Carrier Registration

Before sending SMS messages in the United States, your agency must complete carrier registration. This is a requirement enforced by US mobile carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, etc.) under the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act. All application-to-person (A2P) SMS must be registered with the carriers, and unregistered traffic is blocked.

Carrier registration is handled by each agency. eCourtDate is an approved Campaign Service Provider with The Campaign Registry (TCR) and provides support and guidance throughout the process.

• For a step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Complete Carrier Registration.
• For general information, see the Carrier Registration overview page.

How It Works

Carrier registration is a two-step process: you register your agency as a brand, then register one or more campaigns under that brand. Each campaign can have multiple phone numbers assigned to it.

This structure means:

• One brand can have multiple campaigns for different use cases.
• Each campaign can have multiple phone numbers assigned to it.
• Phone numbers within a campaign must send the same type of content.

Step 1: Brand Registration

Your agency registers as a brand with TCR. This establishes your agency's identity with the carriers.

Required information:

• Legal entity name
• EIN (Employer Identification Number)
• Physical address
• Website URL
• Primary contact (name, email, phone)

What happens after you submit:

• You receive a Brand ID and verification status.
• Government entities receive a government entity flag, which improves trust scoring with carriers and can result in higher throughput allowances.
• Brand verification typically takes up to one hour.

Brand registration is done once per agency. You do not need to re-register the brand when adding new campaigns.

Step 2: Campaign Registration

After your brand is verified, you register each messaging campaign. A campaign describes a specific use case — what types of messages you send and why.

Required information:

• Use case (e.g., "Account Notification" for event reminders and payment alerts)
• Campaign description — a detailed explanation of what messages are sent, who receives them, and how recipients opt in
• Sample messages that reflect actual content you plan to send (use bracket notation for merge tags, e.g., [ClientFirstName])

What happens after you submit:

• The campaign goes through carrier review.
• Activation typically takes 5 to 15 business days.
• eCourtDate provides status updates during the review process.

When to Register Separate Campaigns

You can register a single campaign that covers multiple use cases (a "Mixed" campaign), or register separate campaigns for each use case. Here is when to use each approach:

Use a single campaign when:

• All your messages serve the same purpose (e.g., all event reminders).
• Your messaging volume is low and a single use case description covers everything you send.

Register separate campaigns when:

• Your agency sends distinctly different types of messages — for example, hearing reminders and payment collection notices. Carriers evaluate each campaign against its stated use case, and mixing unrelated message types in one campaign increases the chance of rejection or filtering.
• Different departments or divisions within your agency send messages independently and need their own phone numbers.
• You want to isolate throughput and reputation per use case. If one campaign triggers carrier filtering, it does not affect your other campaigns.

Mixed campaigns:

• A Mixed campaign can combine 2 to 5 standard use cases under a single registration.
• Mixed campaigns typically have higher carrier fees than single-use-case campaigns.
• A "Low Volume Mixed" option is available for agencies with multiple use cases but very low messaging volume.

Number Types

eCourtDate supports three types of phone numbers for SMS. The registration process and capabilities differ for each.

10DLC (10-Digit Long Code)

10DLC numbers are standard 10-digit phone numbers registered for A2P messaging through TCR. This is the most common number type used by eCourtDate agencies.

Detail	Value
Registration	Brand + Campaign through TCR
Approval time	2 to 3 weeks
Throughput	Varies by campaign type and brand trust score
Cost	Low setup cost, annual campaign fee ($120 - $250+)
Two-way messaging	Yes
Local presence	Yes — you can choose a local area code or text-enable an existing number

Best for: Most eCourtDate agencies. Familiar to recipients, supports two-way messaging (inbound replies), and provides local area code presence.

Toll-Free

Toll-free numbers (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888 prefixes) have their own verification process separate from 10DLC.

Detail	Value
Registration	Toll-free verification (separate from TCR)
Approval time	A few days to several weeks
Throughput	Higher than 10DLC — up to 1,200 SMS/minute
Cost	Registration is free, per-message fees apply
Two-way messaging	Yes
Local presence	No — uses a generic 800-series prefix

Best for: Agencies that need higher throughput than 10DLC provides, or agencies that already use a toll-free number for voice and want to add SMS.

Short Code

Short codes are 5 or 6-digit numbers (e.g., 12345) used for high-volume messaging. The registration process for short codes is different from 10DLC and toll-free — it is longer, more expensive, and involves a more rigorous review.

Detail	Value
Registration	Application through the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA), reviewed by each carrier individually
Approval time	3 weeks to 4 months
Throughput	Highest available — up to 1,000,000+ messages per hour
Cost	Monthly lease fee starting at $500+/month, plus per-message fees and carrier review fees
Two-way messaging	Yes
Local presence	No — short codes are national
Vanity codes	Available — choose a memorable number (higher lease cost)

Short code pros

• Highest throughput: Short codes support the highest sending volume of any number type. If your agency sends hundreds of thousands of messages per day, short codes may be the only option that meets your throughput needs.
• High deliverability: Short codes go through rigorous carrier review, which means they are trusted by carriers and rarely filtered as spam.
• Memorable and brandable: A 5 or 6-digit number is easy for recipients to recognize and remember, especially with a vanity code.
• Carrier trust: Because of the extensive review process, short codes have the highest trust level with carriers.

Short code cons

• Expensive: Monthly lease fees start at $500 or more, plus per-message fees and carrier review costs. Vanity short codes cost more than random ones.
• Long approval process: Registration can take weeks to months. Each carrier reviews and approves the short code independently, and any carrier can reject or request changes.
• Rigid use case: Short codes are approved for a specific use case. Changing the type of content you send may require re-approval.
• No local presence: Short codes are national and do not carry a local area code, which may feel less personal to recipients.
• Shared vs. dedicated: Shared short codes (used by multiple organizations) are being phased out. Dedicated short codes are the standard but come at a higher cost.

Best for: Agencies with very high message volume, national campaigns, or branding needs that justify the cost and longer setup time. Most eCourtDate agencies do not need short codes — 10DLC or toll-free numbers cover the majority of use cases.

Campaign Types and Throughput

For 10DLC campaigns, the campaign type determines your sending throughput:

Campaign Type	SMS Rate	Daily Cap	Annual Fee
Low Volume	75 SMS/minute	2,000 messages	$120
Standard	4,500 SMS/minute	Uncapped	$250

Higher throughput may require additional vetting through third-party providers such as Aegis Mobile, WMC Global, or CampaignVerify. Government entities typically receive higher trust scores, which can unlock higher throughput without additional vetting.

Approved Use Cases

Common registered use cases for eCourtDate agencies include:

• Account notifications (event reminders, payment alerts)
• Public service announcements
• Emergency services notifications
• Customer care and support
• Delivery status updates
• Fraud and security alerts
• Two-factor authentication

Content That Triggers Spam Filters

Even with a registered campaign, carriers can still filter individual messages. Avoid the following in message content:

• Unbranded shortened links (e.g., bit.ly links instead of your agency's domain)
• ALL CAPS text
• Excessive special characters
• Sending identical messages repeatedly to the same recipients
• Testing from live campaigns — use simulate mode instead
• Missing opt-out language — always include instructions like "Reply STOP to opt out"

Best Practices for Approval

• Use an official .gov domain on your agency website if possible. Government domains improve trust scoring.
• Provide a detailed description of your messaging program during campaign registration.
• Include opt-out mechanisms with the keyword STOP in your message templates.
• Document your messaging program on your agency's website — what messages are sent, how recipients opt in and out, and how to contact your agency.
• Sample messages should reflect actual messages you plan to send. Use bracket notation for dynamic fields (e.g., [ClientFirstName]).

Number Porting

If your agency already has phone numbers you want to use with eCourtDate, those numbers can be ported in. eCourtDate supports porting for local area codes, toll-free numbers, and short codes. Contact the Help Center to start a porting request.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the entire registration process take? Brand verification takes up to one hour. Campaign activation takes 5 to 15 business days for 10DLC, a few days to several weeks for toll-free, and 3 weeks to 4 months for short codes.

Do I need to register separately for each agency? Yes. Each eCourtDate agency is a separate brand and needs its own registration.

Can I use the same phone number for multiple campaigns? No. Each phone number is assigned to one campaign at a time. However, a single campaign can have multiple phone numbers.

What happens if my campaign is rejected? eCourtDate provides guidance on why the campaign was rejected and helps you resubmit with corrections. Common rejection reasons include vague use case descriptions, missing opt-out language in sample messages, or inconsistency between the stated use case and the sample message content.

Can I send messages while my registration is pending? No. Unregistered traffic is blocked by carriers. You must wait for campaign activation before sending live SMS messages. Use simulate mode to test your messaging configuration while you wait.

Do I need carrier registration for email or voice? No. Carrier registration applies to SMS only. Email and voice have their own compliance requirements but do not go through TCR.