Texting customers from your own phone: consent and opt-out basics (not legal advice)
Yes, plan on getting permission before you text customers. This is not legal advice. The FCC requires prior consent for autodialed texts and written consent for marketing texts. Industry guidelines (CTIA) treat anyone texting for a business as a business sender, even from a personal phone. Honor STOP-type replies within 10 business days, and never text bought lists.
The short answer
Texting customers for your business generally calls for their permission first. The FCC says autodialed texts to a mobile phone need the owner's prior consent and commercial texts need written consent, while consent for informational texts may be oral. CTIA, the wireless industry group, says anyone texting on behalf of a business is a "Non-Consumer" sender, even from a personal phone. The FCC treats seven reply words, including "stop" and "cancel," as a valid way to revoke consent. Under FCC 24-24, a revocation must be honored within 10 business days. CTIA says senders should never use opt-in lists that were rented, sold or shared. Writing the text? The message writer flags a missing STOP line on business texts.
Not legal advice. This page sums up what the FCC and the wireless industry's guidelines say, with links to the originals. Rules depend on your state, your industry and how you send. For anything beyond a handful of existing customers, ask a lawyer.
The practical version: text only people who gave you their number for that reason, say who you are, include "Reply STOP to opt out," and stop when asked. The appointment reminder text page has templates with that STOP line already in them.
Your situation → what the rules point to → source
Get permission, honor STOP within 10 business days, skip bought lists.
| Your situation | What the rules point to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Texting friends and family about your own party | Personal ("Consumer") messaging. The business consent rules below aren't aimed at this | CTIA Principles 2023 (definitions) |
| A customer texts you first and you answer their question | "Conversational": CTIA expects no separate permission if you only respond with relevant information | CTIA Principles 2023, Exhibit II |
| Appointment reminders to clients who gave you their number | "Informational": CTIA expects express consent. FCC: for informational autodialed texts, consent may be oral | CTIA Exhibit II · FCC consumer guide |
| A sale, coupon or "we miss you" text | "Promotional": CTIA expects express written consent. FCC: commercial autodialed texts require written consent | CTIA Exhibit II · FCC consumer guide |
| A weekly or monthly text program | Tell people at sign-up that messages recur and how often | CTIA Principles 2023 |
| Someone replies "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel" or "unsubscribe" | Treat it as a valid opt-out. Honor it within 10 business days. One confirmation text with no marketing is allowed | FCC 24-24 (in effect since 11 Apr 2025) |
| Someone writes "please take me off your list" | CTIA: read and act on normal-language opt-outs, not only STOP | CTIA Principles 2023 |
| A bought, rented, shared or skip-traced list | Don't use it. CTIA: senders "should not use opt-in lists that have been rented, sold, or shared" | CTIA Principles 2023 |
| You text on behalf of your business from your personal iPhone | Still business ("Non-Consumer") messaging in CTIA's view | CTIA Principles 2023 |
| Texting many customers regularly, or using software that sends for you | Use a business texting platform; it handles 10DLC registration. TCR: "All business messaging is considered non-consumer (A2P) messaging" | The Campaign Registry |
| Sending at night | Federal quiet hours (8am–9pm, recipient's time) cover telephone solicitation; whether they cover texts is contested. Florida uses 8pm for commercial solicitation calls. Safe habit: 8am–8pm | 47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1) · Fla. Stat. 501.616 |
| Customers' numbers end up in one group thread | Not a consent rule, but a privacy problem: in a group iMessage or group MMS, Apple says everyone sees all responses | Apple 118236 |
| Sales follow-up after a meeting or event | Only people who asked to be texted, about what they asked for. A card, badge scan or attendee list isn't permission. Say who you are; add STOP. | CTIA Principles 2023 |
| Insurance agent: storm check-in to your own policyholders | Informational; only policyholders who gave a mobile for updates. Check your agency's or carrier's archiving rules. | CTIA Exhibit II |
| Recruiter: candidates | Only applicants who opted in to texts about their application. Never sourced leads. | CTIA Principles 2023 |
Ready texts for these jobs: texts for your job.
Personal texting vs. texting "on behalf of a business"
CTIA's Messaging Principles (May 2023) split senders into two kinds. A "Consumer" texts as a private person. A "Non-Consumer" is a business, organization or campaign, and CTIA says that also covers "agents, representatives, or any other individuals acting on behalf of Non-Consumers." So a salon owner texting clients from her own iPhone is, in CTIA's view, a business sender. These are voluntary industry guidelines, not a law.
CTIA also describes what typical personal texting looks like: about 10 recipients per message, 100 distinct numbers at most, and no more than 25 near-identical messages. CTIA says these figures are illustrative and do not decide whether messaging counts as personal.
Consent: what the FCC says
The FCC's consumer guide (last reviewed 27 Feb 2026) says:
- "FCC rules ban text messages sent to a mobile phone using an autodialer unless the phone owner previously gave consent to receive the message or the message is sent for emergency purposes."
- "Commercial texts require written consent; for informational texts, your consent may be oral."
- "FCC rules apply even if you have not placed your mobile phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry."
- People "may opt out of any robocall or robotext at any time and in any reasonable manner."
Whether texts you type and send one by one from your iPhone count as "autodialed" is a legal question this page can't answer. Don't rely on "I sent them by hand" as your plan; get consent anyway.
Opt-out: the STOP words and the 10-business-day clock
The FCC's 2024 order (FCC 24-24) says replying "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel" or "unsubscribe" is a reasonable way to revoke consent. Senders must honor it "as soon as practicable, and no longer than 10 business days from receipt." A single confirmation text is allowed if it only confirms the opt-out and has no marketing in it. These rules took effect on 11 April 2025.
CTIA adds two habits: use standard "STOP" wording in your instructions, and act on plain-language requests too, like "please opt me out." In a 160-character SMS, "Reply STOP to opt out." costs 22 characters.
FCC 26-67: what's changing, and when
FCC 26-67 takes effect 25 Nov 2026; the 10-business-day opt-out clock stays.
| Item | Status on 4 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 30 Sep 2026 (released 1 Oct 2026) |
| Published in the Federal Register | 26 Oct 2026, document 2026-21821 |
| Effective date | 25 Nov 2026 (Federal Register: "Effective November 25, 2026"). Texts sent before that date fall under the current rules; texts sent on or after it fall under the new opt-out rules below. We re-check this row on 25 Nov 2026. |
| 10 business days to honor an opt-out | Stays. In the same proceeding the FCC asked whether to shorten it (for example, to seven business days) |
The rule, in the FCC's words:
- Senders may name one exclusive opt-out method, such as replying with the standardized words, if they disclose it "clearly and conspicuously" in each text.
- A text can name just one word, such as "stop," but the sender must still honor all seven.
- A sender that doesn't name an exclusive method must keep honoring opt-outs made "in any reasonable manner."
- An opt-out from an informational text may apply only to that category of texts; an opt-out from a marketing text covers all future marketing texts from that sender.
When you need a business texting platform (A2P and 10DLC)
The Campaign Registry describes 10DLC as "the sanctioned standard for non-consumer (A2P) text messaging utilizing a traditional 10 digit phone number." It says any business that wants to text customers on 10DLC must register, and that businesses do this through their messaging service provider, not directly with TCR. TCR says campaign review "can range from 1-4 weeks."
TCR doesn't say anything explicit about ordinary personal phone lines, and there is no registration path for them. No source we found draws an exact line between a few personal-phone reminders and "needs a platform." If you're texting hundreds of people, running promotions, or need texts to go out without you, a registered platform is the route. The trade-offs between methods are laid out on ways to text a lot of people.
Don't buy lists
CTIA: "Message Senders should not use opt-in lists that have been rented, sold, or shared to send messages." That includes skip-traced numbers, lead lists and numbers copied from a sign-up sheet for something else. People on those lists never agreed to hear from you.
Keep customer numbers out of group threads
Texting several customers in one message can expose all their numbers. In a group iMessage or group MMS, Apple says everyone sees every reply, and members show at the top of the thread. Send each customer their own text. The cause is explained on why replies to your group text go to everyone. Landlords have the same problem with building-wide notices; see texting tenants.
A short checklist for solo operators
Run these eight checks before every send.
- You have each person's OK to text them, for this kind of message.
- Marketing texts: you have that OK in writing.
- The text says who you are in the first words.
- Business texts include "Reply STOP to opt out."
- You stop within 10 business days of any opt-out, whatever words they use.
- No bought, rented, shared or skip-traced numbers.
- Sent between 8am and 8pm, recipient's time.
- One text per customer, not a group thread.
Source tiers are explained on how we test and source this site.
Questions people ask
Can I use text message reminders for my business?
Generally yes, for customers who gave you their number for that purpose. CTIA's guidelines expect express consent for informational texts like reminders, plus a way to opt out. Add a line such as 'Reply STOP to opt out.' This is not legal advice.
Can I mass text my clients?
Only clients who agreed to get texts from you, and only for the kind of message they agreed to. Marketing texts need express written consent under CTIA's guidelines, and the FCC requires written consent for commercial autodialed texts. Let anyone opt out.
What does A2P 10DLC mean?
A2P is application-to-person messaging, now called non-consumer messaging by CTIA. 10DLC is the registered standard for business texting from ordinary 10-digit numbers. Businesses register through their messaging platform, not directly with The Campaign Registry.
Can I mass text skip-traced contacts from my own phone number?
Don't. Skip-traced numbers come from people who never gave you consent. CTIA says senders should not use opt-in lists that were rented, sold or shared, and texting people without consent is the risk the FCC's rules target. Talk to a lawyer before any outreach like this.
Sources (11)
- FCC consumer guide, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts (archived 25 Oct 2026)
- FCC fact sheet on revocation of consent
- FCC 24-24, Report and Order
- FCC 26-67, Report and Order
- Federal Register 2026-21821 (final rule, effective 25 Nov 2026)
- Federal Register 2026-21820 (proposed rule, comments due 25 Nov 2026)
- CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023)
- The Campaign Registry, TCR intro (2026)
- 47 CFR 64.1200 (Cornell LII)
- Florida Statutes 501.616 (2024)
- Apple Support 118236