GoHighLevel A2P 10DLC Registration: How to Get Your Business Texts Approved and Delivered

What is A2P 10DLC, and why does GoHighLevel require it?

A2P 10DLC stands for application-to-person messaging over a 10-digit long code, meaning a normal local phone number. It is the U.S. carrier registration system for business texting. Any time software like GoHighLevel sends a text to a U.S. mobile number from a local number, the carriers want to know who is sending, why, and how the recipient agreed to receive it.

Registration has two parts. Your brand is your business identity, verified against IRS records. Your campaign is the use case: what you will text about, sample messages, and how people opt in. Only numbers attached to an approved campaign can send.

Why are my GoHighLevel texts being blocked?

Carriers now block unregistered 10DLC traffic outright. Twilio, which powers HighLevel's LC Phone system, returns error 30034 when a message is sent from a local number that is not associated with an approved A2P campaign. In practice, owners see texts marked as failed or undelivered, missed-call text-back that never arrives, and appointment reminders that silently stop.

The other common causes are a campaign that was approved but never linked to the sending number, a sole proprietor campaign with more than one number attached (sole proprietor campaigns allow only one), or content the carriers filter, such as public link shorteners.

What you need before you start A2P registration

Most rejections trace back to preparation, not the form itself. Gather these first:

• EIN and exact legal name. Enter your legal company name exactly as it appears on your IRS CP 575 EIN confirmation letter (or a 147C letter if you lost the original). A W-9 or W-2 version of the name can differ and cause a mismatch. U.S. companies cannot use a DUNS number instead.
• Official registered address, not a branch location.
• A business email on your own domain. Registrations using personal email addresses get flagged.
• A live, public website that describes your business and services, with contact information. A page that is only a form, or a site behind a login, will be rejected.
• A privacy policy linked in the site footer, including a statement that mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
• SMS terms (terms and conditions) covering your business name, what messages people will get, expected frequency, that message and data rates may apply, how to text STOP to opt out and HELP for help, that carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages, and a link to the privacy policy.
• An opt-in form with unchecked consent checkboxes. HighLevel's guidance calls for separate checkboxes for marketing and non-marketing texts, and texting consent must stay optional even when the phone number field is required.

Step-by-step: how to register A2P 10DLC in GoHighLevel

• Step 1: In the sub-account, go to Settings, then Phone System, then Trust Center. Open the A2P Messaging (SMS) card and select Brand & Campaigns.
• Step 2: Register your brand. Choose sole proprietor (no EIN) or standard (EIN), and pick low or high volume. Low volume fits most local service businesses. Enter legal name, EIN, address, and contact details exactly as they appear on IRS records.
• Step 3: Create your campaign. Pick the use case that matches what you will actually send: marketing, informational/non-marketing, or mixed. Write a description that says who is sending, who receives the texts, what they are about, and how people opt in.
• Step 4: Add two sample messages that look like your real texts. Include your business name and opt-out language, for example: 'Hi Jane, this is Smith Heating confirming your furnace tune-up tomorrow at 10am. Reply C to confirm or STOP to opt out.'
• Step 5: Describe every opt-in method (website form, in-person sign-up, keyword, and so on) and provide the opt-in form URL, privacy policy URL, and terms URL.
• Step 6: Submit, and once the campaign is approved, make sure your sending phone number is linked to it. An approved campaign does nothing for a number that is not attached to it.

How to write an A2P campaign description that gets approved

Reviewers compare your description, sample messages, website, and opt-in form to confirm they tell the same story. Vague descriptions like 'marketing and customer communication' are a common reason for delays. Be specific about who, what, and how.

A description that works reads something like this: 'Smith Heating & Cooling sends appointment confirmations, service reminders, estimate follow-ups, and occasional seasonal promotions to customers and prospects who request service or a quote on our website or by phone. Customers opt in by checking an unchecked SMS consent box on our website request form. Message frequency varies. Customers can reply STOP to opt out at any time.'

Then make sure your samples match it. If the description mentions promotions, include a promotional sample. If it mentions estimate follow-ups, include one. Mismatches between the description and the samples are one of the easiest ways to get sent back.

How much does A2P 10DLC registration cost, and how long does it take?

HighLevel passes through carrier and registry fees. According to HighLevel's fee schedule, brand registration is about $24.50 one-time for sole proprietor or low-volume standard brands and about $71.91 for high-volume standard brands, which includes campaign vetting and a $3 fast-track fee. Monthly campaign fees are $10/month for standard use cases, $2/month for sole proprietor, $1.50/month for low-volume mixed, and $3/month for 501(c)(3) charities. Each additional campaign under the same brand is $15 to vet.

Timing varies. HighLevel says fast-track processing can approve campaigns within three business days, and brand trust scoring can take up to seven business days. If you are rejected and resubmit, plan on two to six weeks end to end. If your EIN is brand new, HighLevel notes it can take 30 to 90 days to show up in the databases carriers check.

If you would rather not do this yourself, our A2P 10DLC registration help is a $149 add-on to any Rapid Web Systems engagement.

Common A2P rejection reasons and how to fix them

HighLevel now shows specific rejection codes with a 'View required fixes' option. The ones we see most:

• Unverifiable call to action or opt-in flow: describe every way people opt in, and make sure the form URL is live and shows the consent language.
• Marketing consent bundled with other consent: split marketing and non-marketing consent into separate, optional, unchecked checkboxes.
• Missing disclosures: add message frequency, 'message and data rates may apply,' and STOP/HELP instructions near the checkbox.
• Privacy policy allows data sharing: add the no-sharing-with-third-parties language for mobile information.
• Website too thin, form-only, or broken: publish a real page describing your business, services, and contact details.
• Name mismatch: the brand name, website, opt-in form, and sample messages must all reference the same business name, or the DBA relationship must be stated on the site.
• Wrong use case: if you send promotions and reminders, choose mixed, not informational.

What content will A2P campaigns not approve?

Some rejections cannot be fixed by editing the form. Carriers treat certain categories as disallowed or high risk, including cannabis, many loan and debt collection programs, gambling, cryptocurrency, and multi-level marketing, plus the SHAFT categories (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco). HighLevel lists these as not eligible for standard resubmission. Messages that use public link shorteners like bit.ly or plain HTTP links are also flagged. If your business is in a regulated space, get compliance review before you write your campaign.

After approval: how to keep your A2P registration healthy

• Confirm every sending number is linked to the approved campaign, including numbers you add later.
• Keep your website, privacy policy, and SMS terms live. If you redesign the site, keep the consent language and footer links intact.
• Send what you registered. If you start sending promotions on an informational campaign, update the campaign rather than hoping nobody notices.
• Test STOP and HELP replies on your own phone after any workflow change, and make sure opted-out contacts are not re-added by an import or form.
• Watch failed-message reports in the conversations view. A sudden rise in failures is usually the first sign of a registration or content problem.

TCPA basics for texting customers (not legal advice)

A2P registration is carrier compliance. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is federal law, and it applies whether or not your campaign is approved. This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to an attorney about your specific situation.

The basics: get prior express written consent before sending marketing texts, honor STOP and other opt-out requests promptly, and send only between 8am and 9pm in the recipient's local time. Some states set stricter hours or rules. The FCC's 'one-to-one consent' rule, which would have required consent for one seller at a time, was vacated by the Eleventh Circuit in January 2025, but the underlying consent requirements still stand.

George Chapin spent years leading CRM and analytics at mortgage lenders, one of the most heavily regulated places to send a text. He designed an automated email and text milestone system for loan customers that reduced inbound status calls, and consent design, opt-out handling, and quiet hours were part of the build from day one. That is how we approach every GoHighLevel texting setup.