How long does carrier registration (10DLC) take?

The honest answer: usually 1–3 business days, occasionally longer. Here is what happens in that window and how not to be the exception.

The typical timeline

When you sign up, we file two things with the carrier registry: your brand (who is sending — business name, address, EIN or sole-prop details) and your campaign (what you send — notifications, with sample messages). Brand registration often clears same-day; campaign vetting is the variable part. Most customers are live in 1–3 business days, and your plan does not start counting until your number can send.

What slows it down

Name/EIN mismatch — the business name must match IRS records exactly. "Joe's Plumbing" vs "Joseph Smith Plumbing LLC" is the #1 delay.
No visible privacy policy or opt-in language on your website — vetters check. Ours ships pre-written; make sure it is actually published.
Restricted categories — cannabis, gambling, debt collection and similar are rejected regardless of provider. See the acceptable-use policy.
Sole props without an EIN — still allowed, but the sole-prop path has extra verification and lower throughput.

What you can do meanwhile

Everything except send: install the plugin or snippet, hook your events, pick templates. The moment registration clears, your first event texts. If we hit a snag with your filing, we fix and refile it — that is part of the job, not your homework.

Common questions

Can I skip registration and send anyway?

No — unregistered traffic is filtered or blocked by US carriers since 2023, no matter whose tool you use. Anyone promising instant sending on a new number is routing around rules that catch up with you.

Do I pay while I wait?

No. Your plan starts when your number is live, not when you sign up.

I already have a registered number elsewhere — does that transfer?

Registration is per-provider, so we re-file under our connectivity. It goes through the same 1–3 day pipeline; see also number porting.