Toll-Free Verification Policy & Enforcement Timeline

This article explains who sets toll-free messaging verification requirements and the enforcement timeline to date. See also: Required Information for Toll-Free Verification and Opt-In Requirements & Common Rejection Reasons.

Who sets the rules

Toll-free messaging verification is controlled by the Toll-Free Messaging Registry — the central verification authority through which all toll-free SMS/MMS traffic reaches the US and Canadian carriers. Its requirements govern every provider: the rules follow the number, not the provider, and each verification is judged against the rules in force at the time of review. Underneath the registry's rules sit the industry-wide standards that apply to every messaging channel: the CTIA Messaging Principles & Best Practices and the TCPA (federal law).

Enforcement timeline

• May 15, 2022 — all new toll-free numbers must complete verification before sending traffic.
• October 1, 2022 — industry-wide volume limits applied to unverified numbers (2,000/day, 12,000/week, 25,000/month).
• November 8, 2023 — messages from Restricted (unverified) toll-free numbers blocked in the US; pending-verification numbers limited to 2,000/day, 6,000/week, 10,000/month with progressively tighter filtering.
• January 31, 2024 — messages from pending-verification numbers also blocked. From this date, only fully Verified toll-free numbers can send messages in the US and Canada.
• September 30, 2025 — business registration numbers (EIN) began being collected on new verifications.
• 2026 — EIN/business registration number required on all new verifications.

Verification states

• Verified — approved; full sending enabled.
• Pending — submitted and under review; blocked from sending (since Jan 31, 2024).
• Restricted — not submitted or rejected; blocked from sending.

What this means in practice

• There is no unverified toll-free traffic anymore — verification is a prerequisite, not an optimization.
• Approvals don't carry across channels: a program approved on a short code or 10DLC campaign must still pass toll-free verification on its own.
• Requirements tighten over time. A program approved under earlier rules may need updates at re-review — TSG validates against the current rules.

How this compares to other channels

The consent and disclosure rules (TCPA, CTIA) are identical across all three — only the review process differs.

Last updated July 2026. Questions: TSG Global support.