# SMS to United States

Policy reference updated 2026-07-15T13:15:06.904613Z. Confirm current requirements, sender eligibility and your use case before launch.

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

- Country code: US (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 (10DLC) | two-way | — | required (10dlc) | preserved | — |

### Rules

- Recorded consent reference: under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, prior express written consent. Confirm the applicable standard for your message purpose and audience.
- Template pre-approval: yes
- Quiet hours: messages send between 08:00 and 21:00 (recipient local)

#### Telephone Consumer Protection Act
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a US federal law that regulates telemarketing calls, auto-dialed calls, pre-recorded calls, text messages, and unsolicited faxes. 

The law requires telemarketers to obtain prior express written consent from consumers before contacting them for marketing purposes via phone calls, text messages, and faxes. 

The TCPA also requires telemarketers to provide a way for consumers to opt-out of receiving future messages. The law sets out fines and penalties for violators, including fines of up to $1,500 per violation.

#### Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA)

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), is a trade organization that represents the wireless communications industry in the United States, like Verizon and AT&T. 

The organization sets industry standards and provides guidance and resources to its members, which include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, and mobile content providers. The CTIA also works to protect consumers by promoting the responsible use of wireless technology and advocating for policies that benefit the industry and its customers. 

In relation to SMS marketing, the CTIA has established guidelines and best practices to help businesses comply with relevant laws and regulations, such as the federal TCPA.

While not adhering to CTIA guidelines does not necessarily result in legal action against your business, there can still be negative consequences for non-compliance. If the CTIA discovers that you have violated their rules, they may inform the mobile carriers about this violation. The mobile carriers could then suspend or terminate your access to their customers until you address the issue.

#### What this market refuses

##### High-risk financial services 
- Payday loans 
- Short-term high interest loans 
- Auto loans 
- Mortgage loans 
- Student loans 
- 3rd party Debt collection 
- Gambling/sweepstakes 
- Stock alerts 
- Cryptocurrency 

##### Get-rich-quick schemes 
- Deceptive work-from-home programs 
- Risky investment opportunities 
- Multi-level marketing 

##### Job postings *
\*Exceptions are permitted if the message sender is the one doing the hiring 

##### Carriers’ product competition
- Competing products & services (e.g. home & mobile phone services)

##### Debt forgiveness  
- Debt consolidation 
- Debt reduction 
- Credit repair programs 

##### Controlled substances  
- Alcohol
- Cannabis and CBD 
- Tobacco and vape
- All Schedule I and II drugs by the U.S. Controlled Substances Act

##### Others  
- Phishing
- Firearms 
- Pornography or sex content
- Profanity or hate speech 
- Fraud and scam 
- Deceptive marketing 
- Lead generation
- Affiliate marketing (sharing user’s info with 3rd parties)

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

## 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)