The three number types, compared
10DLC is a registered local number, approved through The Campaign Registry in days to weeks with no lease fee; a short code is a dedicated three-to-seven-digit sender leased for $500 to $1,000 a month and approved by each carrier over roughly eight to twelve weeks; a toll-free number is an 8XX number verified through a separate process, typically reviewed within a few business days. All three require a Campaign Verify token for a political committee as of February 17, 2026.
| 10DLC (local numbers) | Short code | Toll-free (8XX) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Standard ten-digit local numbers registered for A2P messaging | A dedicated 3- to 7-digit sender (5 or 6 digits in the US) | An 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 or 888 number verified for messaging |
| Who approves it | The Campaign Registry (brand and campaign), with carrier review | Each carrier individually, via the CTIA Short Code Registry and the provider | The toll-free messaging aggregator, via the provider |
| Typical time to clear | Days to a few weeks; the Campaign Verify token is the long pole for 527s | About 8 to 12 weeks across the carriers | Twilio reviews verification requests within three business days |
| Recurring cost | A monthly campaign fee of a few dollars per registered campaign, plus per-message carrier surcharges | $500 per month (random) or $1,000 per month (vanity) lease, plus carrier set-up fees and per-message carrier fees | Number rental plus per-message fees; verification itself carries no registry lease |
| Capacity | Set per brand by trust and use case; verified 527s sit in the highest political tier and are exempt from the usual daily caps | Highest throughput of the three, built for continuous high volume | Moderate; set by the aggregator and raised with verification and history |
| Campaign Verify token (527s) | Required since 2021 | Required since February 17, 2026 | Required since February 17, 2026 |
| How voters see it | A local number | A short number, recognizable but not local | An 8XX number |
| Fits | Nearly every campaign, PAC and consultant book | National committees and very high continuous volume | Programs already on a toll-free number or needing one sender nationwide |
10DLC: registered local numbers
10DLC (ten-digit long code) is the carrier system for sending application-to-person messages from ordinary local numbers: the organization registers as a brand, each messaging program registers as a campaign with a use case, and carriers set the brand's capacity from its vetting. For a political committee the use case is Political, unlocked by the Campaign Verify token; 501(c)(4), (c)(5) and (c)(6) organizations are verified against IRS records without a token. Capacity is set at the brand level and shared across every number and campaign under the same EIN: T-Mobile assigns each brand a daily tier, the default Low tier allows 2,000 messages per day to its subscribers, the cap resets at midnight Pacific, and campaigns across several providers share it (Bandwidth support, read October 21, 2026). Verified political committees sit in the highest tier, and that cap exemption is the practical reason the token comes first.
- No lease. The recurring cost is a monthly campaign fee of a few dollars per registered campaign plus fractions of a cent per message in carrier surcharges; the one bill a committee pays directly is Campaign Verify's $95.
- Adding numbers does not add capacity; the brand's tier does. A program needing more volume files correctly, not wider.
- Local numbers are what peer-to-peer programs use, since a person sends each message from a number in or near the district.
The four stages, the timeline and the costs are on the 10DLC Quick Start; the exact field selections are in the filing, field by field.
Short codes: leased, high-throughput
A short code is a numeric sender of three to seven digits (five or six in the United States), designed for high-throughput two-way messaging, leased from the CTIA Short Code Registry at $500 per month for a random code or $1,000 per month for a vanity code, and approved by each carrier individually over roughly eight to twelve weeks. Sources: Twilio docs, "What's an SMS short code" (digits, use cases, and the three cost components: a setup charge, a quarterly lease and per-message carrier costs); Bandwidth support, "Short code fees" (lease amounts, carrier set-up fees such as $500 per short code for T-Mobile new codes, migrations and amendments, and non-compliance fines from $500 to $2,000 per violation), both read October 21, 2026.
Toll-free: verified 8XX numbers
Toll-free messaging uses 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888 numbers verified through a separate process from 10DLC; toll-free numbers cannot be assigned to 10DLC campaigns, and unverified toll-free traffic is restricted. Verification asks for the business or organization details, the use case (political election campaigns is a named category), the opt-in method and sample messages; Twilio states it reviews toll-free verification requests within three business days (Twilio docs and Bandwidth support, read October 21, 2026). There is no registry lease, which makes toll-free the cheapest route to one nationwide sender, at moderate throughput.
- Suits a program already operating on a toll-free number, or an organization that wants one sender across states without a short code lease.
- Voters see an 8XX number rather than a local one, which matters for reply rates in a district race.
- Since February 17, 2026 a political committee needs its Campaign Verify token here too.
Campaign Verify now reaches all three
Campaign Verify, the nonpartisan nonprofit that verifies U.S. political campaigns, parties and PACs, issues authorization tokens for 10DLC, short code and toll-free messaging, and carrier policy requires the token for political committees on short code and toll-free channels effective February 17, 2026. The fee is $95 per entity per two-year election cycle, initial review runs from minutes to two business days, and the token is generated immediately once the mailed PIN is entered (campaignverify.org, read October 21, 2026). The practical consequence: the token belongs at the top of the timeline regardless of the number type, and changing number types is not a way around verification.
The committee types that need a token, the process and the failure modes are in Campaign Verify, explained.
Which fits which program
| Program | Number type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Local or legislative race, one committee | 10DLC | Local numbers, no lease, registers inside the campaign calendar; the token puts the committee in the top tier |
| Statewide or congressional race | 10DLC | Capacity is set by the brand's tier, not by number count; a verified 527 is exempt from the usual daily caps |
| Consultant or firm with many client committees | 10DLC, one registration per client | Each client is its own brand and campaign, so one complaint history never touches another; white-label reporting rides on top |
| PAC or party committee sending continuously at national scale | Dedicated short code, 10DLC alongside | Throughput and a single recognizable sender justify the lease and the eight-to-twelve-week approval |
| Organization already texting from a toll-free number | Verified toll-free | Keeps the sender voters know; verification is quick and carries no lease |
| Peer-to-peer program | 10DLC | A person sends each message from a local number; the model is built on that |
The questions that decide it
- How many messages, over how many days, to how many states? Continuous national volume points to a short code; everything else points to 10DLC.
- How long until the first send? A short code's approval clock is measured in months; 10DLC and toll-free in days to weeks.
- Does a local number matter to the reply rate? In a district race it usually does.
- Is the Campaign Verify token already in hand? Without it, none of the three is ready for a 527.
What FullPAC runs
FullPAC registers each client committee on 10DLC under the political use case, with its own brand and campaign, and handles the Campaign Verify timeline with the committee. Partners get sub-accounts per client with white-label reporting on top of those registrations. If a program genuinely needs toll-free or a short code, that is a conversation with your account partner early enough for the approval clock. What the platform does and does not control about delivery is on the deliverability guide; rates are on pricing.
Questions campaigns ask
What is a 10DLC number?
A standard ten-digit local phone number that a business or organization has registered for application-to-person (A2P) messaging. The registration goes through The Campaign Registry: the organization is the brand, and each messaging program is a campaign with a use case. Political committees register under the political use case with a Campaign Verify token.
Is 10DLC or a short code better for a political campaign?
For almost every campaign, 10DLC. It uses local numbers voters recognize, registers in days to weeks rather than the two to three months a short code takes, has no lease fee, and a Campaign Verify token puts a 527 committee in the highest political tier. A dedicated short code suits a national committee or large program that sends very high volume continuously and can carry a $500 to $1,000 monthly lease plus an approval process of roughly eight to twelve weeks.
What is the difference between 10DLC and toll-free texting?
Both use full-length numbers. 10DLC numbers are local and register through The Campaign Registry; toll-free numbers (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888) go through a separate verification process with the toll-free messaging aggregator, and toll-free numbers cannot be assigned to 10DLC campaigns. Toll-free verification is typically reviewed within a few business days; unverified toll-free traffic is restricted.
Does Campaign Verify apply to short codes and toll-free numbers?
Yes. Campaign Verify issues authorization tokens for 10DLC, short code and toll-free messaging, and carrier policy requires the token for political committees on short code and toll-free channels effective February 17, 2026 (campaignverify.org, read October 21, 2026). Moving to another number type is no longer a way around verification.
How much does a short code cost?
The CTIA Short Code Registry lease is $500 per month for a random code and $1,000 per month for a vanity code, billed through the provider, plus carrier set-up fees (for example $500 per short code for T-Mobile new codes, migrations and amendments) and per-message carrier fees, as published by Bandwidth and read October 21, 2026. Providers add their own setup and per-message charges.
How many texts can a 10DLC number send per day?
The cap is set per brand, not per number. T-Mobile assigns each brand a daily tier based on its vetting; the default Low tier allows 2,000 messages per day to T-Mobile subscribers, the cap resets at midnight Pacific, and all campaigns under the same brand share it (Bandwidth, read October 21, 2026). Verified political committees sit in the highest political tier, and adding numbers does not add capacity.