Carrier Registration

Before sending SMS messages in the United States, the 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: the agency is registered as a brand, then one or more campaigns are registered under that brand. Each campaign can have multiple phone numbers assigned to it.

This structure means:

• One brand can have multiple campaigns, one per use case.
• Each campaign can have multiple phone numbers assigned to it.
• Phone numbers within a campaign must send the same type of content.
• eCourtDate recommends an Account Notification campaign for reminders and a separate campaign for payment related messages.

Step 1: Brand Registration

The agency registers as a brand with TCR. This establishes the 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 submission:

• A Brand ID and verification status are issued.
• 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. Adding new campaigns does not require re-registering the brand.

Step 2: Campaign Registration

After the brand is verified, each messaging campaign is registered. A campaign describes a specific use case: what types of messages are sent and why.

Required information:

• Use case. Register Account Notification for hearing and appointment reminders, case updates, and status alerts. This is the use case carriers approve most consistently for eCourtDate agencies.
• Campaign description: a detailed explanation of what messages are sent, who receives them, and how recipients opt in
• Sample messages that reflect the actual content to be sent (use bracket notation for merge tags, e.g., [ClientFirstName])

What happens after submission:

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

Choosing a Use Case

Register Account Notification. It covers hearing and appointment reminders, case status updates, and other messages sent to people who already have a case or account with the agency, and carriers approve it more consistently than any other use case for court and government messaging.

:::warning Do not register a Mixed campaign A Mixed campaign combines 2 to 5 standard use cases under one registration. Carriers scrutinize Mixed campaigns heavily and typically do not approve them, because one description and one set of sample messages cannot demonstrate a consistent purpose across several unrelated use cases. Register a separate campaign for each use case instead. :::

Register a Separate Campaign for Payments

eCourtDate always recommends registering a second campaign for payment related messages: balance due notices, payment plan reminders, and payment confirmations. Keep them out of the Account Notification campaign for these reasons:

• Carriers review payment and collection content against stricter standards than reminder content. A dedicated campaign keeps that review scoped to payment messages instead of applying it to the hearing reminders.
• Throughput and sender reputation are tracked per campaign. If payment messages trigger carrier filtering, the hearing reminders continue to send.
• The campaign description, opt in explanation, and sample messages for payments differ from those for reminders. A reviewer can approve each campaign on its own terms.

Each phone number belongs to one campaign at a time, so a payments campaign needs its own phone number or numbers. Assign those numbers to the flow that sends the payment messages so payment traffic goes out under the registered payments campaign.

Other Reasons to Register Additional Campaigns

• Different departments or divisions within the agency send messages independently and need their own phone numbers.
• The agency sends a type of content that does not fit an account notification, for example, public service announcements or jury summons outreach to people who do not yet have an account with the agency.
• Throughput and reputation should be isolated per use case. If one campaign triggers carrier filtering, it does not affect the other campaigns.

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
Two-way messaging	Yes
Local presence	Yes. A local area code can be chosen, or an existing number text-enabled

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
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 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
Two-way messaging	Yes
Local presence	No. Short codes are national
Vanity codes	Available. Choose a memorable number

Short code pros

• Highest throughput: Short codes support the highest sending volume of any number type. If the agency sends hundreds of thousands of messages per day, short codes may be the only option that meets the 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

• 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 sent 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.

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

Campaign Types and Throughput

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

Campaign Type	SMS Rate	Daily Cap
Low Volume	75 SMS/minute	2,000 messages
Standard	4,500 SMS/minute	Uncapped

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

Account Notification is the primary use case for eCourtDate agencies and covers hearing and appointment reminders and case status updates. Register payment related messages under their own campaign. Other use cases carriers commonly approve include:

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

Number Porting

If the agency already has phone numbers intended for use with eCourtDate, those numbers can be ported in. eCourtDate supports porting for local area codes, toll-free numbers, and short codes. Open a support ticket in the Console using the Help button in the bottom-right corner 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.

Should I register one campaign or more than one? Register an Account Notification campaign for hearing and appointment reminders and case status updates, and a separate campaign for payment related messages. Do not combine use cases into a Mixed campaign, as carriers typically do not approve them.

What happens if my campaign is rejected? eCourtDate provides guidance on why the campaign was rejected and assists with resubmission. Common rejection reasons include registering a Mixed campaign instead of a single use case campaign, 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. Campaign activation must complete before live SMS messages can be sent. Use simulate mode to test the messaging configuration in the meantime.

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.