What does 10DLC stand for?

10-digit long code. It refers to a standard 10-digit US phone number, as opposed to a 5 or 6 digit short code or a toll-free number, registered for business texting.

Do I need 10DLC registration?

You need it if you send business texts to US recipients from a local 10-digit number. If you send from a toll-free number, you go through toll-free verification instead, and short codes have their own approval process.

10DLC vs toll-free vs short code, which should I use?

10DLC suits businesses that want a local number and moderate volume. Toll-free numbers are verified per number, support texting across the US and Canada and are simple to set up. Short codes have the highest throughput but cost the most and take the longest to provision. See our guide to SMS marketing tools for how platforms handle each.

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Mobile & Push

10DLC(10-Digit Long Code)

A standard 10-digit US phone number registered for business text messaging (A2P), with throughput and filtering set by a brand and campaign registration.

Definition

10DLC (10-digit long code) is a regular local US phone number that a business has registered to send application-to-person (A2P) text messages. US carriers created the 10DLC system to stop unregistered businesses from sending bulk texts over numbers meant for person-to-person use. Before sending, the business registers its brand and each messaging campaign through The Campaign Registry (TCR), usually via its SMS provider. The registration determines how many messages per second the number may send and how strictly carriers filter it.

Why It Matters

If you send business texts to US numbers from a local-looking number, 10DLC registration is mandatory: major carriers block unregistered A2P traffic. Registration also affects deliverability. A vetted brand with a clear campaign description and sample messages gets higher throughput and fewer filtered messages than a brand with a low trust score. Teams that skip or rush registration see texts silently fail.

How It Works

Your provider submits your legal business details (name, EIN, address, website) to TCR to create a brand, which receives a trust score, optionally improved through secondary vetting. You then register one or more campaigns describing the use case, such as marketing, account notifications or two-factor authentication, with sample messages and how users opt in. Once carriers approve the campaign, you attach phone numbers to it. Carriers enforce the registered use case, so sending marketing messages under a two-factor campaign can get the number blocked.

Example

A fitness studio registering a 10DLC campaign might submit:

Use case: Marketing and customer care.
Opt-in description: "Members check a box on the signup form agreeing to receive class reminders and offers by text."
Sample message: "Hi Sam, your 6pm spin class starts in 1 hour. Reply C to cancel or STOP to opt out."

Best Practices

1Register the brand with exactly the legal name and EIN on your tax records
2Describe opt-in clearly and make sure your website shows the same consent language
3Register separate campaigns for clearly different use cases
4Include STOP and HELP handling and opt-out instructions in sample messages
5Compare 10DLC with toll-free numbers and short codes before choosing, since each has different setup and throughput

Texting without 10DLC paperwork

Sequenzy's SMS add-on provisions a dedicated toll-free number and walks you through carrier verification, so you do not need to register a 10DLC brand.

Learn More

US Business Texting Number Types

Number type	Example	Registration	Best for
10DLC	(415) 555-0134	Brand and campaign via TCR	Local presence, moderate volume
Toll-free	(833) 555-0134	Toll-free verification	US and Canada reach, simple setup
Short code	72345	Carrier approval, leased	Very high volume and speed