What Is 10DLC?
10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code. It is a framework created by US phone carriers to verify that bulk text messages are coming from legitimate businesses and organizations rather than spammers.
When you send a text from your personal phone, that is a person-to-person (P2P) message. When an organization sends a text to a large group of recipients, that is an application-to-person (A2P) message. The 10DLC system exists specifically to regulate A2P messaging.
In short: if your church is texting a list of people at once, that counts as A2P messaging. As a result, it requires 10DLC registration.
Why Does My Church Need to Register?
Since 2023, US carriers have required 10DLC registration for any organization sending bulk texts, including churches, nonprofits, schools, and businesses.
The reason is spam prevention. Before 10DLC, bad actors could easily rent a phone number and blast thousands of unwanted texts. The 10DLC system creates accountability. Each number is tied to a verified organization. Carriers know who is sending the messages and why.
For your church, this matters for one important reason: without registration, your messages can be silently filtered or blocked. They do not bounce back with an error. They simply disappear. Your members never receive them, and you have no way of knowing the delivery failed.
Furthermore, registration protects your church’s reputation with carriers. A registered number is treated as a trusted sender. An unregistered number is treated with suspicion.
What Does the Registration Process Look Like?
10DLC registration involves two pieces: a Brand registration and a Campaign registration.
Brand registration verifies your organization. You will need to provide your church’s legal name, address, and Employer Identification Number (EIN). If your church is incorporated as a nonprofit, you likely already have an EIN on file.
Campaign registration describes how you plan to use SMS. You will provide a brief description of your messaging: for example, “We send service reminders, event updates, and volunteer communications to our registered congregation members.” You will also need to include sample messages and confirm that recipients have opted in to receive texts.
Together, these two registrations tell carriers that your church is a real organization with a legitimate reason to send messages.
How Long Does 10DLC Registration Take?
Registration typically takes 3 to 5 business days. In some cases, it can take longer if carriers request additional information.
Because of this timeline, it is important to start registration before you need to send your first message. Churches that wait until a deadline (say, the week before a big event) sometimes find themselves unable to text their congregation when it matters most.
Therefore, starting early is highly recommended. Registering at least one to two weeks before your planned first send gives you enough buffer for any delays.
Does Every Church Need to Register?
If your church uses a dedicated phone number to send texts to a list of people, yes. Registration is required regardless of church size. A congregation of 50 members and a congregation of 5,000 members are both subject to the same rules.
The requirement applies whether you are sending weekly service reminders, event updates, volunteer callouts, or any other type of mass message.
However, personal texts from an individual church staff member’s phone to another individual do not require 10DLC registration. The requirement kicks in when you are using a platform to send a message to multiple recipients at once.
What Happens If You Skip Registration?
Your messages will likely be filtered before they reach your members.
Carriers use automated systems to identify unregistered bulk senders. Messages from unregistered numbers are either blocked entirely or routed to spam. Because this happens silently, many churches spend weeks sending messages they believe are being delivered, never realizing their members are not receiving anything.
In addition, continued sending without registration can cause carriers to flag your number permanently. If that happens, you may need to get a new phone number and start the registration process from scratch.
The cost of registration is minimal. The cost of skipping it can be significant.
How Churchflow Handles 10DLC Registration
If you use a church texting platform to send your messages, the platform is typically responsible for managing the technical side of 10DLC. However, the level of support varies significantly by platform.
Churchflow walks you through 10DLC registration as part of the account setup process. You provide your church’s basic information, and Churchflow guides you through both the Brand and Campaign registration steps. Once your registration is approved, your dedicated phone number is active and ready to send.
This means you do not have to understand carrier compliance frameworks on your own. The process is built into the onboarding experience.
What You Will Need to Register
Here is a checklist of what most churches need to complete 10DLC registration:
- Church’s legal name (as registered with the state or IRS)
- Church address
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- A brief description of how you plan to use SMS (service reminders, volunteer outreach, event notifications, etc.)
- Sample messages that represent what you will be sending
- Confirmation of how recipients opted in to receive texts
If your church does not have an EIN, you can apply for one through the IRS website. The process is free and typically takes about 10 minutes online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 10DLC registration free?
The registration itself involves fees charged by the carrier ecosystem. Most texting platforms include these fees in their pricing or charge a one-time registration fee.
Does my church need to re-register every year?
Campaign registrations are generally ongoing rather than annual. However, if your messaging use case changes significantly, you may need to update your campaign details.
What if I use a short code instead of a 10-digit number?
Short codes (5- to 6-digit numbers) have their own separate registration process called Short Code Registration. This guide focuses on 10DLC, which applies to standard 10-digit phone numbers. Short codes are significantly more expensive and are typically used only by very large organizations sending extremely high message volumes.
Can I use a toll-free number?
Toll-free numbers (those starting with 800, 888, 877, etc.) also require registration, but through a different process called Toll-Free Verification. If your church already uses a toll-free number for calls and wants to use it for texting, your texting platform can advise on the verification process.
Getting Started
The most important thing to know about 10DLC is this: start early. Registration takes 3 to 5 business days, and sending messages without registration means those messages may never arrive.
If your church uses Churchflow, the registration process is built directly into your account setup. You will not need to navigate the carrier compliance ecosystem on your own.