The consent rules: an SMS consent checklist
What counts as consent, how to register your number, and how to keep proof that holds up — a checklist-led guide for any US business texting customers.
What this guide is about
Consent has three parts: the person gave you their number for this purpose, you told them what they would receive, and you can show when and how they agreed. Miss any one and you do not have consent, however friendly the customer is.
Most businesses find out about texting rules one of two ways — their messages quietly stop arriving, or somebody complains. Both are avoidable. There is no exam and no annual audit, just a short list of things to do once and a shorter list to keep doing. Consent you cannot produce a record of is the same as no consent, and that is the part almost nobody sets up until they need it.
This guide is for any US business texting customers. You will test your existing contacts, gather what you need before applying to register your number, learn what each message has to carry, handle STOP properly, and keep records that hold up.
This is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Confirm the specifics for your business with your own counsel.
What you'll learn
Tell marketing and service messages apart — the distinction every other rule hangs on
Run a three-part consent test against a sample of your existing contacts
Register your number without the three mistakes that cause most rejections
Put the four required elements in your first message, and the two in every one after
Handle STOP properly, and keep a consent record you can actually produce