10DLC Registration: The Complete Guide for Political Campaigns

If you're running political text campaigns in 2024 and beyond, 10DLC registration isn't optional - it's essential. Proper registration is the single biggest factor determining whether your messages reach voters or get filtered by carriers.

Yet many campaigns struggle with confusing requirements, slow registration processes, and unclear guidance on political use cases. This guide cuts through the complexity.

What Is 10DLC?

10DLC stands for "10-Digit Long Code" - standard phone numbers (like 555-123-4567) used to send high-volume text messages.

The History: Why 10DLC Exists

Before 2021, campaigns could send mass texts from regular phone numbers without registration. This led to massive spam problems, and carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) started aggressively filtering messages.

In response, carriers and industry groups created the 10DLC framework:

Goals:

Reduce spam and scam texts
Improve message quality for consumers
Create accountability for high-volume senders
Enable better filtering of legitimate vs. illegitimate messages

How it works: Organizations must register their brand (who you are) and campaign (what you're texting about) with The Campaign Registry (TCR), which shares this information with carriers.

Properly registered campaigns enjoy:

✅ Higher delivery rates (95-99%)
✅ Higher throughput (messages per second)
✅ Lower filtering by carrier spam systems
✅ Better sender reputation

Unregistered or improperly registered campaigns face:

❌ Delivery rates as low as 20-40%
❌ Severe throttling (slow message delivery)
❌ Carrier filtering and blocking
❌ Potential number suspension

Bottom line: 10DLC registration is the difference between messages that reach voters and messages that disappear into the void.

The Two-Part Registration Process

10DLC registration requires two steps:

Step 1: Brand Registration

Your brand is your organization - the campaign, PAC, party committee, or advocacy group sending messages.

Information required:

Legal business name
EIN (Employer Identification Number) or Tax ID
Business type (political organization, LLC, etc.)
Business address
Contact information
Website
Vertical/industry (political)

Timeline: Usually approved within 24-48 hours (with a competent provider)

Cost: Typically $4-15 one-time fee

Step 2: Campaign Registration

Your campaign (in TCR terminology) describes what you're texting about and the nature of your messages.

Information required:

Campaign description
Message samples
Use case category (political)
Opt-in method
Volume estimates
Privacy policy and terms of service

Timeline:

Political campaigns: 24-48 hours with fast providers (like Political Comms)
Can take 7-14 days with slow providers

Cost: Typically $10-15 per campaign

Important: You need one brand registration, but may need multiple campaign registrations if running different types of messaging (e.g., one for GOTV, one for fundraising).

Political Use Case: Special Requirements

Political campaigns have unique 10DLC requirements that differ from commercial businesses.

Declaring Political Use

When registering your campaign, you must select "Political" as the use case. This tells carriers you're sending political messages, which have different legal protections and requirements than commercial marketing.

Why this matters:

Carriers apply different filtering rules to political vs. commercial messages
Political speech has First Amendment protections
Opt-in requirements differ (political texts don't always require prior written consent like commercial do)
Throughput limits may vary

Message Content Requirements

Your message samples must:

Clearly identify the sender (campaign or organization name)
Include opt-out instructions (e.g., "Reply STOP to opt out")
Represent actual messages you'll send
Avoid spam triggers (all caps, excessive punctuation, deceptive content)

Good political message sample:

Hi Sarah! This is Mike with the Johnson for Congress campaign. Election Day is Nov 5. Can we count on your vote? Reply STOP to opt out.

Bad message sample:

URGENT!!! DONATE NOW!!! Your candidate needs you TODAY! Click here immediately!!!

Compliance Documentation

Some carriers require proof of:

FEC registration (for federal campaigns)
State campaign committee registration
Valid political organization status

Pro tip: Have these documents ready before starting registration to speed the process.

Common Registration Mistakes

Avoid these errors that delay approval or hurt delivery:

1. Generic Business Use Case

Mistake: Selecting "marketing" or "business" instead of "political"

Impact: Carriers apply stricter filtering, lower throughput, potential violations of TCPA

Fix: Always declare political use for political campaigns

2. Vague Campaign Descriptions

Mistake:

"We send messages to our contacts"

Better:

"Peer-to-peer political messaging for voter outreach, GOTV, volunteer recruitment, and fundraising for the Johnson for Congress campaign"

Why it matters: Clear descriptions help carriers understand your messaging and reduce filtering

3. Poor Message Samples

Mistake: Using overly aggressive, spam-like samples

Impact: Rejection or low trust scores from carriers

Fix: Provide representative, compliant samples that show legitimate political communication

4. Wrong Business Type

Mistake: Registering as an individual or sole proprietor when you should register as a political committee

Impact: Delays, rejections, mismatched records

Fix: Register using your official campaign committee information and EIN

5. Incomplete Information

Mistake: Missing website, invalid EIN, incomplete address

Impact: Automatic rejection, multi-day delays

Fix: Have all information ready before starting:

Official campaign name
EIN/Tax ID
Physical address
Website (even a simple one)
Contact phone and email
Privacy policy

Timeline and Expectations

How long does 10DLC registration take?

With a Good Provider (Like Political Comms)

Brand registration: 24-48 hours Campaign registration: 24-48 hours Total time to sending: 2-4 days

With a Slow Provider

Brand registration: 3-5 days Campaign registration: 7-14 days Total time to sending: 10-19 days

Why the difference?

Fast providers:

Have dedicated political workflows
Pre-populate correct information
Know exactly what carriers need
Have direct TCR relationships
Handle resubmissions quickly if needed

Slow providers:

Use generic business templates
Require campaigns to figure out information themselves
Don't specialize in political
May have multi-tier registration processes

Planning ahead: Start registration at least 1-2 weeks before you need to send messages. Last-minute registration causes problems.

Trust Scores and Throughput

Once registered, carriers assign a trust score that determines message throughput.

Trust Score Levels

High Trust (75-100):

Throughput: 4,500+ messages/minute per number
Delivery: 98%+
Filtering: Minimal

Medium Trust (50-74):

Throughput: 240-1,500 messages/minute per number
Delivery: 90-95%
Filtering: Moderate

Low Trust (1-49):

Throughput: 60-240 messages/minute per number
Delivery: 70-85%
Filtering: High

Standard (default for most political):

Throughput: 60 messages/minute per number
Delivery: 85-95%
Filtering: Moderate

How to Improve Trust Score

Register correctly:

Complete all fields accurately
Provide clear campaign descriptions
Use good message samples

Maintain good practices:

Honor opt-outs immediately
Avoid spam content
Keep complaint rates low (under 0.1%)
Maintain consistent messaging patterns

Build reputation over time:

Start sending early (don't wait until the week before the election)
Send regularly (not just massive blasts once)
Monitor and respond to engagement

Use a provider with carrier relationships:

Providers like Political Comms have direct carrier connections
Better visibility into filtering issues
Faster resolution of problems

Managing Multiple Campaigns

If you're running different types of messaging, you may need multiple campaign registrations.

When You Need Multiple Campaigns

Different use cases:

GOTV campaign (voter turnout)
Fundraising campaign (donations)
Volunteer recruitment campaign
Issue advocacy campaign

Different message types:

Peer-to-peer (human-sent messages)
Automated (scheduled broadcasts)

Different organizations:

Candidate committee
Party committee
Independent PAC
Issue advocacy group

When One Campaign Is Enough

If all your messages are:

From the same organization
Similar in nature (political outreach)
Using the same opt-in method
Sent to the same general audience

One campaign registration usually suffices.

Pro tip: Ask your provider. Political Comms helps campaigns determine the optimal registration structure.

Opt-In and Consent

While political campaigns have more flexibility than commercial businesses, you still need to manage opt-ins properly.

What Counts as Opt-In for Political Texting

Unlike commercial marketing (which requires "prior express written consent"), political messages can rely on:

Explicit opt-in:

"Text me updates" checkbox on website
Keyword opt-in (text "JOIN" to 55555)
Verbal consent during canvassing

Implied consent:

Existing relationship (donor, volunteer, supporter)
Public voter file contact

Best practice: Document your opt-in method in your 10DLC campaign registration.

Required Opt-Out Handling

Regardless of opt-in type, you must honor opt-outs:

Requirements:

Process STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT, CANCEL, END
Stop sending immediately (within seconds, not hours)
Send confirmation message
Never contact again

Example:

Voter: STOP

Auto-reply: You've been unsubscribed from Johnson for Congress messages. You will receive no further texts. Reply START to rejoin.

Choose a platform with automatic opt-out handling (like Political Comms).

Maintaining Compliance

10DLC registration isn't one-and-done. Ongoing compliance matters.

Monitor Delivery Rates

Track carrier-specific delivery:

AT&T delivery rate
Verizon delivery rate
T-Mobile delivery rate

Red flags:

Sudden drops in delivery (indicates filtering)
Increasing carrier error codes
High SPAM reports

Update Campaign Information

If your messaging changes significantly, update your campaign registration:

New message types
Different use case
Volume increases

Renew Annually

Campaign registrations typically require annual renewal:

Small fee ($10-15)
Confirm information is still accurate
Update if needed

Handle Number Changes

If you change phone numbers:

Register new numbers under your existing campaign
Don't use unregistered numbers
Deactivate old numbers properly

Red Flags: Bad Providers

Watch out for providers who:

Take too long:

Weeks instead of days for registration
No transparency about timeline
Vague answers about status

Don't understand political:

Try to force you into "marketing" use case
Don't have political-specific workflows
Can't explain political requirements

Hidden fees:

Charge extra for "expedited" registration (should be standard)
Recurring monthly fees per campaign
Surprise charges for carrier fees

Share opt-outs:

Pool suppression lists across all clients
Lose 10-30% of your reach
Not compliant with best practices

Lack transparency:

Won't show you delivery reports
No carrier-level error codes
Vague about throughput limits

Choosing the Right Provider

Look for a platform that:

Specializes in political:

Understands campaign deadlines
Has political-specific registration workflows
Fast registration (24-48 hours)

Has direct carrier relationships:

One hop to carriers, not resellers
Real-time delivery reporting
Carrier-level error codes

Provides isolated opt-outs:

Your opt-outs belong to you
Not shared across all clients
Maximizes your reach

Offers transparent pricing:

Clear per-message costs
No hidden fees
Guaranteed lowest pricing

Includes full support:

Helps with registration
Answers compliance questions
Resolves delivery issues quickly

At Political Comms, we check all these boxes:

✅ 24-48 hour registration
✅ Political-specific workflows
✅ Direct carrier relationships
✅ Isolated opt-out lists
✅ 97.8% delivery rates
✅ Transparent, lowest pricing

Getting Started

Ready to register for 10DLC? Here's what you need:

Gather information:

Choose your provider:

Look for political specialization
Fast registration timelines
Direct carrier relationships
Isolated opt-outs

Submit registration:

Provide accurate information
Select "political" use case
Include good message samples

Wait for approval:

24-48 hours with good providers
Monitor email for any questions

Start sending:

Test delivery across carriers
Monitor performance
Maintain compliance

The Bottom Line

10DLC registration is the #1 factor in political text message delivery rates. Get it wrong, and your messages don't reach voters. Get it right, and you'll enjoy 95-99% delivery.

Keys to success:

✅ Register early (don't wait until the last minute)
✅ Choose a provider that specializes in political
✅ Provide accurate, complete information
✅ Select "political" use case
✅ Include compliant message samples
✅ Monitor delivery and maintain compliance

What to avoid:

❌ Slow providers (weeks instead of days)
❌ Generic business workflows
❌ Incomplete or inaccurate registration
❌ Providers who share opt-outs
❌ Last-minute registration

At Political Comms, we've registered over 2,000 campaigns with 24-48 hour turnaround, 97.8% delivery rates, and the support you need to succeed.

Ready to register for 10DLC? Get started with Political Comms - we handle the entire process.

Questions about 10DLC or compliance? Contact our team - we're here to help.