# Business texting laws by state: each statute quoted, October 2026

> Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland, Washington, Texas, Virginia and Connecticut add rules for business texts. Hours, consent and damages, quoted from each statute.

Updated 2026-10-17. https://usetextually.com/guides/texting-laws-by-state

Of the states whose statutes we could read, seven have rules of their own that reach business texts: Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland, Washington, Texas, Virginia and Connecticut. Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland end sales messages at 8 p.m. and allow three in 24 hours on one subject. Washington bans commercial texts without clear consent in advance, Virginia counts texts as telephone solicitations, and Texas now makes texting sellers register.

Every rule below links to the statute section and gives the date we read it. Checked October 2026. Where we couldn't read the official text, the page says "not confirmed" instead of repeating what other sites claim. This guide summarizes public law. It is not legal advice; ask a lawyer about your own program. The federal rules every state sits on top of are in our [business texting rules for the US and Canada](/guides/business-texting-rules-us-canada).

## Which states have their own texting laws?

These are the states whose statute we read and found a rule that reaches business texts, either by naming text messages or by setting a consent rule written to include them. Hours are in the recipient's local time.

| State | Quiet hours | Consent rule | Private right of action | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; at most three in 24 hours on one subject (the section says "phone calls") | Prior express written consent for sales texts sent with "an automated system for the selection and dialing of telephone numbers" | Yes: $500 or actual damages, up to three times if willful; for texts, the person must reply STOP first and wait 15 days | [Fla. Stat. 501.059](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.059.html), [501.616](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.616.html) |
| Oklahoma | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; at most three in 24 hours on one subject | Prior express written consent for automated sales calls "by telephone call, text message, or voicemail transmission" | Not confirmed | [15 O.S. 775C.2 to 775C.4](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=492651) |
| Maryland | None between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.; at most three in 24 hours on one subject | Prior express written consent for automated solicitations "by telephone call, text message, or voicemail" | Yes: up to $500 or actual damages, up to three times if willful | [Md. Com. Law 14-4501 to 14-4503](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl&section=14-4502) |
| Washington | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for telephone solicitation calls; whether it covers texts is unclear | No commercial text to a resident's mobile unless they "clearly and affirmatively consented in advance" | Yes: $100 or actual damages per text, since a 2026 change | [RCW 19.190.060](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.060), [19.190.070](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.070), [80.36.390](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=80.36.390) |
| Texas | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, for consumer telephone calls; texts not confirmed | Sellers who solicit by text register with the Secretary of State; consented texts are exempt under the Secretary of State's notice | Yes: through the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act for the no-call and telephone solicitation chapters | [SB 140, 2025](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) |
| Virginia | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., unless the person gave prior consent | Texts to Virginia numbers are telephone solicitations; none to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry without permission or a relationship | Yes: $500 first violation, $1,000 second, $5,000 each after that | [Va. Code 59.1-510 to 59.1-515](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title59.1/chapter44/) |
| Connecticut | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Express written permission before a sales text | Not confirmed | [Conn. Gen. Stat. 42-284 and 42-288a](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_743m.htm) |

Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the recipient's time zone sit inside every window in this table. Our [texting hours checker](/tools/texting-hours-checker) shows the window for any state, and the [quiet hours guide](/guides/texting-quiet-hours) shows how to set one campaign window across time zones.

## Florida

Florida's Telephone Solicitation Act names texts and gives people a right to sue. Read on the 2026 Florida Statutes on 2026-10-17.

- **Texts are covered.** A "telephonic sales call" is "a telephone call, text message, or voicemail transmission to a consumer for the purpose of soliciting a sale of any consumer goods or services" ([501.059(1)(j)](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.059.html)). Consumer goods or services are those "normally used for personal, family, or household purposes" (501.059(1)(c)).
- **Autodialer and consent.** No unsolicited telephonic sales call that involves "an automated system for the selection and dialing of telephone numbers or the playing of a recorded message" without "the prior express written consent of the called party" (501.059(8)(a)). The written agreement must bear the called party's signature and clearly authorize the sales calls (501.059(1)(g)). A call isn't "unsolicited" when it answers "an express request of the person called" or goes "to a person with whom the telephone solicitor has a prior or existing business relationship" (501.059(1)(k)).
- **Area codes.** "There is a rebuttable presumption that a telephonic sales call made to any area code in this state" is made to a Florida resident or a person in Florida (501.059(8)(d)).
- **Do not call.** Florida keeps its own no sales solicitation calls list, sold to solicitors "for a fee", and bars unsolicited telephonic sales calls to listed numbers (501.059(3) and (4)). No call, text or voicemail to someone who has said they don't want them (501.059(5)).
- **Hours and frequency.** A commercial telephone seller "may not make" a "commercial telephone solicitation phone call before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. local time in the called person's time zone", or "more than three commercial telephone solicitation phone calls from any number to a person over a 24-hour period on the same subject matter or issue, regardless of the phone number used to make the call" ([501.616(6)](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.616.html)). That section says "phone calls", and whether it reaches texts is not confirmed. Following it for texts costs little.
- **Licensing.** "Before doing business in this state, a commercial telephone seller [...] shall obtain a license from the department", with a $1,500 fee ([501.605](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.605.html)). The licensing part has 28 exemptions, including some business-to-business sales, existing customers of a business operating under the same name, retail stores open at least a year, and licensed insurance and real estate professionals ([501.604](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.604.html)). Its definition of "commercial telephone solicitation" speaks of "an unsolicited telephone call" ([501.603](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.603.html)), so whether a texting-only seller needs the license is not confirmed.
- **Right to sue.** A called party may sue to "Recover actual damages or $500, whichever is greater", and a court may award up to three times that for willful or knowing violations (501.059(10)(a) and (b)). For texts, the person must first reply "STOP"; the sender then has 15 days to stop, and a lawsuit is possible only if texts continue after that (501.059(10)(c)).
- **Last change.** The section's history ends with ch. 2021-185 and ch. 2023-150.

## Oklahoma

Oklahoma's Telephone Solicitation Act of 2022 copies much of Florida's wording. Read on the Oklahoma State Courts Network's official statutes on 2026-10-17.

- **Consent.** "A person may not make or knowingly allow a commercial telephonic sales call to be made if such call involves an automated system for the selection or dialing of telephone numbers or the playing of a recorded message when a connection is completed to a number called without the prior express written consent of the called party" ([15 O.S. 775C.3(A)](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=492648)). The consent must authorize sales calls "by telephone call, text message, or voicemail transmission", name the number, and say that signing isn't a condition of purchase ([775C.2(3)](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=492646)).
- **Autodialer.** "Selection or dialing" is broader than Florida's "selection and dialing": a system that does either one counts.
- **Area codes.** A sales call "made to any area code in this state" is presumed made to an Oklahoma resident or a person in Oklahoma (775C.3(D)).
- **Hours and frequency.** No "commercial telephone solicitation phone call before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. local time in the called person's time zone", and no "more than three commercial telephone solicitation phone calls from any number to a person over a twenty-four-hour period" on the same subject ([775C.4(A)](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=492651)).
- **Caller ID.** The originating number, and the solicitor's name where the carrier provides it, must reach caller ID; the seller's name and a staffed customer service number may stand in (775C.3(B)).
- **Effective date.** "Laws 2022, HB 3168, c. 290 [...] eff. November 1, 2022" (historical data on each section).
- **Right to sue and exemptions:** not confirmed. Sections 775C.5 (exemptions) and 775C.6 (cause of action) sat behind a verification page when we tried them on 2026-10-17.

## Maryland

Maryland's Stop the Spam Calls Act of 2023 took effect on January 1, 2024 as Chapter 413 ([SB 90 bill page](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0090?ys=2023RS)). Read on the Maryland General Assembly's site on 2026-10-17.

- **Consent.** No telephone solicitation using "an automated system for the selection or dialing of telephone numbers" or a recorded message without "prior express written consent of the called party" ([Com. Law 14-4502(a)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl&section=14-4502)). The consent must authorize solicitations "by telephone call, text message, or voicemail" ([14-4501(d)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl&section=14-4501)).
- **What counts as a solicitation.** The Act borrows the Public Utilities Article's definition: "an organized activity, program, or campaign to communicate by telephone with residents of Maryland" to sell, lease or rent goods or services ([Pub. Util. 8-205](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gpu&section=8-205)).
- **Exemptions from the consent rule.** Among them: a "business-to-business sale where the telephone solicitor has been lawfully operating continuously for at least 3 years under the same business name", a single call in response to a customer's inquiry, and certain informational messages to existing customers (14-4502(a)(1)). These are written for subsection (a), the consent rule.
- **Hours and frequency.** No telephone solicitation "during the hours between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the called party's time zone", and none "more than three times to the same called party during a 24-hour period on the same subject matter or issue", whatever number is used (14-4502(c)).
- **Area codes.** A solicitation to any Maryland area code is presumed to reach a Maryland resident or someone who lives or does business there ([14-4503(b)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl&section=14-4503)).
- **Right to sue.** A violation is "an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice" under the Consumer Protection Act. A called party may sue "to enjoin further violations and to recover damages up to $500 or actual damages, whichever is greater", and up to three times that for willful or knowing violations (14-4503(a)).

## Washington

Washington has two laws that matter here: a texting rule in its commercial electronic mail chapter, and an older telephone solicitation section. Read on the Washington State Legislature's site on 2026-10-17.

- **Consent for every commercial text.** No person conducting business in the state may send or help send a commercial text "to a telephone number assigned to a Washington resident" for mobile or pager service ([RCW 19.190.060](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.060)), unless the person "has clearly and affirmatively consented in advance to receive these text messages" ([19.190.070](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.070)). A commercial text is "an electronic text message sent to promote real property, goods, or services for sale or lease" ([19.190.010](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.010)). We found no business-to-business exception in these sections.
- **Damages.** Damages to the recipient of a commercial text "sent in violation of this chapter are $100, or actual damages, whichever is greater" ([19.190.040](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.040)). The amount was $500 until [Chapter 135, Laws of 2026](https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Htm/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/2274-S.SL.htm), effective June 11, 2026, which "applies to all causes of action commenced on or after June 11, 2026, regardless of when the cause of action arose" (note to [19.190.020](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.190.020)). A violation is also an unfair or deceptive act under the Consumer Protection Act (19.190.060(2)).
- **Hours for telephone solicitation.** A solicitor "shall not place calls to any person which will be received before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m." in the recipient's local time ([RCW 80.36.390(8)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=80.36.390)). The section defines a telephone call by live person, artificial voice or recorded message, never mentions texts, and excludes "Business-to-business contacts". Whether it reaches texts is not confirmed.
- **Other parts of 80.36.390.** The solicitor identifies itself and its purpose at the start, honors a removal request "for a period of at least one year", and a person "aggrieved by repeated violations" can recover "at least $1,000 for each individual violation".
- **Registration.** Commercial telephone solicitors register under chapter 19.158 RCW. Its definition speaks of "an unsolicited telephone call" and doesn't mention texts ([19.158.020](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.158.020)), so whether it reaches texting is not confirmed.

## Texas

Texas changed its rules for texts on September 1, 2025. Read on the Texas Legislature's and Secretary of State's sites on 2026-10-17. The official code site returned only its menu to our reader, so code sections below come from the bills that amend them, as noted.

- **Texts are telephone solicitations.** [SB 140](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) rewrote the definition in Business and Commerce Code 302.001: a telephone solicitation is now "a call or other transmission, including a transmission of a text or graphic message or of an image, initiated by a seller or salesperson to induce a person to purchase, rent, claim, or receive an item." It applies to conduct from its effective date: "This Act takes effect September 1, 2025."
- **Why it changed.** The House committee's analysis says that in Powers v. One Technologies "the court held that a company sending text messages did not qualify as telemarketing" under the registration statute, and that "only Chapter 304 defines 'telephone call' to include both mobile phone numbers and text messaging" ([bill analysis](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/analysis/html/SB00140H.htm)).
- **Registration and security.** Chapter 302 sellers file a registration statement with the Secretary of State with a $200 fee and a $10,000.00 security, renewed each year ([Secretary of State FAQ](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/faqs3400.shtml)). The same page says "any business that sends text messages with prior consent of the consumer is not required to complete the Telephone Solicitation Registration Statement under Business and Commerce Code Chapter 302", citing Ecommerce Marketers Alliance, Inc. et al. v. Texas et al., 1:25-cv-1401 (W.D. Tex. 2025). Chapter 302's own exemptions are not confirmed.
- **Right to sue.** SB 140 added to the no-call chapter: "A violation of this chapter is a false, misleading, or deceptive act or practice under Subchapter E, Chapter 17", and "A public or private right or remedy prescribed by Subchapter E, Chapter 17, may be used to enforce this chapter" (new 304.2581). It added the same to chapter 305, and says that recovering "more than once may not limit recovery in a future legal proceeding" (305.055). The damage amounts under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act are not confirmed here.
- **Hours.** Chapter 301 lets a telephone solicitor make a consumer telephone call only "after 12 noon and before 9 p.m. on a Sunday or after 9 a.m. and before 9 p.m. on a weekday or a Saturday" (301.051(b)(2), as reprinted in [HB 4403, 2023](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB04403I.htm), a bill to change those hours that [never left committee](https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R&Bill=HB4403)). Whether chapter 301 reaches texts is not confirmed.

## Virginia

Virginia's Telephone Privacy Protection Act names texts in its definition. Read on the Virginia General Assembly's code site on 2026-10-17.

- **Texts are covered.** A telephone solicitation includes "any text message sent to any wireless telephone with a Virginia area code" or to the wireless phone of a registered Virginia resident, for "offering or advertising any property, goods, or services for sale, lease, license, or investment" ([59.1-510](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter44/section59.1-510/)). The section's history lists amendments in 2019, 2020 and 2025; which year added texts is not confirmed.
- **Hours.** No telephone solicitation "at any time other than between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time at the contacted person's location, unless the telephone solicitor has obtained the prior consent of the contacted person" ([59.1-511](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter44/section59.1-511/)).
- **Do not call and STOP.** No telephone solicitation "to a telephone number on the National Do Not Call Registry", except with "prior express invitation or permission", an established business relationship, or a personal relationship ([59.1-514](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter44/section59.1-514/)). An established business relationship means a purchase or transaction in the last 18 months, or an inquiry or application in the last 3 months (59.1-510). For texts, an opt-out "shall be made by replying to the text message with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" or "STOP."", and it must be honored "for at least 10 years". After an opt-out, the relationship exemptions no longer apply.
- **Who is liable.** Sellers and solicitors are jointly and severally liable for the hours, identification and do-not-call rules (59.1-514.1).
- **Right to sue.** A person may sue for "$500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second violation, and $5,000 for each subsequent violation", up to $5,000 for a willful first or second violation, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs ([59.1-515](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter44/section59.1-515/)).

## Connecticut

Connecticut's telemarketing chapter covers texts and sets the narrowest hours of any state here. The legislature's statute page failed a security certificate check on 2026-10-17, so the statute quotes below are from our read on 2026-10-14, and the agency quotes from 2026-10-17.

- **Texts are covered.** The statute's definition of a telephonic sales call includes "text or media messaging" and reaches resident consumers and numbers "with a Connecticut area code" ([Conn. Gen. Stat. 42-284](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_743m.htm), read 2026-10-14). The Department of Consumer Protection says the definition "includes messages through apps (like SMS texts or WhatsApp)" ([DCP](https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/consumer-topics/telemarketing/faqs/do-telemarketers-need-my-permission-to-call-or-text-me)).
- **Consent.** "Telemarketers must have your express written permission before contacting you with a sales call or text message" (same DCP page). The exact statutory wording of the consent rule and its exemptions is not confirmed this session.
- **Hours.** Telephonic sales calls to a "residential, mobile or telephonic paging device telephone number [...] shall be limited to being conducted between the hours of nine o'clock a.m. and eight o'clock p.m. local time" ([42-288a(c)](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_743m.htm), read 2026-10-14). The Department describes the same "waking hours" of 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM ([DCP](https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/consumer-topics/telemarketing/faqs/when-can-telemarketers-call-me?language=en_US)).
- **Penalties and right to sue:** not confirmed.

## What about Utah, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana?

Texting-law lists online often name these states. We read their statutes or their attorney general's summary, and none names text messages in the rule. They may still reach texts through a court's reading, so treat them as open questions.

- **Utah.** A telephone solicitation is "the initiation of a telephone call or message for a commercial purpose" ([Utah Code 13-25a-102](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title13/Chapter25A/C13-25a-S102_2024050120240501.xml), read 2026-10-17). Without prior express consent, no solicitation to a residential or cellular phone before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., on Sundays, or on legal holidays ([13-25a-103](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title13/Chapter25A/C13-25a-S103_2022050420220504.xml)). A 2022 bill to add text messages, [HB 102](https://le.utah.gov/~2022/bills/static/HB0102.html), did not pass.
- **Arizona.** A telephone solicitation is "any voice communication from a live operator, announcing device or otherwise that offers merchandise for sale or rent" ([A.R.S. 44-1271](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01271.htm), read 2026-10-17). Sellers register with the Secretary of State before soliciting ([44-1272](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01272.htm)), and unsolicited sales calls to mobile numbers are barred ([44-1278](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01278.htm)). Texts are not mentioned.
- **Georgia.** The Attorney General's summary of O.C.G.A. 46-5-27 defines a telephone solicitation as "any voice communication over a telephone line" and gives people who get more than one in 12 months a right to sue for up to $2,000 per knowing violation ([Georgia Attorney General](https://consumer.georgia.gov/node/1076), read 2026-10-17). That page reflects the statute as of 2006; a 2024 amendment is not confirmed.
- **Kentucky.** The Attorney General quotes the definition as "A live or recorded communication sent by a telephone or message sent by facsimile machine", and says telemarketing companies register with a $300 fee and a $50,000.00 bond ([Kentucky Attorney General](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/Consumer-Resources/Consumers/Pages/Information-for-Telemarketers.aspx), read 2026-10-17). Calls "made by one merchant to another" are excluded.
- **Louisiana.** A telephonic solicitation is "any voice or data communication made by a telephonic solicitor to a residential telephonic subscriber" ([La. R.S. 45:844.12](https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=100146), read 2026-10-17). Whether "data communication" covers texts is not confirmed, and the hours and Sunday limits sit in Public Service Commission rules we didn't read in full.

New Jersey, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Colorado also appear on those lists. We couldn't reach or read their official statute text on 2026-10-17, so their rules for texts are not confirmed here.

## States not listed follow the federal rules

If a state isn't above, plan on the federal rules and carrier rules alone: written consent for autodialed marketing texts, no sales texts to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry without permission or a business relationship, sales texts only from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone ([47 CFR 64.1200](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200)), and opt-outs honored. Our [business texting rules for the US and Canada](/guides/business-texting-rules-us-canada) quote each one, and our [guide to cold texting](/guides/is-cold-texting-legal) covers what consent you need before a first text.

A state can pass a texting law at any time, and Texas and Washington both changed theirs in the last 14 months. Check the statute itself before a campaign to a state that matters to you.

## Do Canadian provinces add rules to CASL?

CASL covers commercial texts across Canada with its consent, identification and unsubscribe rules; our [CASL guide](/guides/casl-text-messages-canada) reads the Act section by section. Provinces regulate telemarketing on top of that, and British Columbia is the clearest example we read.

British Columbia's Telemarketer Licensing Regulation applies to "a supplier who engages in the business or occupation of initiating contact with a consumer by telephone or facsimile for the purpose of conducting a consumer transaction". A licensee "must not communicate or attempt to communicate with a consumer by telephone or facsimile" on a statutory holiday, outside 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, or outside 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on other days, in the consumer's local time, and not "more than once in a 30 day period in respect of the same proposed consumer transaction" ([B.C. Reg. 83/2005, s. 8](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/83_2005), current to 2026-10-13, read 2026-10-17). The regulation doesn't mention text messages, so whether it reaches texts is not confirmed. Skipping statutory holidays for British Columbia numbers costs little.

We haven't read the other provinces' telemarketing rules for this guide.

## What does this mean for a text sequence?

Five habits cover every state rule above:

1. **Hold written consent for every lead,** with its source and date. Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland want a signed agreement for automated sales texts, and Washington and Connecticut want consent before any sales text.
2. **Send on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the recipient's time zone.** That fits Connecticut's 9 a.m. start, the 8 p.m. ends, and Texas's Sunday rule.
3. **Space steps at least a day apart.** Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland count three messages in 24 hours on one subject, whichever number sends them.
4. **Honor STOP at once and keep the opt-out.** Virginia requires 10 years, and Florida's lawsuit clock starts when someone replies STOP.
5. **Use the lead's state, then the area code.** Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland, Virginia and Connecticut reach numbers by area code as well as residence.

## Where does Textually fit?

Textually sets sending days and hours per campaign, in the campaign's time zone, and wait steps can count business days only. A text step sends only when the lead has a consent record (source and date) or the campaign has a campaign-wide consent confirmation, a reply ends that person's sequence and lands in one shared inbox, and STOP and ARRET stop texts before the next send. We register your brand and numbers with the carriers for you. See [how the rules are built in](/texting-rules) and [pricing](/pricing), or [apply for access](/apply).

## Questions

### Which states have their own business texting laws?

Of the states whose statutes we could read, Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland, Washington, Texas, Virginia and Connecticut have rules that reach business texts, either by naming text messages or through a consent rule written to cover them. Checked October 2026. This summarizes public law and is not legal advice.

### What is Florida's texting law?

Florida's Telephone Solicitation Act covers "a telephone call, text message, or voicemail transmission" that sells consumer goods or services. Autodialed sales texts need prior express written consent, and people can sue for $500 per violation after replying STOP and waiting 15 days (Fla. Stat. 501.059). A separate section limits sales calls to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

### Can I text leads in Texas?

Yes, with care. Since September 1, 2025, a text that induces a purchase is a telephone solicitation under Texas law, and sellers register with the Secretary of State ($200 fee, $10,000 security). The Secretary of State says businesses texting with the consumer's prior consent don't need to register. Violations of the no-call chapter can be enforced under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

### What are texting quiet hours by state?

Florida, Oklahoma and Maryland: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Connecticut: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Virginia: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Washington: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for telephone solicitation calls. Texas: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday for consumer telephone calls. Elsewhere, the federal 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. applies to sales texts.

### Do state texting laws apply to B2B texts?

Sometimes. Florida's law is written around consumer goods or services, Maryland exempts some business-to-business sales from its consent rule, and Washington's telephone solicitation section excludes business-to-business contacts. Washington's texting sections contain no business-to-business exception that we found. Ask a lawyer before relying on any exemption.

### Do I need to register as a telephone solicitor to send business texts?

In Texas, sellers who solicit by text register unless they text with prior consent, under the Secretary of State's current notice. Florida, Washington, Arizona and Kentucky register telephone solicitors under definitions written for calls, and whether those reach texting is not confirmed.

### Do Canadian provinces add texting rules to CASL?

British Columbia's telemarketing regulation bars contact by telephone on statutory holidays and limits hours to 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. It doesn't mention texts. CASL's consent, identification and unsubscribe rules apply to every commercial text to Canada.

### Is this guide legal advice?

No. It quotes public statutes as read in October 2026 and marks what we couldn't confirm. Laws change and courts read them in different ways, so ask a lawyer about your own program.