This article walks you through ClickSend's self-service 10DLC registration form, field by field, so you can submit a compliant application the first time.
Why this matters: Getting each application question right the first time is the single biggest thing you can do to speed up your number provisioning & approval.
When your application is complete and accurate, it moves straight through to the registry (TCR) and you'll typically have your number active within 1–4 business days.
If something is missing or doesn't meet compliance requirements, our Operations team has to pause, contact you to fix it, and only then resubmit, which can add days or weeks to your timeline.
Step 1: choose your number type
On the Buy a Number page, select your country (USA), then choose Standard 10DLC (Local number).
A 10DLC Local number looks and feels like a regular local number, is best suited to local businesses and growing teams. Approval typically takes 1–4 business days.
A Toll-Free National number is a different registration path (not covered in this article), signals a national presence, but takes longer to approve (around 7 business days).
If you're not sure which is the right fit for your business, take the quiz for a personalised recommendation before you commit.
Step 2: complete the 10DLC application
The application is broken into four sections: Contact details, Business details, Use case, and Final details. Below is what each field means and what you'll need to have on hand.
Section 1: Contact details
This section identifies who ClickSend and the carriers can contact about this registration.
Field | What it means | What's required |
First name / Last name | The name of the person submitting the application. | Should be a real individual at your business, not a department name or placeholder. |
Phone number | The applicant's contact number. | This is a campaign registry requirement. |
The applicant's email address. | This is where your confirmation and any follow-up requests will be sent. Use an address that's actively monitored. | |
Website URL | Your business' live, public website. | This should be a working website for the business the number is registered to, not a placeholder domain, a social media page, or an unpublished site. Carriers will check that this matches your business. |
Support phone number | The number your customers can call for support. | Should be a monitored number. |
Support email | The email your customers can use to get support. | Should be a monitored inbox. |
Section 2: Business details
This section confirms your business is a real, registered legal entity. This is the section most likely to cause delays if details don't match official records, so it's worth double-checking against your business's legal filing before you submit.
Field | What it means | What's required |
Legal company name | Your business's full legal name exactly as filed with your state/government. | Must match your EIN records exactly. If unsure how your business was originally filed, use the State by State lookup link to check. |
DBA or Brand name | The public-facing name your business trades under, if different from your legal name (e.g. "My Business Digital" trading under "My Business LLC"). | Optional. Only fill this in if you operate under a different brand name. |
Registered address | Your business's official registered address. The address must be in the US*.
*If you are applying outside the US and don’t have a US business address please get in touch with your account manager or visit the support chat. | Use the address search field to auto-fill, or enter manually. Street Number |
EIN | Your business's nine-digit Employer Identification Number* (US federal tax ID).
*If you are applying outside the US and don’t have an EIN please get in touch with your account manager or visit the support chat. | Enter all nine digits with no spaces. If you're unsure of your EIN, use the State by State lookup to research. |
Business type | The legal structure of your business. | Select from the dropdown. This should match how your business is legally structured, since it affects how carriers verify your EIN. |
Industry | The industry category that best describes what your business does. | Select from the dropdown. Choose the closest match; this helps carriers assess your messaging use case correctly. |
Section 3: Use case
This section explains how people end up receiving your texts, and what those texts actually say. Carriers use this to assess whether your messaging program is legitimate and compliant.
Message details
Field | What it means | What's required |
Opt-in Methods | Share how your customers agree to receiving messages from your business. | Select every method that applies from the pre-defined options. Pick from the available options.
You must also provide a visual proof of the opt-in method for each method selected. |
Opt-in / Confirmation Message | The exact message a customer receives immediately after agreeing to receive business messages from you. | Must include your business name, a note that message and data rates may apply, message frequency, and instructions for HELP and STOP. e.g. "(Business Name) You have opted in to receive messages. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel."
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Example message you would send | A real sample of the kind of message your business sends to customers. | Use an actual example (e.g. an appointment reminder or order update), not a generic placeholder. |
Another example message | A second, different example of a message you'd send. | Carriers want to see the range of content your program sends, so please provide a second example. |
Example HELP message | What a customer receives if they reply "HELP" to your business message. | Must include your business name and a way to get support e.g. "(Business Name) For more info, please call (support number) or email (support email). Reply STOP to unsubscribe." |
Example opt-out message | What a customer receives after they reply "STOP" to your business message. | Must include your business name, and clearly confirm they've been unsubscribed and won't receive further messages. |
The ClickSend team will ensure that your automated STOP, HELP and OPT-IN messages are configured on your account before releasing the 10DLC number to you.
Compliance & Campaign Details
Field | What it means | What's required |
Will you have any content related to direct lending or other loan arrangements? | Whether your messages involve offering, arranging, or promoting loans. | Required Yes/No. Answer honestly; this is a regulated content category with stricter carrier requirements, and answering "No" incorrectly can get your campaign suspended later, not just delayed now. |
Will you have any age-gated content? | Whether your messages involve content restricted by age (most commonly alcohol or drug-related content). | Learn more about age-gated content for SMS. |
Will you have a URL in your messages? | Whether any of your messages will include a clickable link. | Required Yes/No. Answer based on your actual planned content, not just your current use case. This affects how carriers filter your traffic. |
Will you have a phone # in your messages? | Whether any of your messages will include a phone number for the customer to call. | Required. Yes/No. This affects how carriers filter your traffic. |
Pick your use cases | Select the type of messages you plan to send. | You must select at least one and no more than five |
Section 4: final details
Field | What it means | What's required |
Top 3 area codes | Your preferred area codes if you're purchasing a new number. | You must provide at least one area code. We recommend providing up to three area codes, in case your first choice is not available. |
Link to your terms and conditions | You must provide proof of your business' Ts&Cs by providing one of the following:
| Important: If you're using ClickSend's templated terms and conditions, check our Hosting compliant Ts&Cs and Privacy Policy documents article for how to host it. |
Link to your privacy policy | You must provide proof of your business' Privacy Policy by providing one of the following:
| Important: If you're using ClickSend's templated privacy policy, check our Hosting compliant Ts&Cs and Privacy Policy documents article for how to host it. |
Signature | Your signature authorises this registration on behalf of your business. | Click and drag to draw your signature in the box, then proceed. |
Step 3: submit your application
Once you hit Submit Registration, you'll get a confirmation email letting you know your application has been received.
If you used templates for your Privacy Policy and/or Terms and Conditions, the URLs will be included in the confirmation email.
Step 4: your number shows as "Pending Assignment"
In the Dashboard, go to Manage Senders > My Numbers. Your number isn't active yet. You'll see the status Under Review against your number pending assignment. This means your application is being processed and vetted.
Once your application passed ClickSend’s vetting and is with the TCR for final review, we will keep you informed via email. The status against your number won’t change until your number is fully approved by the TCR.
Step 5: your number is active and ready
If your application was complete and compliant, you can typically expect your 10DLC number to be approved and active within 1–4 business days.
If you used ClickSend's templates for Ts&Cs and/or Privacy Policy
The status against your number will be: Ready to use - limited
This means that your number has limited availability for 30 days. You can see how long your number will remain active by hovering over the status.
To unlock full availability please take action as soon as possible to host the Ts&Cs and/or Privacy Policy documents for which you used ClickSend’s templates online. You can become compliant fast, either by hosting the documents on your website or by linking to them in your social media profile.
For more guidance, read our Hosting compliant Ts&Cs and Privacy Policy documents article, or get in touch with your account manager or support.
If you used your own Ts&Cs and Privacy Policy
The status against your number will be: Ready to use
This means that your number is fully active. There is no further action for you to take.
What if I don't take action to host templated documents online?
If the status against your number is Ready to use - limited, you must take immediate action to continue sending. For more guidance, read our Hosting compliant Ts&Cs and Privacy Policy documents article, or get in touch with your account manager or support.
Unregistered status
ClickSend provides you with a 30 calendar day grace period to host your documents compliantly online.
If you don’t take action within 30 days your number will become unregistered. This means that you can no longer send from this number.
ClickSend will hold the number for you for seven calendar days, during which time you will continue to be billed for your number.
Number removal
If you don't take action within seven calendar days, ClickSend will fully remove the number from your account.
What happens after removal?
To get a new 10DLC number you have to submit a new application to ClickSend. Please note that ClickSend will not be able to process your application with templated Ts&Cs and Privacy Policy documents again if your number was removed due to compliance issues with these documents in a previous application.
What if my application requires a follow-up?
We'll email you if anything needs fixing and the status against your number will change to ‘Action Required’.
If any part of your application needs clarification or correction, ClickSend's Operations team will email you directly to request the missing or corrected information. Responding promptly here keeps your application moving — the sooner you reply, the sooner we can (re)submit it to the TCR for approval.
Key takeaways
Accuracy matters more than speed — a well-completed application on your first attempt will always be faster than a quick one that needs corrections.
Your Legal company name, EIN, and business details must all match your official records — this is the most common source of delays.
Your Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy links must be hosted online — this is a legal requirement for full number activation.