What is 10DLC?

Short answer10DLC — 10-digit long code — is the registered route for application-to-person messaging to US mobile numbers. Businesses register their brand and each messaging campaign with the carriers, and in return get sanctioned throughput on an ordinary 10-digit number. Unregistered A2P traffic to US numbers is blocked.

Why was 10DLC introduced?

US carriers spent years with unregistered business traffic running over ordinary long codes meant for person-to-person use. It was unfilterable, so spam was rampant and legitimate senders were caught in the blocking that followed.

10DLC made the sender identifiable. Register who you are and what you send, and your traffic is recognised rather than guessed at.

How does registration work?

• Register the brand — your legal entity, tax ID and contact details, verified against third-party records.
• Register each campaign — the use case (OTP, marketing, notifications), sample messages and how you collect opt-in.
• Receive a trust score, which sets your throughput. A verified, established brand with a clean record gets substantially more.
• Link your numbers to the approved campaign.

How does it compare to a short code?

Does 10DLC apply outside the United States?

No. It is a US carrier framework. Every other country has its own regime — and most of them also require registration of some kind, just under a different name and process.