On December 1, 2024, US mobile carriers will stop accepting all unregistered 10-digit long code (10DLC) message traffic. While the SMS regulatory environment has seen significant changes in recent years, this date is a must-know deadline for any organization that relies on 10DLC messaging.

In this blog, you’ll learn why immediate action is necessary to remain compliant and avoid service interruptions.

Why is 10DLC Registration Important?

By utilizing local phone numbers, 10DLC messaging helps organizations improve the level of personalization and trust in their text communications. In order to keep spam low and quality standards high, US mobile carriers regulate 10DLC traffic. Until now, organizations have been able to send messages with unregistered 10DLC numbers, although additional fees were often applied.

Completing registration for your 10DLC messaging campaigns lets carriers know that your messages are compliant, lowering the likelihood of being filtered or blocked. Furthermore, registration raises the level of authority for your messaging campaigns, strengthening delivery rates and recipient trust.

What Happens on December 1, 2024?

This is a hard deadline for 10DLC number registration, which means:

• Unregistered 10DLC message traffic will no longer be accepted by US mobile carriers
• To avoid disruptions, any organization sending 10DLC messages must complete registration by this date
• Compliance with industry regulations is more important than ever – COS can help

Your 10DLC Registration Checklist

Here are recommendations to ensure your organization is ready for the December 1 deadline:

• Start as soon as possible. Click here to access our 10DLC Registration Form. Approval can extend to multiple days and weeks, and waiting to register could mean delayed or even blocked messages.
• Review your current registration status. It’s important that all your 10DLC numbers/campaigns are approved (not simply one registration for your organization).
• Follow our 10DLC Best Practices. These recommendations will help you ensure that information is complete and accurate when you submit numbers/campaigns for approval.

Unsure what to do next? Wondering about the 10DLC registration status of your numbers & campaigns? COS is here to help. We are experts in communications regulatory compliance, with over 20 years of experience helping organizations send millions of messages. Connect with us here.