Texting Compliance for Car Dealers: TCPA and A2P 10DLC
Texting is the best tool a dealership has, and one of the easiest ways to get sued if you do it wrong. Here's what TCPA and A2P 10DLC actually require, in plain English.
THE DEALER FUNNEL TEAM · AUGUST 22, 2026 · 7 MIN READ
Text messaging is the highest-response channel a dealership has. It's also governed by real rules with real penalties, the TCPA on the federal side and A2P 10DLC on the carrier side, and “we didn't know” is not a defense. The good news: compliant texting isn't complicated once you understand the two things regulators actually care about, consent and opt-out.
This is a plain-English overview, not legal advice. But it will tell you what the rules require and what a compliant texting setup looks like.
The two rulebooks: TCPA and A2P 10DLC
There are two separate systems, and you have to satisfy both. The TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) is federal law. It governs consent: you generally need the customer's permission before you send marketing texts, and you must honor opt-outs. Statutory damages run $500 to $1,500 per message, and class actions have cost dealers real money.
A2P 10DLC is not a law, it's the carriers' registration system for application-to-person texting over standard 10-digit numbers. To send business texts that actually get delivered, your business and your numbers have to be registered and vetted. Skip it and your messages get filtered or blocked, compliant or not.
Consent: the thing that matters most
Under the TCPA, the level of consent you need depends on the message. For marketing or promotional texts sent with automated systems, the standard is “prior express written consent”, a clear agreement from the customer to receive those texts at that number. For purely transactional messages a customer asked for, the bar is lower. When in doubt, get clear consent.
Practically, that means an opt-in the customer actually takes: an unchecked box they click, a keyword they text, a form they submit that clearly says texts will follow, not a pre-checked box or a number you scraped. And you have to keep a record of it.
Opt-out, quiet hours, and the DNC list
Consent gets you in the door. These keep you out of trouble:
- Honor STOP immediately. If a customer replies STOP, the texts stop, and stay stopped.
- Respect quiet hours. Texting is restricted to roughly 8 AM to 9 PM in the recipient's time zone.
- Check the Do-Not-Call registry where it applies, and keep your own internal do-not-contact list.
- Identify yourself. Make it clear the message is from your dealership.
What a compliant texting setup looks like
You don't want compliance to be a checklist your team has to remember on every message, because they won't. It should be built into the tool:
- Consent captured and logged at the point of opt-in.
- STOP, HELP, and opt-outs handled automatically, across every number.
- Quiet hours enforced by the system, in the customer's time zone.
- A2P 10DLC registration handled for you, so messages actually deliver.
- Every message logged, so if a complaint ever comes, you have the record.
The bottom line
Compliant texting is not about tiptoeing around a scary law. It's about two habits, get real consent and honor opt-outs, backed by a system that enforces the rest so your people don't have to think about it. At Dealer Funnel, opt-ins, opt-outs, quiet hours, and DNC handling are built in and every message is logged, so compliance is the default, not a setting someone configures.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need consent to text a customer who filled out a lead form?
It depends on the message. A form that clearly states texts will follow can establish consent to follow up about that specific inquiry. Broader marketing texts need clearer prior express written consent. Either way, keep a record of the opt-in.
What is A2P 10DLC and do I need it?
A2P 10DLC is the wireless carriers' registration system for business texting over standard 10-digit numbers. If you text customers from those numbers, you need to be registered, or your messages get filtered and blocked regardless of whether they're compliant.
What happens if my dealership violates the TCPA?
Statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per message, with no cap, which is why TCPA class actions can get expensive fast. Honoring consent and opt-outs is the single best protection.
Does honoring STOP really have to be automatic?
Yes. Missing an opt-out is exactly the kind of violation that leads to complaints and liability. It should be enforced by the system across every number, not left to a person to remember.
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