Compliance · United States
SMS Compliance in the United States
A practical overview of the rules that affect SMS messaging and marketing in the United States, with a checklist before you launch.
Key Rules for SMS in the United States
Business texting in the US is shaped by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), CTIA messaging guidelines and carrier requirements such as 10DLC brand and campaign registration or toll-free verification. Marketing texts generally require prior express written consent and clear opt-out (STOP) handling; some states add their own rules.
In North America, business texting is shaped by carrier rules as well as law: in the US, application-to-person messaging on standard numbers generally requires brand and campaign registration (10DLC), and the TCPA requires appropriate consent. Other countries in the Americas have their own consumer protection and data laws.
Data Protection
The US has a patchwork of state privacy laws, including California's CCPA/CPRA, plus sector rules. Websites should include a clear privacy policy and honour opt-out requests where required.
Keep a record of how each contact was collected, what they agreed to and when, and make it easy for them to withdraw consent.
Practical Checklist
- Collect and record consent (or confirm an existing customer relationship) before sending, with the date and source.
- Use a registered sender ID or number that recipients can recognise as your business.
- Identify your business in every message and keep promotional and service messages separate.
- Give a simple way to opt out of marketing and process opt-outs quickly across all your systems.
- Send in the recipient's local daytime hours and keep frequency reasonable.
Contact data
Format numbers in international E.164 format with the +1 country code, remove duplicates and invalid numbers, and keep consent records linked to each number.
Timing and Language
The United States spans several time zones; the main business zone we plan around is the America/New_York time zone (UTC-04:00 in October 2026). Schedule SMS campaigns for the recipient's local daytime hours, avoid public holidays and religious observances that matter to your audience, and convert send times from IST before scheduling.
In New York, customers commonly use English and Spanish, with many other community languages. Messages in the customer's preferred language usually perform better, but check how local-language text affects character counts (for SMS) and template approval (for WhatsApp).
State Rules and Market Notes for the United States
Americans are heavy SMS users, and business texting is common for appointment reminders, delivery updates, two-factor codes and promotions, while WhatsApp is popular mainly in immigrant communities and for international contacts. Application-to-person texts sent from ordinary 10-digit numbers must be registered through 10DLC, the carriers' brand and campaign registration run through The Campaign Registry, and toll-free numbers need verification before sending at volume; unregistered traffic is filtered or blocked by carriers.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires prior express written consent for marketing texts and calls sent with automated systems, and statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per message make class actions common. Since April 2025, FCC rules require businesses to honour opt-out requests made by any reasonable means, such as replying 'stop', 'quit' or 'unsubscribe', within ten business days. The National Do Not Call Registry applies to telemarketing calls, and several states, including Florida, Oklahoma, Maryland and Texas, have their own stricter texting laws and calling-hour limits. CTIA's messaging principles, which carriers enforce, expect clear programme descriptions, HELP and STOP keywords and message frequency disclosures.
Advertising Alongside Messaging
Advertising must follow FTC rules on truthful advertising and endorsements, including clear disclosure of influencer and sponsored content.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and reflects our understanding as of October 2026. Rules change, so we check current requirements for the United States before every launch.
Planning SMS campaigns for the United States?
We check the rules, set up sender requirements and run compliant campaigns.
SMS in the United States: FAQs
Do I need consent to send marketing SMS messages in the United States?
In most cases, yes, or at least an existing customer relationship and a clear opt-out. Business texting in the US is shaped by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), CTIA messaging guidelines and carrier requirements such as 10DLC brand and campaign registration or toll-free verification.
Do I need a registered sender ID for the United States?
Sender ID rules vary by country and operator. Some countries require pre-registration of alphanumeric sender IDs, others only allow numeric senders. We confirm the current requirement before launch.
Can DND Teams run SMS campaigns to the United States?
Yes. We are based in Bhopal, India, and run campaigns for international markets remotely, after checking the current rules, sender requirements and coverage for the United States.
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide is general information to help you plan. Regulations change and their application depends on your business, so take local legal advice for significant campaigns.
Related Guides and Services
Other channels in United States
SMS rules in nearby markets
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