Age gate rejections: what counts as a “robust” age gate (Twilio 30888, 30512)
Short answer
If you promote age-restricted products, reviewers want a real date-of-birth gate where people type their birth date (MM/DD/YYYY) before reaching the opt-in, plus the age-gated attribute on the registration. A Yes/No “Are you 21?” button is rejected.
What you'll see
| Where | Code | Wording |
|---|---|---|
| Twilio (10DLC) | 30888 | “Campaign vetting rejection - Age Gate Not Present / Not Acceptable” |
| Twilio (10DLC) | 30956 | “Campaign rejected: alcohol content without required age verification detected” |
| Twilio (toll-free) | 30448 | “Toll-Free verification rejection - Age-gated program not identified” |
| Twilio (toll-free) | 30512 / 30529 | “Age gate required for age-restricted content” / “Toll Free rejection: Alcohol promotions require age verification” |
| Telnyx, Bandwidth | 702 / 706 / 707 | Guns/ammo, alcohol, tobacco or vape without an age gate |
| Toll-free (Bandwidth, Sinch) | 1412 | “Age Gate Not Present or Does Not Meet Requirements” |
Text in curly quotes is the provider's wording; the rest is our summary.
Why it happens
- A Yes/No age button. HighLevel's rejection reason quotes it:
Age gate on site or in submission was similar to: "Are you 18/21+" Click Yes or No
. - An age gate on the website but not before the SMS opt-in.
- Age-restricted content without the age-gated attribute (Twilio 30448, Proxy 1001, DCA 601).
- Brand names of alcohol or firearm products in samples (Telnyx).
How to fix it
- Add a gate that makes the visitor type their full date of birth. Telnyx and Bandwidth phrase it as
manual entry of MM/DD/YYYY collected prior to accessing the opt-in page
. - Twilio's toll-free guide also accepts age verification by double opt-in:
electronic age gate forcing a manual MM/DD/YYYY input, or verify via double opt-in. Simple confirmation indicators like 'I am over 21' are insufficient.
- Tick the age-gated content attribute (
AgeGatedContentin Twilio's toll-free API). - Mention the age requirement in your terms and the message flow, and link a screenshot of the gate.
- Keep product brand names out of samples.
Restaurants and venues that serve alcohol but won't promote it in texts usually don't need a gate. Telnyx's toll-free team says the submission should say so explicitly. Dating services are also treated as age-gated (DCA 601).
Check before you resubmit. Every rejection costs days, and often another $15 vetting fee. Paste your description, message flow, samples and policy text into the free preflight check, or generate a consistent set with the campaign builder.
Frequently asked questions
Is 'I confirm I am 21 or older' with a checkbox enough?
No. Twilio, Telnyx, Bandwidth and HighLevel reject simple confirmations. The visitor must enter a full date of birth, or confirm age through a double opt-in where Twilio's toll-free guide allows it.
Can firearms businesses get approved with an age gate?
It depends on the provider. Telnyx and Bandwidth's DCA code 702 allows resubmission with a date-of-birth gate, but Twilio says firearms are not allowed on any number type, and Bandwidth toll-free code 1805 marks firearms not eligible.
Can vape or tobacco shops use SMS?
Generally not on toll-free (Bandwidth 1806 includes cessation products), and Twilio doesn't allow vape on any number type and tobacco only on short codes. Some 10DLC vetting partners accept tobacco with a robust age gate (DCA 707).
Sources
- Twilio: Toll-Free Verification Onboarding Guide (updated 2026-09-24)
- Twilio: Forbidden Message Categories in the US and Canada (updated 2026-06-03)
- Twilio error 30888 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- Twilio error 30512 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- Twilio error 30448 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- Bandwidth: DCA2 vetting rejection reasons (2026-03-17)
- Bandwidth: Proxy Connector vetting rejection reasons (2026-03-17)
- Bandwidth: Toll-free verification rejection reasons (modified 2026-09-15)
- Telnyx: 10DLC carrier error codes explained (accessed 2026-10-03)
- Telnyx: Toll-free verification request guide (accessed 2026-10-03)
- HighLevel: A2P campaign rejections, required fixes and vetting errors (modified 2026-09-09)
- T-Mobile Code of Conduct v2.2 (November 2020 (latest public))
Rules change often and providers sometimes disagree; where they do, this page says so. This is general information, not legal advice, and no one can guarantee approval. See the disclaimer.
Related problems
- Twilio 30883, 30897, 30940-30962, 30441-30469 · DCA 701-709 · Proxy 7001-7012 · TF 1701-1806Prohibited and restricted SMS content: SHAFT, cannabis, loans, lead gen
- Twilio 30889 · DCA 601 · Bandwidth 3109Embedded link or phone number flag doesn't match samples (Twilio 30889, DCA 601)
- Twilio 30893, 30496, 30499, 30507, 30537, 30916 · DCA 602 · Proxy 2003, 2005, 8001-8004Use case mismatch: when your samples, description and opt-in disagree
The Approval Kit adds industry template packs, opt-in and policy page templates, and an agency checklist.