What Is 10DLC? Business Texting Registration Explained

10DLC (ten-digit long code) is the system US mobile carriers use to register businesses that send text messages from ordinary local phone numbers. Before a business can text reliably from a local number through a business platform, it registers a brand (who you are) and a campaign (what you send and why) with The Campaign Registry, and carriers then deliver those messages with fewer filters.

If you want to text customers from your business number, 10DLC is the step between buying the number and sending the first message.

Why 10DLC exists

Local numbers were built for person-to-person (P2P) messaging: you texting a friend. Businesses sending appointment reminders, delivery updates or support replies are sending application-to-person (A2P) messages. Without a registration system, carriers could not tell a plumber's arrival-window texts from spam.

10DLC gives carriers a way to know who is sending, what they are sending, and whether recipients agreed to receive it. In return, registered senders get better delivery and higher throughput than unregistered traffic.

The CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, the wireless industry's guidelines for messaging, set out the expectations behind this: consent, clear opt-out, and content that matches what the recipient signed up for.

Brands and campaigns

Registration has two parts.

Part	What it describes	Example
Brand	The business sending messages: legal name, EIN, address, website, contact	"Acme Plumbing LLC, EIN 12-3456789"
Campaign	One messaging use case: description, sample messages, opt-in method, opt-out language	"Appointment confirmations and arrival windows for service customers"

A brand can have several campaigns. Each campaign is tied to the numbers that send it.

Brand types

Providers offer different brand registrations depending on your size and whether you have an EIN. Twilio's fee page, for example, lists:

• Sole proprietor brands for individuals or small businesses without an EIN
• Low volume standard brands for businesses with an EIN and lower volume (Twilio describes this as under 6,000 messages per day)
• Standard brands, which include secondary vetting and qualify for higher throughput

See 10DLC brand registration for what each requires.

Campaign use cases

Campaign use cases include 2FA, account notifications, customer care, delivery notifications, fraud alerts, marketing, mixed and others. Choosing the right one matters for approval. See 10DLC campaign registration.

What it costs

Registration fees are set by The Campaign Registry and carriers, and providers pass them through. Twilio's fee page (updated after TCR's August 1, 2025 increase) lists a $4.50 brand registration fee for sole proprietor and low-volume brands, $46 for a standard brand including secondary vetting, a $15 campaign vetting fee, and monthly campaign fees from $1.50 to $10 depending on use case. Carriers also charge small per-message fees. Full breakdown in 10DLC fees explained.

Throughput and daily limits

Registration also determines how fast and how much you can send. Carriers assign throughput based on the brand type, the campaign use case and, for standard brands, a trust score from vetting. Some carriers also set daily caps per brand. Twilio's documentation notes, for example, that Low Volume Mixed campaigns support up to 2,000 SMS segments and MMS per day toward T-Mobile and sit at the lowest throughput tier regardless of trust score.

For most small businesses texting customers one conversation at a time, these limits are far above what they need. They matter if you plan to send a large batch, such as a reminder to every customer on the same morning. If that is your plan, choose a brand and campaign type that supports it.

A worked example

Here is how registration looks for a typical small service business.

1. Brand. A two-truck HVAC company registers as "Northside Heating & Air LLC" with its EIN, the address on its IRS records, and its website. Because it has an EIN and sends modest volume, a low-volume standard brand fits.
2. Campaign. It registers one campaign for customer care and appointment notifications. The description says it texts customers who book service to confirm appointments, send technician arrival windows and answer questions.
3. Opt-in. Customers agree to texts when booking by phone or on the website form, which shows a consent checkbox and links the privacy policy.
4. Samples. "Northside Heating & Air: your technician arrives between 1 and 3pm today. Reply STOP to opt out." and "Northside Heating & Air: thanks for booking. Reply to this number with any questions. Reply STOP to opt out."
5. Approval. Once approved, the company's local number can send and receive with the registered campaign.

The business did not register a marketing campaign, so it should not send promotions until it registers one and collects written consent for marketing.

What happens if you do not register

Unregistered A2P traffic on local numbers is subject to carrier filtering, and many providers will not send it at all. In practice:

• Messages may never arrive, with no error the customer sees.
• Delivery can be slower and less predictable.
• Your number's reputation can suffer if messages are flagged.
• Carriers may apply higher fees to unregistered traffic.

For a business that relies on texts for scheduling or support, unregistered texting is not a reliable option.

How long registration takes

Brand registration can complete quickly if your details match public records. Campaign review is manual and usually takes longer. Timelines depend on carriers and your provider; Callata tells customers that carriers usually approve within 3 to 10 business days once submitted. If a campaign is rejected, you update the details and resubmit. See why 10DLC campaigns get rejected.

What you need before you start

• Legal business name exactly as registered with the IRS
• EIN (or sole proprietor details if you do not have one)
• Business address and a working website
• A clear description of who you text and why
• Sample messages that include your business name and opt-out language
• A description of how customers opt in, with an example
• A privacy policy that addresses text messaging

Good opt-in wording is the part most businesses underestimate. See SMS opt-in language examples.

10DLC vs toll-free vs short code

Sender type	Registration	Typical use
10DLC (local number)	Brand + campaign via TCR	Two-way texting with local customers
Toll-free number	Toll-free verification	National notifications and support
Short code	Short code application	High-volume alerts and marketing

Most small businesses that want customers to text the same number they call choose 10DLC. If you are deciding between number types, read local vs toll-free numbers.

Consent still applies

Registration is not permission to text anyone you like. Federal law (the TCPA) and carrier rules require consent, and marketing texts require prior express written consent. Registration simply tells carriers who you are; your opt-in records show that recipients agreed.

Texting on Callata

Callata includes a shared team inbox for your business number with templates, delivery receipts and AI reply suggestions. To turn it on, you complete a short registration in the app: what your business does, why you text customers, and an optional example message. Callata submits the brand and campaign to the carriers for a one-time $49 fee, and texting is enabled once they approve. The plan itself is $99 a month for up to five users, with each additional user at $20 a month. Get started.