The 10DLC registration checklist

Business identity

This is your brand. It has to match official records exactly.

• Legal business name, exactly as it appears on your IRS EIN letter (CP-575 or 147C). Not your DBA or the name on your sign.
• EIN, nine digits, checked twice
• Business type: LLC, corporation, partnership, nonprofit, or sole proprietor
• Street address that matches your other business records
• Industry
• Website URL
• A contact person: name, title, business email, and phone

No EIN? Use the sole proprietor path

Without an EIN you register as a sole proprietor. You need your legal name, address, email, and a mobile number that can receive a verification code. Sole proprietors get lower sending limits and one campaign. If you plan to send real volume, get an EIN first.

Website pages

Reviewers visit your site. It has to look like a real, working business.

• A live site that says what you do. No parked domain, no "coming soon" page.
• A privacy policy that mentions SMS and says you don't sell or share mobile numbers or opt-in data with third parties for marketing
• A terms page with an SMS section: program name, what you send, how often, "Msg & data rates may apply", HELP and STOP instructions, and a link to the privacy policy
• Both pages linked from wherever customers opt in
• A business email on the same domain as your website, if you can. It looks more legitimate than a free email address.

Opt-in proof

Unclear opt-in is the number one rejection reason. Reviewers need to see exactly how a customer agrees to get texts.

• Where opt-in happens: web form, text keyword, paper form, in person, or by phone
• The exact wording customers see when they agree
• A screenshot or public link a reviewer can open. If the opt-in is behind a login or on paper, take a picture and host it.
• For web forms: an unchecked SMS checkbox, separate from your other terms, that isn't required to submit the form
• A step-by-step description of the flow in plain language

Campaign details

• Use case: what kind of texts you send (reminders, order updates, customer care, marketing, or a mix)
• Campaign description: one or two sentences on who you text and why
• Two or more sample messages that read like real texts, name your business, and match the use case
• Opt-out language like "Reply STOP to opt out" in at least one sample
• Your opt-in confirmation message, the first text a new subscriber gets
• A HELP reply that names your business and gives a phone number, email, or URL
• A STOP reply that confirms they're unsubscribed and won't get more texts

Answer the yes-or-no questions honestly

The form asks whether your texts will include links, phone numbers, or age-gated content. Answer for what you will really send, then make your samples agree. Saying no to links and putting a link in a sample is an easy way to get flagged. If you do send links, use your own domain. Public shorteners like bit.ly get filtered.

Last check before you submit

Read everything once as a stranger would. Does the opt-in match the use case? Do the samples sound like the texts you will actually send? Does the legal name match the EIN letter character for character? Clear runs this check for you against every known rejection reason and tells you what to fix first.