If you've tried to set up business SMS in the last couple of years and run into a wall of acronyms, registration requirements, and carrier approvals — welcome to 10DLC. It's confusing, it adds steps you didn't have before, but there's a real reason it exists, and it's not going away.
Here's what it actually is, why it matters, and what you need to do about it.
What is 10DLC?
10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code. It refers to standard 10-digit phone numbers (as opposed to short codes like 55555) used for business-to-customer text messaging.
Starting in 2021, the major US carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon — started requiring businesses to register their 10-digit numbers and their messaging campaigns before those messages will reliably reach customers. Unregistered business SMS now gets filtered aggressively. In some cases it doesn't reach anyone at all.
The reason this happened: spam. Business SMS was being used at scale for spam, phishing, and fraud. Carriers got fed up and built a registration system to separate legitimate businesses from bad actors.
Who needs to register?
Any business that sends text messages from a 10-digit local phone number to US customers. That includes:
- Appointment reminders
- Order confirmations and shipping notifications
- Customer support conversations
- Marketing messages (with proper consent)
- Staff scheduling and internal communications
If you're texting customers from a business number, you need to be registered. No exceptions.
What does the registration process actually involve?
There are two parts: brand registration and campaign registration.
Brand registration is about your business. You provide your legal business name, EIN (tax ID), business type, and contact information. This gets your company into the registry as a verified sender.
Campaign registration is about how you use SMS. You describe the specific type of messages you'll be sending — appointment reminders, marketing messages, account notifications, etc. Each use case is a separate campaign. You also need to confirm that you have proper consent from recipients.
The registration is handled through a system called TCR (The Campaign Registry), which is the central clearinghouse that carriers use. Your SMS provider should handle submitting this on your behalf — you provide the information, they do the filing.
How long does it take?
Brand registration usually clears within a day or two. Campaign approval can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the campaign type and carrier. Some campaign types get approved faster than others — standard business messaging (appointment reminders, notifications) tends to move quickly.
Marketing campaigns with opt-in lists take longer and get more scrutiny.
What happens if you skip it?
Your messages get filtered. Some will still go through, especially at low volumes, but delivery becomes unreliable. As carriers have tightened their filters, the situation has gotten worse over time. It's not worth the risk if business SMS is something you rely on.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mismatched business info. Your registration information needs to match your EIN exactly. Small discrepancies cause rejections.
- Vague campaign descriptions. Be specific about what you're sending and who you're sending it to. Vague descriptions get rejected or delayed.
- Skipping the opt-in documentation. You need to be able to show how recipients consented to receive your messages. A checkbox on a form, a sign-up flow, verbal consent that's logged — something concrete.
- Registering after the fact. Some businesses wait until they start having delivery problems. Register first.
Do you need a lawyer or a specialist for this?
Not necessarily, but having a provider who knows the process helps a lot. The registration itself isn't legally complex, but the details matter, and getting something wrong means starting over.
ShoutDial handles 10DLC registration as part of setting up business SMS. We walk you through what we need, file everything on your behalf, and let you know when you're approved and ready to start sending. Get in touch if you want to get started or if you're trying to sort out a registration issue you're already stuck on.