10DLC Compliance Explained: What Dealerships Actually Need (and What They Don’t)

A fast response is the difference between a closed deal and a lost lead in today’s car buyer’s journey. Text messaging (SMS) has become the gold standard for reaching customers, but behind the scenes, the rules of the road for texting have changed.

If you’ve heard the term 10DLC and felt a headache coming on, you aren’t alone. Here is everything you need to know about why it matters and how Overfuel makes it simpler than any other platform.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code. In plain English, it’s a system required by major cell phone carriers (like Verizon and AT&T) to verify that the businesses sending texts are legitimate.

Think of it like a digital license plate for your dealership’s phone number. Without it, your messages are more likely to be flagged as spam, blocked by carriers, or never delivered.

Why It Matters to Your Business

• Deliverability: Proper registration ensures your appointment reminders and “car is ready” texts actually hit the customer’s pocket.
• Brand Trust: Customers feel safer engaging with a dealership that follows transparent privacy and consent rules.
• Legal Safety: Staying compliant protects you from heavy carrier fines and keeps your communication lines open.

Fact Over Fiction: What You Actually Need for 10DLC Compliance

Many platforms leave the complex compliance work to the dealer, often following outdated or overly cautious advice. It’s common to see large CRM companies propose lengthy disclosure blocks comprising five or six paragraphs and three or four separate checkboxes. This approach is not only wholly unnecessary for carrier approval but also detrimental to your conversion rates. Nothing scares off a high-intent lead faster than a wall of “legalese” before they can even ask a question.

At Overfuel, we’ve built requirements directly into our infrastructure, following a “less is more” philosophy. Our condensed 10DLC disclaimer has been approved for hundreds of websites, ensuring your dealership meets all mandatory carrier requirements without the clutter that kills your lead flow.

The 10 Keys to Compliance (And How We Solve Them)

We’ve optimized your web forms to satisfy the Twilio and TCR (The Campaign Registry) standards automatically:

Requirement	How Overfuel Handles It
Brand Identification	We use your specific dealership name—no generic “we” language.
Consent Language	Explicit agreement text is built right into your “Submit” area.
Use Case Disclosure	We state exactly what messages are for (e.g., appointment reminders).
Message Frequency	We include the mandatory “Message frequency varies” notice.
Rate Disclosure	We include the “Message and data rates may apply” disclaimer.
Opt-Out (STOP)	Clear instructions for customers to opt out at any time.
Support (HELP)	Automatic “HELP” reply instructions are included.
Privacy Policy Link	A direct, clickable link to your specific policy.
Terms of Service Link	A direct link to your terms, never buried or broken.
Safe Opt-In Method	We use an audit-safe checkbox that is never pre-checked, ensuring valid consent.

Simple. Compliant. Ready to Sell.

You shouldn’t have to be a tech expert to send a text message to a customer. Overfuel provides a fully compliant, pre-approved framework that satisfies the strictest carrier reviews.

While other platforms might leave you guessing if your forms are “legal,” Overfuel gives you the peace of mind that your 10DLC registration is backed by a proven, successful track record.

Ready to streamline your dealership’s communication?

Don’t let compliance hurdles slow down your sales team. Let us handle the technicalities while you handle the handshakes.