What Is 10DLC? The Complete Guide for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner who relies on texting to stay in touch with customers, you might have recently run into confusing new rules or unexpected message blocks. You’re not alone — a wave of new regulations known as 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is catching countless business owners off guard. Designed to protect consumers from spam and fraud, 10DLC brings new requirements that can feel overwhelming if you’re just trying to keep your business running.

So what exactly is 10DLC? In simple terms, it’s a set of standards created by wireless carriers and the messaging industry to regulate business text messaging. It requires businesses to register their brand and any text messaging campaigns with a centralized registry before sending messages using standard local phone numbers. The goal is to ensure legitimate businesses get reliable message delivery while stopping scammers who abuse SMS. While the intention is good, the process has introduced a maze of paperwork, approvals, fees, and compliance rules that many small business owners simply don’t have time to figure out.

That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll break down 10DLC in plain English — no jargon, no legal-speak — so you can understand what it is, why it exists, and exactly how to navigate it. We’ll cover everything from the basics of registration to avoiding the most common mistakes, plus a comparison of other texting options like toll-free and short codes.

Most importantly, we’ll show you how Talkroute can make 10DLC simple. With guided onboarding, pre-approved templates, and hands-on support, we take the headache out of compliance so you can get back to what really matters: serving your customers. Let’s dive in.

What Is 10DLC?

So, what is 10DLC? The term stands for 10-Digit Long Code, referring to standard local phone numbers (like 555-555-1234) used by businesses to send text messages to customers. Traditionally, these 10-digit numbers were designed for peer-to-peer (P2P) texting — that is, regular conversations between individuals. However, as business texting exploded in popularity, many companies began using these same local numbers for high-volume, automated messaging, known as application-to-person (A2P) messaging.

Carriers recognized that this shift put their networks at risk for spam, fraud, and message abuse, and that’s why they introduced the 10DLC framework. In essence, 10DLC is a compliance system: businesses must register their brands and messaging campaigns with The Campaign Registry (TCR), a centralized governing body, before using local numbers for A2P SMS. This process allows carriers to verify legitimate businesses, filter out bad actors, and improve message deliverability and trust across their networks.

To better understand 10DLC, it helps to compare it to other messaging options:

Before 10DLC, many businesses were using local numbers without any kind of vetting. Carriers could not reliably tell the difference between a legitimate business and a spammer, which led to aggressive message filtering and poor deliverability. Customers were flooded with suspicious or fraudulent messages, harming trust in SMS as a communication tool.

The 10DLC framework emerged to fix that. By requiring businesses to declare who they are and what messages they intend to send, carriers can better manage and approve legitimate A2P traffic while blocking bad actors. This means your messages are more likely to be delivered, customers are more likely to trust them, and you can build stronger relationships with your audience.

In short, 10DLC is the new compliance standard for business texting on local phone numbers. While the process can feel frustrating, understanding how it works — and how to navigate it — is the first step to keeping your communications smooth, legal, and effective.

Why Was 10DLC Created?

The introduction of 10DLC was driven by one core problem: the explosion of spam and fraudulent text messages over the past decade. As SMS became one of the most effective channels for reaching customers, bad actors began abusing it to send scams, phishing attempts, and illegal marketing messages using ordinary local phone numbers. Carriers struggled to separate legitimate business messaging from spam, which led to unpredictable message blocking and a rapid decline in consumer trust.

Customers began ignoring or deleting messages from businesses, unsure which ones were authentic. That erosion of trust threatened the entire SMS ecosystem, hurting businesses that depended on text messaging to connect with their audiences.

In response, wireless carriers, messaging aggregators, and industry groups came together to create the 10DLC framework. Their primary motivations were to protect their networks from being overloaded with spam, safeguard their subscribers from fraudulent texts, and ensure that legitimate businesses could continue to use SMS successfully.

By introducing brand registration, campaign registration, and vetting scores, 10DLC gives carriers a transparent way to identify who is sending messages, what content is being delivered, and whether the business is following acceptable practices. This allows higher message throughput for legitimate senders while stopping suspicious or malicious campaigns at the gate.

For compliant businesses, there are real benefits: higher delivery rates, fewer false blocks, and better customer confidence in the messages they receive. However, there are undeniable downsides. The registration process adds costs, approval delays, and administrative complexity — all of which can frustrate small business owners who just want to text their customers.

In short, 10DLC was created to protect the long-term viability of text messaging as a trusted communication channel. While it places a burden on businesses up front, it ultimately helps ensure that text messaging remains a safe, effective, and reliable way to connect with your audience.

How 10DLC Works

Understanding how 10DLC actually works can help you navigate it with far less stress. The 10DLC process revolves around two core steps: Brand registration and Campaign registration.

Brand registration is the first step. This means registering your business with The Campaign Registry (TCR), a centralized database that works with carriers to manage legitimate A2P (application-to-person) messaging. During brand registration, you provide basic details about your business, including your legal name, business address, website, tax ID (EIN), and sometimes supporting documentation to verify that you’re a legitimate organization. Once approved, you’ll receive a “brand” identifier that ties all of your messaging campaigns to your business.

Next is Campaign registration, where you specify what kinds of messages you intend to send. For example, appointment reminders, shipping updates, promotional offers, or customer support notifications. During this step, you must declare the campaign type (like marketing vs. customer care), describe the messaging flow, and share sample message content. This helps carriers determine if your campaign aligns with best practices and whether it is likely to trigger spam filters.

The Campaign Registry (TCR) is the neutral third-party that coordinates all of this. They don’t deliver the messages themselves, but they maintain the official registry of brands and campaigns for the entire carrier ecosystem. Once your brand and campaign are registered, TCR forwards that information to participating wireless carriers, who then approve or deny message throughput based on their own criteria.

Carriers also assign vetting scores, which can impact your message delivery. Higher-scoring brands get better throughput (the volume of messages per second) and a lower chance of having messages blocked. Lower-scoring brands may be throttled or subjected to more aggressive filtering.

Another crucial part of 10DLC is message content compliance. Campaigns must include standard call-to-action language, clear opt-in processes, and opt-out instructions (like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”). This protects consumers and meets carrier requirements for transparency.

Approval timelines vary. Brand registration is often completed within a day or two, while campaign approvals can take anywhere from 24 hours to a week, depending on the complexity and carrier backlog.

Although the process may feel intimidating, understanding how brand and campaign registration fit together — and how TCR and the carriers coordinate behind the scenes — can help you approach 10DLC with far more confidence. With the right partner, you can make it virtually painless and keep your messages flowing smoothly.

10DLC vs Other Messaging Options

Many small businesses wonder if 10DLC is their only option for business texting. In reality, there are three main choices: 10DLC, short codes, and toll-free numbers. Each comes with its own trade-offs, and understanding them can help you choose the best fit for your needs.

Short codes are 5–6 digit numbers (like 12345) commonly used for mass marketing and high-volume alerts. They offer extremely high throughput — you can send thousands of messages per second, making them popular for national campaigns, voting, and brand promotions. For small businesses, however, short codes are often cost-prohibitive. They require dedicated leasing fees, setup costs, and carrier approvals that can reach thousands of dollars per month. Short codes are also less personal since customers usually associate them with big brands rather than local businesses.

Toll-free numbers, such as 800 or 888 numbers, can also be used for SMS. They provide a professional, nationwide feel and reasonable throughput at a more affordable price point than short codes. However, they may feel less personal to local customers, and they still require registration to comply with industry guidelines. Toll-free texting works well if your audience spans multiple states or regions, but may be less relatable for a purely local audience.

Regular P2P (person-to-person) 10-digit numbers — meaning local phone numbers without 10DLC registration — are no longer a safe option for business texting. Carriers increasingly flag and block messages coming from unregistered numbers because they cannot verify whether those messages are legitimate or spam. Businesses using P2P numbers without 10DLC registration will likely see their deliverability plummet and may even have their numbers blacklisted.

So which one should you choose?

• If you’re a local or regional small business wanting to maintain a personal connection with customers while keeping costs under control, 10DLC is likely the best fit.
• If you need massive, nationwide text campaigns with very high throughput, a short code might be worth the investment.
• If you serve a broad, national audience and want a recognizable number, toll-free texting can be a solid compromise.

Ultimately, 10DLC offers a balance of local familiarity, compliance, and affordability, making it a strong choice for most small businesses navigating modern SMS regulations.

How to Register for 10DLC

While 10DLC registration might sound intimidating, it’s manageable if you break it into clear steps. Here’s a practical checklist to help you get started:

1. Gather Your Business Information

Before beginning, collect the essential details:

• Legal business name
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Business address
• Website URL
• Contact details

Having this information ready will speed up the process and reduce errors.

2. Choose Your Messaging Campaign Type

Next, think about what you plan to send. Will your messages focus on appointment reminders, customer service updates, marketing promotions, or something else? Carriers need this information to evaluate your campaign and apply the right vetting rules.

3. Complete Brand Registration

Register your business identity with The Campaign Registry (TCR). You’ll submit your business data, and TCR will assign a unique brand ID. This confirms to carriers that you are a legitimate business, not a spammer.

4. Submit Campaign Registration

After brand registration, you must register each campaign you intend to run. Provide details about the campaign’s purpose, opt-in flow, sample messages, and any compliance language like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”

5. Wait for Approval

Once submitted, TCR coordinates with carriers to review and approve your campaign. Brand approval usually takes 1–2 business days, while campaign approvals may take 2–5 business days, depending on complexity and carrier workload.

6. Start Sending Messages

After approval, you can begin sending messages through your registered 10DLC number with higher deliverability and lower risk of filtering.

Typical Timelines with Talkroute

When you register through Talkroute, the brand approval process typically takes 1–2 business days. Campaign approvals may take anywhere from 2–5 business days, depending on the campaign type, complexity, and carrier workload.

Because Talkroute handles the registration process for you, you’ll benefit from streamlined workflows, guidance on campaign best practices, and proactive support if carriers request clarification. This helps you avoid frustrating delays and ensures your messages start flowing as quickly as possible.

With a clear plan and the right partner, 10DLC registration can be surprisingly manageable, keeping your text communications compliant and protecting your customer relationships. Talkroute is here to simplify every step of the way so you can stay focused on growing your business.

Common 10DLC Pitfalls to Avoid

Navigating 10DLC registration isn’t always smooth, especially for small businesses with limited time. Here are the most common mistakes business owners make — and how to avoid them.

1. Incomplete Registrations

The most frequent problem is submitting partial or missing information during brand or campaign registration. Missing details like a legal business name, EIN, or website can cause delays or outright rejection.

2. Missing Compliance Language

Carriers require clear opt-in and opt-out instructions in every campaign. For example, messages should include language such as “Reply STOP to unsubscribe.” Failing to include these disclaimers puts your campaigns at risk of being blocked or suspended.

3. False Campaign Descriptions

Some businesses try to “game the system” by describing their campaigns as low-risk (like customer support) while actually sending promotional offers or sales messages. Carriers are increasingly strict about matching message content to the campaign type. If they detect a mismatch, your campaign could be shut down, and you might even face fines.

4. Inconsistent Branding

Details must be consistent across your business name, EIN, website, and campaign. Even small mismatches — like spelling errors or a different phone number on your website — can trigger red flags and lead to delays or denials.

How Talkroute Helps You Avoid These Mistakes

Talkroute makes this easier by offering a guided onboarding experience, reviewing your information for consistency and completeness before submission, and providing pre-approved messaging templates with the correct opt-out language. If a carrier requests clarifications or revisions, Talkroute’s support team will help you resolve the issue quickly, minimizing downtime.

With the right partner, you can move through 10DLC registration confidently, ensuring your messages are delivered reliably and compliantly to your customers.

The Benefits of Complying with 10DLC

Although 10DLC can feel like a hassle, there are very real benefits to taking the time to comply properly. First and foremost, you’ll see higher deliverability rates. Registered campaigns go through carrier-approved pathways, meaning your messages are far less likely to be filtered, throttled, or blocked. That translates to more messages reaching your customers, on time, every time.

By following 10DLC rules, you also greatly reduce the risk of message blocking. Carriers prioritize traffic from verified brands, so once you’re registered, you’re far less likely to see random or unexpected delivery failures that can disrupt your communication.

Another important benefit is improved customer trust. When customers receive messages from a properly registered, local number, they are more confident that it’s coming from a legitimate business rather than a scammer. Customers who trust your texts are more likely to engage with them, which increases your response rates and supports your long-term business goals.

10DLC compliance also positively influences carrier trust scores. Carriers use these scores to determine your throughput — in other words, how many messages you can send per second. Higher scores give you faster, smoother delivery, ensuring that your time-sensitive messages, like appointment reminders or alerts, reach customers without delay.

Finally, registering for 10DLC helps protect your brand long-term. Messaging regulations will likely continue to evolve, and building compliant practices now means you’ll be better positioned for future requirements. It shows carriers, customers, and regulators that your business takes compliance seriously and is committed to delivering trustworthy, transparent communications.

With the right partner guiding you through the 10DLC process, you can turn what feels like a burden into a competitive advantage that strengthens your business for years to come.

How Talkroute Simplifies 10DLC

At Talkroute, we understand that 10DLC can feel overwhelming, especially for small business owners who don’t have the time to decipher regulatory jargon or manage complex approval processes. That’s why we’ve built a complete support system to make 10DLC registration as easy and stress-free as possible, helping you focus on what matters most — running your business.

Talkroute’s guided registration workflow walks you step-by-step through the brand and campaign registration process. Instead of navigating third-party portals alone, you’ll answer a few simple questions in your Talkroute dashboard, and our system will gather the required information to submit on your behalf. This greatly reduces errors, incomplete submissions, and approval delays.

To make things even easier, we provide pre-approved message templates for the most common use cases — from appointment reminders to order confirmations to customer support messages. These templates already include required opt-in and opt-out language, so you don’t have to stress about missing compliance details.

Beyond the workflow, Talkroute’s compliance team reviews your campaign details before submission to ensure consistency and accuracy, flagging any issues that could slow down approvals. This proactive review means fewer headaches, faster approvals, and a smoother path to launch.

If you have questions along the way, Talkroute offers a dedicated support line with agents who understand both 10DLC rules and small business needs. Whether you’re stuck on a campaign description or confused by carrier responses, you’ll have a trusted advisor ready to help.

By removing the burden of confusing paperwork and carrier negotiations, Talkroute dramatically reduces the risk of churn caused by 10DLC friction. Our customers consistently tell us how much they appreciate having an experienced partner by their side. As one business owner put it, “Talkroute made the whole thing easy — we were up and running in days, not weeks.”

In the end, Talkroute makes 10DLC compliance simple, predictable, and painless, so you can keep connecting with customers confidently and reliably.

Frequently Asked 10DLC Questions

How long does 10DLC registration take?

Brand registration is usually completed within 1–2 business days, while campaign approvals can take between 2–5 business days, depending on carrier backlogs and the complexity of your messaging. Talkroute’s guided workflow and compliance review help avoid mistakes that could delay approvals.

Do I really need this?

Yes — if you’re sending any application-to-person (A2P) text messages from a local 10-digit number, 10DLC registration is required. This includes appointment reminders, notifications, promotions, or even customer support texts. Unregistered traffic is far more likely to be blocked or filtered.

What happens if I don’t register?

If you keep using your local number without 10DLC registration, you risk severe message filtering or complete blocking by carriers. Over time, your number could be blacklisted, damaging your ability to communicate with customers and potentially harming your business reputation.

Why are there fees?

The fees come from carriers and The Campaign Registry to cover brand verification, campaign vetting, and maintaining systems that protect consumers from spam. Talkroute passes through these fees transparently while handling the administrative burden for you. Depending on your Talkroute Plan, there may be a small fee or no fee at all for this service.

Is 10DLC required for MMS too?

Yes — carriers treat MMS (multimedia messages) sent from a local number the same way as SMS when it comes to A2P messaging rules. Your brand and campaigns must be registered even if you primarily send images, videos, or other media files.

Can I use my existing number?

Absolutely. Talkroute can help you register your current local number for 10DLC so you don’t have to change the number your customers already know and trust.

Will my message speed change?

Once your campaign is approved, you’ll be assigned throughput rates based on your vetting score. Higher-scoring brands get faster message delivery rates and fewer blocks. Talkroute helps you maximize your vetting score through proper campaign descriptions and compliance best practices.

What if I’m not sure how to classify my campaign?

No problem. Talkroute’s support team can walk you through campaign types and help you select the correct category, reducing the risk of approval delays or rejections.

Conclusion & Next Steps

10DLC may feel like an extra hurdle, but it’s ultimately about protecting your business, your customers, and the trust people place in text messaging. By registering your brand and campaigns, you’ll improve message deliverability, reduce the risk of being blocked, and maintain a professional, compliant communication channel with your customers.

With regulations here to stay, the best time to act is now. Registering proactively will help you avoid disruptions and keep your business connected. Whether you’re sending appointment reminders, updates, or marketing messages, Talkroute can guide you through every step of the 10DLC process.

Our team is ready to help you simplify registration, maintain compliance, and keep your messaging effective. Visit Talkroute’s 10DLC onboarding page or reach out to our support team to get started.

Don’t let regulations slow you down — let us help. Talkroute makes 10DLC easy so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business and serving your customers with confidence.

Stephanie

Stephanie is the Marketing Director at Talkroute and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur as a leading authority on business and telecommunications.

Stephanie is also the chief editor and contributing author for the Talkroute blog helping more than 200k entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses.