Everything you need to know about 10DLC registration — from brand setup to carrier approval. Learn the step-by-step process, costs, timelines, and common pitfalls.
10DLC stands for 10-digit long code — the standard 10-digit phone numbers (like 202-555-0123) that businesses and organizations use to send text messages. U.S. carriers now require these senders and their campaigns to be registered before they send.
Organizations that send application-to-person (A2P) text messages through 10-digit numbers register through The Campaign Registry (TCR), which manages A2P 10DLC registration on behalf of major U.S. wireless carriers. Brands can't register with TCR directly; a texting provider does it for them.
10DLC registration is the process of verifying your organization's identity (brand registration) and your texting purpose (campaign registration) so carriers know who you are and what you're sending. Unregistered traffic may be filtered or blocked.
For political campaigns, 10DLC registration comes with an additional layer: Campaign Verify, an independent nonpartisan nonprofit (not a registry) that serves as one of TCR's vetting providers and verifies political campaigns, parties, and PACs. Campaign Verify says some U.S. carriers have required political 527 organizations on A2P 10DLC to have its token since 2021, and that the token unlocks the political special use case with higher messaging capacity for campaign texting.
Key takeaway: U.S. carriers require 10DLC senders and campaigns to be registered before sending, and unregistered traffic may be filtered or blocked. Registration is straightforward when you know the process.
Political campaigns have unique texting needs that make 10DLC registration especially critical. You're sending time-sensitive messages to thousands (or tens of thousands) of voters, often during narrow windows before elections. Here's why registration matters:
Carriers expect 10DLC senders to be registered before sending, and unregistered messages may be filtered or blocked. For a campaign trying to reach voters in a short window before Election Day, that is a risk you don't want.
Throughput for registered campaigns varies by carrier, provider, and registration details. Campaign Verify says verified political committees get access to increased throughput through the political special use case.
Carrier fees and surcharges vary by carrier and provider and can change. Registering properly up front avoids paying for messages that end up filtered or blocked. Ask your provider which carrier fees are passed through.
Carriers may block numbers that send unregistered A2P traffic. Because brands, providers, and message content are all registered with TCR, carriers can trace traffic back to the sender, so swapping in new numbers is not a fix.
10DLC registration is a carrier requirement, not a legal safe harbor. Political texting is also subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), FCC rules, and state laws. The FCC says political texts sent to cell phones with an autodialer require prior express consent, while messages sent manually can be sent without prior consent, and that campaigns should honor opt-out requests such as replying STOP. CTIA's Messaging Principles also expect political senders to get consent and honor opt-outs, whether or not the TCPA applies. See our campaign texting compliance overview.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your campaign's counsel.
The 10DLC registration process involves multiple organizations and systems working together. Here's the complete process for political campaigns, broken down into the five key steps.
From initial setup to sending your first message, here's what happens at each stage of the 10DLC campaign registration process.
Brands can't register with TCR directly. Your messaging provider (like VoterPing) submits your registration through The Campaign Registry, which manages 10DLC registration for major U.S. carriers.
Provide your committee's legal name, EIN, address, website, and authorized contact, matching your official filings. Your provider submits them to TCR as your brand.
Register your texting use case with a description, sample messages, how recipients consent, and opt-out and help handling. Verified political committees can use the political special use case.
Eligible political committees get verified by Campaign Verify against their published filing and generate a 10DLC token for their provider. Many do this first so the token is ready.
Your provider links your 10-digit phone numbers to the approved campaign. Then you can start sending.
The Campaign Registry (TCR) manages A2P 10DLC registration on behalf of major U.S. wireless carriers. You register your organization (brand) and your purpose (campaign) so both the "who" and the "what" of your texting are known up front.
Most political campaigns don't interact with TCR directly. TCR does not currently offer direct registration for brands. Your messaging platform provider (called a CSP, or campaign service provider) handles the TCR submission on your behalf. For VoterPing clients, we handle this step.
What you need to provide at this stage:
Brand registration is where TCR verifies your organization's identity. For political campaigns, this means verifying your campaign committee or political organization as a legitimate entity.
Required information for political brand registration:
Brand information is checked against official records. For political committees, Campaign Verify is the vetting step that confirms you are a registered political entity.
Pro tip: Mismatched information is a common cause of brand registration delays. Make sure your legal name, EIN, and address match your FEC filings and IRS records exactly. Even small differences (like "Inc." vs "Inc" or a different suite number) can cause delays.
After your brand is verified, you register your specific messaging "campaign" (confusingly, TCR uses "campaign" to mean "texting use case," not your political campaign). This tells carriers what you're sending and why.
Key elements of campaign registration:
Your sample messages should identify who the message is from and include any paid-for-by disclaimer your messages will carry (e.g., "Pd for by Friends of Jane Smith"). Disclaimer rules vary by jurisdiction, so check with counsel. Samples are reviewed during approval.
This is the political-specific step that most campaigns don't know about until they hit a wall. Campaign Verify is an independent nonpartisan nonprofit, not part of TCR, that serves as one of TCR's vetting providers for political campaigns, parties, and PACs.
Eligible committees are 527 organizations registered with the FEC or a state, local, or tribal election authority. Campaign Verify checks your request against:
Staff review takes minutes to two business days, then a PIN is sent to a contact on your filing. Once verified, you generate a Campaign Verify token in the portal, one per texting provider and per channel. Your provider imports the 10DLC token into TCR, which unlocks the political special use case. Campaign Verify charges $95 per entity per two-year election cycle. VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150, which includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee.
Campaign Verify says political entities that don't verify and send bulk texts may face fines or message blocking from some wireless carriers. Without a token you also can't use the political special use case.
The final step is linking your phone numbers to your approved campaign registration. Each 10-digit number you plan to use for sending must be associated with your approved TCR campaign.
Once numbers are assigned:
Many campaigns use more than one phone number. Every number used must be linked to your approved campaign.
10DLC registration involves fees from more than one party. TCR and carrier fees are not published in one official place and vary by provider, so ask your provider for its pass-through fees.
| Fee Type | Amount | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 10DLC Brand Registration | Varies by provider | Per brand |
| 10DLC Campaign Registration | Varies by provider | Per campaign (use case) |
| Campaign Verify Fee | $95 | Once per entity per two-year election cycle; tokens are free |
| Carrier Fees | Varies by provider | Ask your provider |
| VoterPing 10DLC Campaign Verification Service | $150 | Includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee |
VoterPing pricing: VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150, which includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee. Texting is $0.04 per message. Contact us for an exact quote.
Timing matters for political campaigns. How long registration takes depends on Campaign Verify and 10DLC review. Here's what to expect at each step.
Campaign Verify staff approve or reject a request within minutes to two business days; delays can happen if your filing isn't published. The PIN arrives immediately by text or email, or in about 5-10 business days by postal mail. Token creation is immediate once verified. Expedited review is available for $400.
Your provider submits your brand to TCR and imports your Campaign Verify token. Review time varies.
Your campaign use case and sample messages are reviewed. Review time varies; clear descriptions and complete samples help avoid back-and-forth.
Phone numbers are linked to your approved campaign. Then you're ready to send.
Working with VoterPing: We walk you through Campaign Verify and handle the 10DLC registration with your token. Timing depends on Campaign Verify and 10DLC review, so start early. Contact us to get started.
These are common mistakes in the 10DLC registration process, and how to avoid them.
Your legal name, EIN, and address must match across FEC filings, IRS records, and your TCR submission exactly. "Friends of Jane Smith" is not the same as "Jane Smith for Congress." Even abbreviation differences (St. vs Street) can cause delays.
Sample messages are reviewed during campaign registration. Samples that don't identify the sender or leave out the disclaimer your messages will carry can be sent back. Include your committee's disclaimer in every sample you submit; ask counsel what your jurisdiction requires.
Writing "We want to text voters" isn't specific enough. Describe your exact use case: "Voter outreach for Jane Smith's 2026 congressional campaign including GOTV reminders, early voting location information, and volunteer shift coordination targeting registered voters in District 5."
Some campaigns start 10DLC registration without a Campaign Verify token. Some carriers require one for political committees, and without it you can't use the political special use case and its higher messaging capacity. Get verified early.
Starting 10DLC registration three days before your first send is risky. Campaign Verify review, PIN delivery, and 10DLC review all take time, and complications happen. Start well before your planned first send.
Registration asks how recipients consented to your messages, and CTIA's Messaging Principles expect political senders to get consent before messaging. Describe your consent flow clearly, and have a privacy policy and texting terms on your website.
10DLC registration has a lot of moving parts. VoterPing handles it for campaigns that use our political texting services.
We submit your brand and campaign registration with your Campaign Verify token and link your numbers. You provide your campaign details and receive the Campaign Verify PIN. VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150, which includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee.
We help you prepare your Campaign Verify request so it matches your filing. Timing depends on Campaign Verify and 10DLC review, but VoterPing can usually get you set up the same day.
Registration isn't "set and forget." Campaign Verify tokens follow two-year election cycles, and carrier requirements change. We keep your registration current with your account.
Stuck in review or got a rejection? Our team works with you to fix the issue and resubmit.
10DLC (10-digit long code) registration is the process of registering your organization (brand) and your messaging use case (campaign) through The Campaign Registry (TCR) to send application-to-person (A2P) text messages from standard 10-digit phone numbers. Brands register through a texting provider, not directly with TCR.
It depends on Campaign Verify and 10DLC review. Campaign Verify staff approve or reject a request within minutes to two business days, and PIN delivery ranges from immediate (text or email) to about 5-10 business days (postal mail). 10DLC brand and campaign review times vary. Start early.
10DLC brand, campaign, and carrier fees vary by provider. Campaign Verify charges $95 per entity per two-year election cycle. VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150, which includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee.
If you send A2P texts from 10-digit numbers, carriers expect your brand and campaign to be registered. Campaign Verify says that since 2021 some U.S. carriers have also required political 527 organizations on A2P 10DLC to have a Campaign Verify token.
Campaign Verify is an independent nonpartisan nonprofit, not a registry, that verifies U.S. political campaigns, parties, and PACs against their filings with the FEC or a state, local, or tribal election authority. It is one of TCR's vetting providers. Your texting provider imports your 10DLC token into TCR to unlock the political special use case.
Unregistered 10DLC traffic may be filtered or blocked by carriers, and your numbers may be blocked. For political committees, Campaign Verify says those that don't verify and send bulk texts may face fines or message blocking from some wireless carriers.
Short codes are 5-6 digit numbers built for high-volume messaging; they generally cost more and take longer to set up than 10DLC. 10DLC uses standard 10-digit phone numbers. Since November 5, 2025, Campaign Verify also issues Short Code and Toll-Free tokens for political senders.
A brand (organization) can have more than one campaign (use case) registration. For political texting, each committee is verified separately by Campaign Verify and needs its own token, so a consultant texting for several candidates should expect each committee to be registered on its own. Ask your provider how it handles this.
You'll need your organization's legal name, EIN, address, website, authorized contact, and organization type. Political committees also need a Campaign Verify token, which requires your filing record URL and EIN. The information should match your official filings; mismatches cause delays.
VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150, which includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee. We walk you through Campaign Verify, then submit your brand and campaign registration with your token and link your numbers. Timing depends on Campaign Verify and 10DLC review, but VoterPing can usually get you set up the same day. Get started today.
VoterPing handles your 10DLC registration, brand setup, and Campaign Verify walk-through so you can focus on your election. VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150, which includes Campaign Verify's $95 fee.
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