian ones.

Does 10DLC registration make my texts legal?

No. Registration is a carrier requirement that lets your numbers send. Consent, opt-out handling, identification and sending hours come from the law (the TCPA rules in the US, CASL in Canada) and from carrier guidance, and they apply on top of registration.

Do I need a new registration for a new use case?

Usually a new campaign under the same brand. Each campaign describes one use case, its opt-in and its samples, so adding, say, renewal reminders to a sales follow-up campaign means registering that use case too.