Guide
A2P 10DLC registration for real estate investors: step by step
A2P 10DLC registration is how US carriers approve a business to text from 10-digit numbers through software. You register a brand (your business and EIN) and a campaign (use case, samples, opt-in) with a provider such as Twilio, which blocks a number's US texts until its campaign is approved.
What is A2P 10DLC?
A2P 10DLC is the standard US carriers use to make sure business texting from regular 10-digit numbers is verified and consensual (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). A2P means application-to-person: a person receives messages from software rather than from another person. 10DLC means 10-digit long code, a standard local number.
Carriers treat every message sent through a provider like Twilio as A2P, so a text your acquisitions rep types in a CRM is still A2P traffic. Registration tells carriers who you are (your brand) and what you send and how people agree to it (your campaign). Twilio submits your brand to The Campaign Registry (TCR) for review, and your campaign then goes through manual vetting (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
Is A2P 10DLC registration required?
Yes, if you text US phones from software over a 10-digit local number. Twilio's overview says anyone sending SMS or MMS from an application over a 10DLC number to the US must register, and that this includes individuals and hobbyists (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). If you text sellers or buyers from a CRM on a local Twilio number, that is you.
Registration is not a future deadline: Twilio already blocks texts to US phones from a 10DLC number that isn't on an approved campaign and returns error 30034 (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). The only way to text without 10DLC registration is a different kind of number, a toll-free number or a short code, and each of those has its own approval (compared in the next section).
Which brand type fits you
Your brand type depends on whether you have an EIN and how much you send (Twilio overview and fee guide, checked Oct 2026):
| Brand type | Who it fits | Daily volume, per Twilio |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Proprietor | No EIN | 1,000 segments a day to T-Mobile, about 3,000 across US carriers; one campaign |
| Low-Volume Standard | Has an EIN, sends under 6,000 segments a day | Up to 2,000 a day to T-Mobile, about 6,000 across US carriers |
| Standard | Has an EIN, sends more | From 2,000 a day to T-Mobile up to unlimited, based on Trust Score |
If your sole proprietorship has an EIN, Twilio says The Campaign Registry requires you to register as Low-Volume Standard or Standard, not Sole Proprietor (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
10DLC vs toll-free vs short code
None of the three US options lets you text from software without approval: a local 10DLC number needs brand and campaign registration, a toll-free number needs toll-free verification, and a short code needs a carrier application. What changes is the review time and the cost (Twilio sources, checked Oct 2026: 10DLC overview, error 30034, error 30032, toll-free verification, short code guidelines, US SMS pricing):
| 10DLC (local number) | Toll-free number | Short code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A local number with an area code | A toll-free number, such as an 800 number | A short numeric sender ID built for high volume |
| Approval to text US phones | A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration | Toll-free verification | Twilio review, then carrier approval |
| Texting before approval | Blocked (error 30034) | Blocked since January 31, 2024 (error 30032) | Not live until carriers approve |
| Twilio's stated review time | Two to three weeks for campaign vetting | Twilio reviews within three business days | About 4 to 8 weeks from payment to carrier approval |
| Twilio's US monthly price | $1.15 per number, plus the campaign fee | $2.15 per number | $1,000 random or $1,500 vanity, billed quarterly |
For most wholesalers a local 10DLC number is the practical choice. Twilio notes the same local number can be used for calls and texts (Twilio, checked Oct 2026), so a seller sees one local number whether you call or text.
Neither alternative is a way around consent. Toll-free verification asks how people opt in, with a screenshot of the opt-in flow and a sample message (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). Twilio's short code guidelines require express consent before any text and exclude businesses whose sole purpose is lead generation or data collection, and they put throughput at 100 messages per second by default (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). That speed matters for large opted-in lists, not for a team texting sellers who asked for an offer.
Before you start: 10DLC website requirements
Reviewers check your website before they approve anything, so fix it first. Twilio's requirements (campaign onboarding guide and rejection codes, Twilio, checked Oct 2026):
- A real business website. It must load, not require a login, and represent the same business named in your brand registration. A page that is only a lead form can be rejected (code 30920); submit your main site.
- A privacy policy that is public, says what you collect, discloses message frequency, includes "Message and data rates may apply", and states you won't share mobile numbers with third parties (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
- SMS terms on the same domain: program name and description, "message and data rates may apply", message frequency, support contact, HELP and STOP instructions, a link to the privacy policy, and a line that carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
- An opt-in form with an unchecked consent box, separate from accepting your terms. Texting consent must be optional: a form that can't be submitted without it gets rejected (code 30931).
Here is a starting point for the texting section of your privacy policy, written to cover the points above. Adapt it with your attorney; it is not legal advice.
SMS section for your privacy policy
Text messaging. When you submit a form on this site and check the box agreeing to receive texts, [Business name] collects your name, mobile number and property details and uses your number to text you about your request. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. We do not sell, rent or share mobile numbers or SMS opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
Step 1: register your brand
Your brand tells carriers who is sending. In Twilio's console it is a profile, a brand form and a review (Twilio, checked Oct 2026):
- Create a Primary Customer Profile in Trust Hub. Enter your business details once. Twilio says approval can take 72 hours or more, and you can keep going while it's pending.
- Register the brand. Enter your exact legal business name as it appears on your IRS CP 575 or 147C letter (not your W-2 or W-9), your EIN, business type, industry (Real Estate), website, business address, and an authorized representative's name, title, email and phone (field guide and rejection code 30918, Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
- Wait for review. TCR's review usually finishes within minutes; a brand sent to manual review takes seven business days or more.
If your LLC is new, Twilio notes a fresh EIN can take 30 to 90 days to show up in the databases reviewers check, so a brand can fail on a tax ID mismatch until it does. Twilio suggests waiting a few weeks before resubmitting, or sending the EIN letter to its support team for a manual appeal (usually 5 to 7 business days) (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
Step 2: register your campaign
Your campaign tells carriers what you send, who gets it, and how they agreed to it. What Twilio asks for (field guide and onboarding guide, Twilio, checked Oct 2026):
| Field | What reviewers want |
|---|---|
| Use case | The category that matches your messages, such as Marketing, Mixed or Low-Volume Mixed |
| Description | Who sends, who receives, and why; 40 to 4,096 characters |
| Message flow | Every way people opt in, with links to your form, privacy policy and terms; 40 to 2,049 characters |
| Sample messages | Two to five real examples that name your business, use [brackets] for variables, and include opt-out wording in at least one |
| Links and phone numbers | Tick the boxes if your texts contain them, and show them in samples |
| Keywords and replies | STOP and HELP handling; Twilio's defaults cover this unless you manage it yourself |
| Opt-in confirmation | The first text after someone opts in: your brand, message frequency, "Msg & data rates may apply", HELP and STOP |
You also attach a Messaging Service with every number you plan to text from. When the campaign is approved, the numbers in that service are registered (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
A sample campaign description for inbound seller leads
Here is a starting point for an investor who texts sellers only after they ask to be contacted, such as web-form leads from your motivated seller lead marketing. Replace the brackets, and describe only what you actually do.
Campaign description
[Business name] buys houses directly from homeowners in [Market]. Messages are sent by [Business name] to property owners who requested an offer through the form at [your website]/[form page] and checked a separate, unchecked box agreeing to receive texts. Messages respond to that request: questions about the property, scheduling a walkthrough, appointment reminders and offers to purchase their property. We do not text purchased, rented or third-party lists.
Message flow
End users opt in on the web form at [your website]/[form page] by entering their name, property address and mobile number and checking a box, unchecked by default and not required to submit the form, with this text: [your consent text]. The page links to our SMS Terms at [your website]/sms-terms and our Privacy Policy at [your website]/privacy, which states we do not sell or share mobile numbers or SMS opt-in data with third parties for marketing. After opting in, they receive a confirmation text from [Business name] with message frequency, rates, HELP and STOP instructions.
Sample messages to submit:
Sample opt-in disclosure
Put this next to an unchecked checkbox on your seller form. It is a starting point to adapt with your attorney, not legal advice and not a copy of any software default.
Consent checkbox text
[ ] I agree to receive text messages from [Business name] at the mobile number I provided about my property request, including follow-up questions, appointment reminders and offers to buy my property. Messages may be sent using automated technology. Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our [Privacy Policy] and [SMS Terms].
Why each piece is there: Twilio's onboarding guide asks for the message type, frequency, the rates disclosure, HELP and STOP instructions and links to both policies on web-form opt-ins. The FCC's definition of prior express written consent requires telling the person they are not required to agree as a condition of purchase (47 CFR 64.1200, checked Oct 2026). If one form collects consent for both marketing and transactional texts, Twilio requires a separate checkbox for each.
Fees and timelines
Registration fees are charged by carriers and passed through by Twilio at no added cost. Twilio's amounts include TCR's August 1, 2025 increase of the brand fee from $4.00 to $4.50, so guides quoting $4 are out of date (Twilio, checked Oct 2026):
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Brand registration, Sole Proprietor or Low-Volume Standard | $4.50 one time |
| Brand registration, Standard (includes secondary vetting) | $46 one time |
| Campaign vetting | $15, charged once per campaign |
| Monthly campaign fee | $1.50 Low-Volume Mixed, $2 Sole Proprietor, $10 Standard use cases |
| Carrier fees | Per message, varying by carrier, on top of Twilio's message price |
If a campaign fails, edit and resubmit it; deleting it and starting over means a second vetting fee (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). Message and number costs come on top: Twilio's US price list shows $1.15 a month for each local number (Twilio, checked Oct 2026). Find's own plan is quoted separately (pricing).
Timelines from Twilio's registration guide (Twilio, checked Oct 2026):
| Stage | Twilio's stated timeline |
|---|---|
| Customer profile | 72 hours or more |
| Brand | Minutes for the automated check; seven business days or more if manually reviewed |
| Campaign | Two to three weeks; a current notice says 10 to 15 days |
Why campaigns get rejected
Many rejections are fixable, and each comes with an error code. Common ones from Twilio's rejection list (Twilio, checked Oct 2026):
| Code | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 30886 | Vague campaign description | Say who sends, who receives and why |
| 30893 | Samples don't match the use case | Name your business, use brackets, add opt-out wording |
| 30892 | Public link shortener in a sample | Use your own domain or a branded short domain |
| 30896 or 30909 | Opt-in flow unclear or unverifiable | Describe every opt-in path, with links |
| 30908 or 30932 | Privacy policy missing, or it doesn't rule out sharing opt-in data | Publish it, with the no-sharing statement for mobile numbers and opt-in data |
| 30882 | Terms missing, or consent shared with third parties | Publish SMS terms; consent goes to your brand only |
| 30925 | Consent box pre-checked | Leave it unchecked by default |
| 30931 | Form can't be submitted without texting consent | Make texting consent optional |
| 30920 | Website is only a form | Submit your main business site |
| 30918 | Name doesn't match your EIN record | Use the exact legal name, or register your DBA |
Some problems can't be fixed by editing. Twilio forbids third-party lead generation and says consent must come directly from the person (Twilio, checked Oct 2026), and its onboarding guide gives a cold "I want to buy your house" text as an example of outreach that isn't allowed. If your plan is texting skip-traced lists, registration won't fix it. Our wholesaling text scripts cover what to do instead, and the cold call script covers calling within Do Not Call rules.
After approval: error 30034 and staying registered
Once your campaign is approved, keep every sending number inside the Messaging Service tied to it. Twilio blocks texts to US numbers from a 10DLC number that isn't on an approved campaign and returns error 30034. The same error appears when a number sits outside the campaign's sender pool, or when more than one number is added to a Sole Proprietor campaign, which allows only one (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
Find works with your A2P-registered Twilio numbers. When Twilio rejects a send with error 30034, Find flags it and explains what it means, so your team can see the problem is registration rather than the seller's phone.
Watch your daily cap too. When a brand reaches its daily T-Mobile limit, Twilio returns error 30023, and the count resets at midnight Pacific time (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
Keep your traffic matching what you registered. Twilio lists traffic that doesn't match the registered campaign, spam and excessive complaints among the reasons campaigns get suspended. A suspended campaign can't send (error 30033), and Twilio warns against moving the same messages to another campaign (Twilio, checked Oct 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is US A2P 10DLC registration?
It is the carrier-required process for registering a business that sends texts from software over standard 10-digit US numbers. You register a brand, which identifies your business, and a campaign, which describes your messages and how people opt in. Twilio describes the goal as making sure this traffic is verified and consensual.
How long does A2P 10DLC registration take?
Plan for a few weeks. Twilio's registration guide, checked in October 2026, says customer profiles can take 72 hours or more, manual brand reviews take seven business days or more, and campaign vetting takes two to three weeks, with a notice that reviews are currently running 10 to 15 days. Brands with a newly issued EIN can fail until the number propagates.
How do I get 10DLC registration?
Register through your texting provider. In Twilio you create a customer profile with your business details, register a brand with your legal name and EIN, then register a campaign with a use case, description, opt-in details and sample messages, and attach your numbers through a Messaging Service. Each step is reviewed before you can text.
What does it mean to be A2P verified?
It means your brand has been approved and your campaign has passed vetting, so the numbers attached to that campaign can send application-to-person texts to US phones. In Twilio, a campaign that has passed vetting shows a verified status; a rejected one shows failed, with error codes explaining why.
What does 10DLC stand for?
10DLC stands for 10-digit long code, which is a standard 10-digit US phone number rather than a short code or a toll-free number. The A2P in front of it means application-to-person: texts sent through software, which carriers treat as business traffic even when a person types each message.
What is a 10DLC number?
A 10DLC number is an ordinary local US number with an area code, used to send business texts through software; Twilio notes the same local number can handle both calls and texts. Before it can text US phones, it has to be attached to an approved A2P 10DLC campaign, or Twilio blocks its texts with error 30034.
What is 10DLC compliance?
It means texting from 10-digit numbers the way US carriers require: a registered brand and campaign, messages that match what you registered, documented opt-in, and working STOP and HELP replies. A2P 10DLC is a carrier standard rather than a statute, so federal and state consent rules, such as the FCC's TCPA rules, apply on top of it.