Text messaging has become a core communication tool for political campaigns. It is fast, direct, and effective. However, recent changes to 10DLC regulations have altered how campaigns are allowed to use text messaging—and the consequences of ignoring those changes can be significant.
Many campaigns are still operating under outdated assumptions. Others are unaware that the rules apply to them at all. Neither position is safe.
Understanding 10DLC requirements is now a baseline operational issue for campaigns using text messaging.
What Is 10DLC?
10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code, which refers to standard local phone numbers used for application-to-person (A2P) messaging. In other words, if your campaign is sending texts from regular-looking phone numbers—not short codes—those messages likely fall under 10DLC rules.
Mobile carriers introduced 10DLC registration to reduce spam, improve transparency, and hold organizations accountable for the messages sent on their networks.
Political campaigns are not exempt.
What Changed Under 10DLC Political Texting Rules
Under the updated 10DLC framework, campaigns must now register both their brand and their messaging campaigns with mobile carriers through an approved provider.
This registration process requires:
- Identifying the organization sending messages
- Describing the type of messages being sent
- Declaring the use case (e.g., political messaging)
- Verifying opt-in and consent practices
Unregistered traffic is increasingly filtered, throttled, or blocked entirely.
This means texts may:
- Fail silently
- Deliver inconsistently
- Trigger carrier penalties
- Lead to number suspension
In short: if you are texting without registration, you are operating at risk.
Why Political Campaigns Are Especially Affected
Political messaging is classified as high-scrutiny traffic by carriers. That does not mean it is prohibited—but it does mean compliance expectations are higher.
Carriers want to know:
- Who is sending the messages
- Why they are being sent
- Whether recipients consented
- Whether opt-out mechanisms exist
Campaigns that rely on peer-to-peer texting often assume they are protected because messages are sent manually. That assumption is no longer reliable. Carriers increasingly evaluate traffic patterns, not just sending methods.
Common Campaign Mistakes Under 10DLC
Most problems do not come from bad intent. They come from structural misunderstandings.
Common issues include:
- Assuming vendors handle registration automatically
- Registering the brand but not individual messaging campaigns
- Using shared numbers across organizations
- Failing to document opt-in language
- Treating compliance as a one-time setup instead of an ongoing responsibility
Any of these can disrupt texting programs mid-campaign.
Who Is Responsible for Compliance?
This is one of the most important—and most misunderstood—questions.
Even when a campaign uses a vendor, the campaign itself is ultimately responsible for compliance. Vendors facilitate registration, but they do not absorb liability.
Campaigns should be able to answer:
- Is our brand registered under 10DLC?
- Are our messaging campaigns approved for political use?
- Do we know what opt-in language is on file?
- Who monitors delivery issues or carrier feedback?
If no one on the campaign owns these answers, that is a risk.
Timing Matters More Than You Think
10DLC political texting registration is not instantaneous. Approval can take days or weeks depending on volume, accuracy, and carrier review.
Campaigns that wait until texting becomes urgent often find themselves unable to message when they need it most. This is especially dangerous during:
- Filing periods
- GOTV windows
- Rapid response moments
Compliance delays do not pause campaign timelines.
What Campaigns Should Do Now
Campaigns using or planning to use text messaging should:
- Confirm whether their texting program uses 10DLC numbers
- Ask vendors for explicit confirmation of registration status
- Review opt-in language and documentation
- Assign internal responsibility for texting compliance
This is not a communications issue. It is an operational one.
Why This Matters Beyond Deliverability
At its core, 10DLC political texting compliance is about trust.
Carriers want transparency. Voters expect consent. Campaigns need reliability. When those align, text messaging remains one of the most effective tools available.
When they do not, texting becomes unpredictable—and unpredictability is expensive in campaigns.
Final Thought
Texting laws and carrier rules will continue to evolve. Campaigns that treat compliance as foundational will adapt more easily than those that treat it as an afterthought.
10DLC is not about limiting political speech.
It is about professionalizing political communication infrastructure.
Campaigns that understand that distinction will be better positioned to communicate—consistently, legally, and effectively—when it matters most.
