A2P 10DLC Registration Guide for GoHighLevel Agencies (2026)

If you run a GoHighLevel agency that sends SMS messages in the United States, A2P 10DLC registration isn't optional — it's mandatory. Unregistered messages face filtering, delivery failures, and hefty carrier fees. This guide walks you through everything: what A2P 10DLC is, how to register through both LC Phone (Twilio) and Telnyx, common pitfalls, and a clever workaround that lets you skip the process entirely for voice-only use cases.

What Is A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC stands for Application-to-Person messaging over 10-Digit Long Codes. It's a regulatory framework introduced by US mobile carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) that requires businesses sending SMS through standard 10-digit phone numbers to register their brand and messaging campaigns.

Before A2P 10DLC, businesses could send SMS from any local number without registration. Carriers had limited visibility into who was sending messages and why. This led to rampant spam. The 10DLC framework gives carriers a way to vet business senders, assign trust scores, and throttle or block unregistered traffic.

Key Terms You Need to Know

• Brand Registration: Registering your business identity (EIN, business name, address) with The Campaign Registry (TCR).
• Campaign Registration: Registering the specific use case for your messages (marketing, appointment reminders, two-factor auth, etc.).
• Trust Score: A score (1-100) assigned to your brand based on business verification. Higher scores = higher throughput limits.
• TCR (The Campaign Registry): The central database that manages all A2P 10DLC registrations.
• CSP (Campaign Service Provider): Your messaging provider (Twilio, Telnyx, etc.) that submits registrations to TCR on your behalf.

Why 10DLC Matters for GHL Agencies

As a GHL agency, you're sending SMS on behalf of your clients — appointment reminders, follow-ups, marketing campaigns, review requests. Every one of these messages is A2P traffic. Without proper 10DLC registration:

• Messages get filtered: Carriers actively block or filter unregistered A2P traffic. Your clients' messages simply won't arrive.
• Higher fees: Unregistered messages incur surcharges of $0.003-$0.005 per message on top of standard rates.
• Throttling: Unregistered numbers are limited to ~1 message per second. Registered brands with high trust scores can send 75-225+ messages per second.
• Account suspension: Persistent unregistered sending can result in carrier-level blocks or account suspension by your provider.

The Registration Process: Step by Step

Step 1: Gather Your Business Information

Before you start, you'll need:

• Legal business name (must match IRS records exactly)
• EIN (Employer Identification Number) — sole proprietors can use SSN but get lower trust scores
• Business address
• Business website (must be live and match your brand)
• Business email (domain should match website)
• Vertical/industry classification
• Sample messages for each campaign type

Step 2: Register Your Brand

Brand registration is submitted through your CSP (Twilio or Telnyx) to The Campaign Registry.

Registering Through LC Phone (Twilio/GHL)

In GoHighLevel, navigate to Settings → Phone Numbers → Trust Center. GHL walks you through the brand registration process directly within the platform. You'll fill in your business details, and GHL submits the registration to Twilio, which forwards it to TCR.

• Brand registration fee: $4 (one-time)
• Campaign registration fee: $15 (one-time) per campaign
• Monthly campaign fee: $10/month per active campaign
• Vetting fee (optional): $40 for enhanced vetting to get higher trust scores

Processing typically takes 1-7 business days. Most straightforward registrations are approved within 24-48 hours.

Registering Through Telnyx

If you're using Telnyx for SMS routing, you'll register through the Telnyx Mission Control portal:

1. Log into Mission Control → Messaging → 10DLC
2. Submit your brand registration with business details
3. Create a campaign with your use case and sample messages
4. Assign phone numbers to the campaign
5. Wait for carrier approval

• Brand registration fee: $4 (one-time)
• Campaign registration fee: $15 (one-time)
• Monthly campaign fee: $10/month

The costs are essentially identical because both providers are submitting to the same TCR system. The fees are pass-through from TCR, not markup from the providers.

Step 3: Register Your Campaigns

Each distinct messaging use case needs its own campaign. Common campaign types for GHL agencies:

• Mixed: The most common choice — covers marketing, notifications, and conversational messaging
• Marketing: Promotional messages, offers, sales
• Customer Care: Support responses, account updates
• Delivery Notifications: Order and appointment confirmations
• Two-Factor Authentication: Verification codes

For most GHL agencies, a single "Mixed" campaign covers everything. You don't need separate campaigns unless you have very different messaging use cases.

Step 4: Assign Numbers and Wait

After your brand and campaign are approved, assign your phone numbers to the campaign. Messages sent from these numbers will now be properly identified as registered A2P traffic.

Trust Scores and Throughput Limits

Most small GHL agencies land in the Medium range. If you need higher throughput, the $40 enhanced vetting process can boost your score significantly.

Common 10DLC Mistakes GHL Agencies Make

1. Business Name Mismatch

Your registration business name must exactly match your IRS records. "Bob's Marketing LLC" is different from "Bobs Marketing LLC" or "Bob's Marketing." Even a missing period or apostrophe can cause rejection.

2. Using a Personal Phone Number as the Business Contact

Use a business email with your company domain. Gmail or Yahoo addresses lower your trust score and can delay approval.

3. Vague Sample Messages

"Hi, this is a test" won't cut it. Provide realistic sample messages that match your actual use case. Include opt-out language ("Reply STOP to unsubscribe") in marketing samples.

4. Registering Multiple Brands Unnecessarily

If you're a single agency sending on behalf of clients, you register your agency as the brand. You don't need separate brand registrations for each client unless they have their own EIN and are sending under their own identity.

5. Not Including Opt-Out Instructions

Every marketing campaign must include clear opt-out instructions. "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" or similar language is required. Missing this is one of the most common rejection reasons.

6. Ignoring the Website Requirement

TCR checks that your business website exists and matches your brand. If your website is down, under construction, or doesn't mention your business name, expect delays.

Timeline Expectations

• Brand registration: 24-48 hours (can take up to 7 business days if manual review is needed)
• Campaign registration: 24 hours to 2 weeks (T-Mobile manual review campaigns take longer)
• Enhanced vetting: 3-7 business days additional
• Total typical timeline: 2-5 business days for most agencies
• Worst case: 3-4 weeks if rejections and resubmissions are needed

The Voice-Only Workaround: Skip 10DLC Entirely

Here's something most GHL agencies don't realize: A2P 10DLC only applies to SMS messaging. Voice calls are not affected by 10DLC registration at all.

If you use TelnyxForGHL in voice-only mode, you can start routing calls through Telnyx immediately — no 10DLC registration needed. Your SMS continues flowing through LC Phone (Twilio) with your existing 10DLC registration, while voice calls route through Telnyx at dramatically lower rates.

This is a massive advantage for agencies that want to start saving immediately without any compliance overhead:

• No 10DLC registration or migration on Telnyx
• No number porting required
• No changes to your existing SMS setup
• Voice savings of 47-78% start immediately
• Zero compliance risk — voice calls have no 10DLC requirements

For agencies where voice is the primary cost driver (which is most agencies — voice calls are typically 3-5x more expensive than SMS per interaction), voice-only mode captures the majority of potential savings with none of the registration headache.

When to Register 10DLC on Telnyx

If you eventually want to route SMS through Telnyx as well (for additional savings or to fully migrate away from Twilio), you'll need to complete 10DLC registration on Telnyx. This makes sense when:

• Your SMS volume is high enough that per-message savings justify the effort
• You want to port numbers entirely to Telnyx
• You're starting fresh with new numbers on Telnyx

The registration process on Telnyx is nearly identical to Twilio — same TCR system, same fees, same requirements. The only difference is which portal you're submitting through.

Cost Summary

The Bottom Line

A2P 10DLC registration is a necessary compliance step for any GHL agency sending US SMS. The process isn't complicated, but it requires attention to detail — especially matching your business name exactly and providing realistic sample messages.

If you want to start saving on telephony costs today without dealing with 10DLC at all, TelnyxForGHL's voice-only mode lets you route calls through Telnyx immediately. Voice has no 10DLC requirements, and it's typically where 60-80% of your telephony costs are concentrated.