Marketing by text can trigger federal rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and related FCC regulations. The rules differ based on the technology used, the purpose of the message, whether the recipient consented, and whether a number is protected by do-not-call requirements. State laws may add further obligations.
The FCC treats text messages as calls for TCPA purposes. Certain automated telemarketing or advertising communications require prior express written consent, while other categories of communications can operate under different standards or exemptions.
Businesses should preserve the wording shown at signup, timestamps, telephone numbers, consumer actions, and other consent notice records. A database entry saying “consented” is much less useful if nobody can later show what the person actually agreed to.
The FCC’s TCPA consumer guidance explains that written consent requirements apply to specified advertising and telemarketing communications and that texts are covered by the TCPA framework.
The FCC has codified that National Do-Not-Call Registry protections extend to marketing text messages. A consumer can provide permission to receive marketing communications, but businesses need procedures that account for both consent and do-not-call requirements.
Maintaining consent forms, suppression lists, vendor logs, and other compliance documentation helps businesses determine whether a message should be sent before a campaign launches.
| Compliance Area | What to Record | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consent | Form and timestamp | Shows agreement |
| Phone number | Number consent covered | Connects consent to recipient |
| Disclosure | Exact signup wording | Shows scope of consent |
| Opt-out | Request and action date | Shows suppression handling |
One current complication is that the FCC’s 2023 “one-to-one consent” restriction for certain lead-generation situations was struck down by the Eleventh Circuit in January 2025. Businesses should therefore avoid relying on compliance summaries that still describe the vacated rule as effective law.
Marketing systems used for marketing campaign systems should be designed to recognize opt-outs rather than treating them as a customer-service afterthought.
FCC rules allow consumers to revoke consent through reasonable methods. Recognized text responses include terms such as STOP, QUIT, END, REVOKE, OPT OUT, CANCEL, or UNSUBSCRIBE, and covered revocation requests generally must be honored as soon as practicable and within ten business days.
A narrower rule requiring an opt-out from one informational-message category to apply across unrelated categories from the same caller has been delayed until January 31, 2027. The FCC’s January 2026 order states that the delay does not change other existing revocation rules.
Buying a phone-number list does not automatically establish valid consent. Neither does relying blindly on a vendor’s statement that every lead “opted in.”
Another frequent problem is fragmented suppression data. If one system records an opt-out but another marketing platform continues sending covered messages, the company’s internal technology can create legal exposure even though someone received the request.
Get legal review before launching high-volume automated texting, buying third-party leads, combining multiple sellers’ lead sources, or changing consent language.
Immediate review is also sensible after a demand letter, TCPA lawsuit, regulatory inquiry, or discovery that a vendor sent messages without the consent documentation your contract required. Preserve campaign records instead of rebuilding them after a complaint arrives.
Not automatically. Consent depends on the circumstances, the type of communication, the technology involved, and what the consumer actually agreed to.
Yes. FCC rules recognize reasonable methods of revoking consent for covered communications, and businesses need functioning procedures for processing those requests.
No. TCPA requirements can vary with technology, purpose, consent, exemptions, do-not-call status, and applicable state law.
A compliant text program starts before the first message is sent. Capture the actual consent language, connect it to the correct phone number, control outside vendors, maintain suppression records, and test opt-out systems. Regulations and court decisions can change, so businesses running significant campaigns should periodically review their consent process against current FCC rules.
This article provides general legal information and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney.
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