A2P 10DLC is the registration system US carriers use for business text messages sent from ordinary 10-digit US phone numbers. "A2P" means application-to-person and "10DLC" means 10-digit long code. You register your business (the Brand) and what you send (the Campaign) through The Campaign Registry, usually via your provider such as Twilio, so carriers can trust and deliver the traffic.

Do I have to register for A2P 10DLC?

Yes, if you send SMS or MMS from software to US phone numbers using a +1 10-digit long code, including small businesses and sole proprietors. According to Twilio, since September 1, 2023 messages sent to the US from unregistered 10DLC numbers are blocked and fail with error 30034.

How long does A2P 10DLC campaign approval take?

It varies with carrier and vetting queues. Twilio’s own guidance ranges from several business days to two to three weeks for Standard and Low-Volume Standard registrations, and Twilio suggests contacting support if vetting is still in progress after 10 days. A complete, consistent submission is the best way to avoid a rejection and a second wait.

Why was my A2P 10DLC campaign rejected?

The most common reasons are an unclear opt-in or call to action (errors 30909 and 30896), a vague campaign description (30886), sample messages that don’t match the use case (30893), public link shorteners (30892), and a website or brand details that don’t match the registered business (30891, 30894). Each rejection carries an error code in the Twilio Console that points to what to fix.

Should I delete a rejected campaign and create a new one?

Usually no. Twilio charges the vetting fee once per campaign, so editing and resubmitting the same campaign avoids paying again. Recreate it only when the use case itself was wrong or the brand details need changing, because neither can be edited on an existing campaign.

What is the difference between Sole Proprietor, Low-Volume Standard and Standard brands?

Sole Proprietor brands are for individuals without an EIN and allow one campaign with about 1,000 SMS segments per day to T-Mobile. Low-Volume Standard brands allow up to about 2,000 segments per day to T-Mobile and up to five campaigns. Standard brands start above that and can scale much higher based on the brand’s vetting score. Check Twilio’s current limits before choosing.

Can someone register A2P 10DLC for me?

Yes. A developer or consultant can prepare and submit the brand and campaign in your Twilio account, fix the website and opt-in flow, and handle resubmissions. You still provide the legal business details, because carriers verify them against official records.

A2P 10DLC Registration Guide: Steps & Rejection Fixes

Who needs to register

Anyone sending SMS or MMS from an application to US phone numbers over a +1 10-digit long code must register, including small businesses, nonprofits and individuals using Twilio. Twilio's A2P 10DLC overview covers the scope. Carriers made this a fully verified route: per Twilio's changelog, messages to the US from unregistered 10DLC numbers have been blocked since September 1, 2023, returning error 30034.

Toll-free numbers and short codes have their own verification processes and are not covered here.

How registration works

Business profile and Brand. Submit the legal business name, EIN, address, website and a contact. The Campaign Registry checks it against official records and assigns a trust level that affects throughput (Twilio on throughput and trust scores).
Campaign. Choose a use case (for example account notifications, customer care, marketing), describe who sends what to whom and why, explain the opt-in flow, and add sample messages. The campaign is then vetted.
Messaging Service and numbers. Once approved, the campaign is attached to a Messaging Service and your 10DLC numbers are added to its sender pool. Only then will messages flow.

Twilio's registration quickstart walks through the console screens.

Brand types at a glance

Brand type	Who it's for	Daily volume to T-Mobile	Campaigns
Sole Proprietor	Individuals without an EIN	About 1,000 SMS segments	One
Low-Volume Standard	Businesses with an EIN and low volume	Up to about 2,000 SMS segments	Up to five
Standard	Businesses with an EIN	From 2,000 up, based on vetting score	Up to five

Limits change; confirm them in Twilio's documentation before you choose.

What to prepare before you submit

Exact legal details. Business name, EIN and address exactly as they appear in IRS records. Small spelling differences cause brand failures.
A live website that belongs to the brand and describes the same business. No parked or "coming soon" pages.
A privacy policy that says mobile numbers and SMS consent are not shared with third parties for marketing, and terms that cover the SMS program. From June 30, 2026, Twilio's API requires privacy policy and terms URLs on new campaign registrations (changelog).
A visible opt-in with consent text next to the phone field: brand name, what messages the person will receive, message frequency, "Msg & data rates may apply", how to get HELP and how to STOP, and links to the privacy policy and terms. The consent checkbox should not be pre-ticked or required to submit the form.
A specific campaign description naming the sender, the recipients and the purpose.
Two or more realistic sample messages with your brand name, [bracketed] variables and opt-out wording, and no public link shorteners.

Common rejection reasons and how to fix them

Each rejection shows an error code in the Twilio Console. These are the ones that come up most often (full list in Twilio's campaign troubleshooting guide):

Error	What it means	How to fix it
`30909`	Message flow / call to action incomplete or unverifiable	Describe every place a person opts in (web form, checkout, paper form, keyword) and link to it. If the form is behind a login, host a screenshot at a public URL and include that link.
`30896`	Opt-in error	Show who opts in, where, and exactly what they agree to. The consent text must name your brand, say what messages they will get, and mention message frequency, "Msg & data rates may apply", HELP and STOP.
`30886`	Campaign description is too vague	Write who is sending, who receives the messages and why, e.g. "Acme Dental sends appointment reminders to patients who booked online and opted in to texts."
`30893`	Sample messages don’t match the use case	Samples must look like real messages for the selected use case, include your brand name, and use [brackets] for variable fields. Add opt-out language to at least one sample.
`30892`	Public URL shortener in samples	Remove bit.ly, TinyURL and similar links. Use your full domain, or a branded short domain you own.
`30891`	Website URL invalid	The website must be live, public, belong to the brand, and describe the business you registered. Parked pages, "coming soon" pages and social profiles usually fail.
`30894`	Brand information doesn’t match	Legal name, EIN and address must match IRS records exactly, and the website must clearly belong to that company. Brand details can’t be edited while a campaign exists.
`30887`	Opt-out error	Support STOP (and similar keywords), confirm the opt-out with one final message, and describe this in the campaign.
`30890`	Subscriber HELP missing	Reply to HELP with your brand name and a way to get support (phone, email or website).
`30883`	Prohibited content	Content involving sex, hate speech, alcohol, firearms, tobacco or cannabis is restricted. Remove it, or ask Twilio Support whether an appeal applies.

Resubmit instead of starting over. Twilio charges the vetting fee once per campaign, so edit and resubmit a rejected campaign. Delete and recreate only when the use case was wrong or the brand details must change, since neither can be edited on an existing campaign.

How long it takes

Review times depend on carrier and vetting queues. Twilio's guidance ranges from several business days to two to three weeks for Standard and Low-Volume Standard registrations, and the vetting FAQ suggests contacting support if a review is still pending after 10 days. Each rejection restarts the wait, which is why a complete first submission matters more than speed.

When to get help

Registration is worth handing off when a campaign has already been rejected more than once, when the opt-in lives inside an app or behind a login, when you run several brands (agencies and GoHighLevel-style setups), or when messaging is blocking a launch. I handle A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration end to end, including the website, privacy policy and opt-in changes reviewers ask for.

A2P 10DLC Registration: How It Works and Why Campaigns Get Rejected

Short answer