Compliance

Dispensary SMS Compliance: What 10DLC Actually Requires

Short answer

To text customers legally in the US, a dispensary needs express written consent captured with full disclosure, a 10DLC brand and campaign registered with the carriers, automatic STOP and HELP handling, quiet-hours restrictions, and message content that complies with its state's cannabis advertising rules.

Consent is the part most operators get wrong

Express written consent means the subscriber actively agreed to receive marketing texts from your business specifically. A phone number collected at the register for a loyalty account is not consent to market unless the disclosure said so at the time of collection.

The disclosure must name the sender, describe the message type, state that message frequency varies, note that message and data rates may apply, explain how to stop and how to get help, and make clear that consent is not a condition of purchase. Keep timestamped records of every opt-in, including the exact wording shown.

10DLC registration, in plain terms

Application-to-person texting on US carrier networks runs through the 10DLC framework. You register your brand, then register each campaign with its use case, sample messages and opt-in flow. Carriers approve or reject and assign message throughput.

Cannabis-adjacent traffic gets extra scrutiny. A sloppy filing — vague use case, sample messages that read like drug sales, an opt-in screenshot that does not match the described flow — leads to rejection or silent filtering where messages are accepted and never delivered.

Content rules stack on top

Carrier policy and state cannabis advertising law are separate constraints. Some states limit price and discount promotion, require specific warning language, or restrict audience composition. Carriers independently block explicit sale language for controlled substances.

The practical consequence is that one message template cannot serve a multi-state operator. Content has to vary by state, and the send system has to enforce that rather than trusting a marketer to remember.

Operational hygiene that keeps you live

Honor STOP instantly and across every channel tied to that person. Respect quiet hours in the recipient's time zone, not yours. Keep list hygiene tight, because high opt-out and complaint rates are what trigger carrier review in the first place.

Audit your consent records quarterly. If you cannot produce the exact opt-in evidence for a given number, that number should not be on the list.

Can we text customers who gave us their number for a loyalty program?

Only if the disclosure at the time of collection said they would receive marketing messages. Otherwise you have a phone number, not consent.

How long does 10DLC approval take?

Brand registration is typically fast; campaign approval commonly takes several business days and longer if the carrier requests changes. Budget two weeks before you plan to send.

What are quiet hours?

Commonly 8pm to 8am in the recipient's local time, with some states and platforms applying tighter windows. Send outside them and complaint rates rise sharply.