# SMS to Canada

Policy reference updated 2026-07-15T13:15:06.128426Z. Confirm current requirements, sender eligibility and your use case before launch.

[Contact sales](/demo?product=sms&source_page=%2Fsms-api%2Ffeatures%2Fdestinations%2Fcanada)

- Country code: CA (dialing +1)
- Channels available: sms, whatsapp, voice
- Two-way messaging: yes

### Sender types

| Sender | Direction | Throughput (msg/s) | Registration | Sender ID | Timeline |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Short code | two-way | — | required (short_code) | preserved | — |
| Toll-free number | two-way | — | required (tfn) | preserved | — |
| Long code (phone number) | two-way | — | none | preserved | — |

### Rules

- Recorded consent reference: under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, express or implied consent. Confirm the applicable standard for your message purpose and audience.
- Template pre-approval: yes
- Quiet hours: recorded; the sending window is not stated

#### What this market refuses

It is not allowed to send messages that promote gambling, betting and/or adult content as well as shortened URLs that mask or redirect to a URL. All messages of this nature can be considered spam and/or unsolicited and may be filtered. This is out of our control.

Traffic that has been delivered successfully, does not necessarily imply compliance with industry guidelines and regulations. Due to a lack of insight from the local operators we are unable to provide further, proactive details on additional filtering that may take place. 

[How sender-ID registration works →](/sms-api/features/compliance/sender-id-registration)

## How sending works

Use the same SMS API across supported destinations. Prepare an eligible sender, enable the destination and apply the recipient permission your message requires. Track the accepted message through carrier submission and the delivery reports available for that route.

## The rest of the SMS platform

One API, one set of keys. Explore the other capabilities.

- [Sender-ID registration](/sms-api/features/compliance/sender-id-registration): Pre-register alphanumeric and dedicated senders where countries require it.
- [Routing](/sms-api/features/routing): Destination controls, carrier connectivity and reported routing outcomes.
- [Numbers](/sms-api/features/numbers): Long codes, short codes, toll-free, and alphanumeric sender IDs.
- [Sending](/sms-api/features/sending): The send API: segments, Unicode safety, batch, and idempotency.
- [Two-way](/sms-api/features/two-way): Inbound SMS and conversational replies as HMAC-signed webhooks.
- [All destinations](/sms-api/features/destinations): Coverage, sender types, and rules for every country Bird reaches.



## Related resources

- [SMS overview](/docs/guides/sms/overview) (docs)
- [SMS destinations](/sms-api/features/destinations) (product)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=sms-destinations)