Opt-in checkbox rejections: pre-checked, required or bundled consent
Short answer
Consent to receive texts must be its own optional, unchecked checkbox that names text messages and your brand. It can't be required to submit the form, buy something or accept your terms, and if you send promotions as well as informational texts, marketing needs a second checkbox.
What you'll see
| Where | Code | Wording |
|---|---|---|
| Twilio, HighLevel | 30925 | “Opt-in must be unchecked by default; active consent required” |
| Twilio, HighLevel | 30923 | “Message consent cannot be required for service use” |
| Twilio, HighLevel | 30931 | “Opt-in process must allow consumers to decline” |
| Twilio, HighLevel | 30913 | “Marketing and informational consent must be separate” |
| Twilio (toll-free) | 30475 | “Messaging consent is bundled with other agreements” |
| Twilio (toll-free) | 30505 / 30508 / 30504 | “Opt-in must be optional, not required” / “Pre-selected opt-in checkbox is not allowed” / “Single opt-in cannot cover multiple use cases” |
| Twilio (both) | 30551 / 30556 | “Consent does not specify SMS or text messaging” / “SMS consent is bundled with other communication channels” |
| Telnyx, Bandwidth | 803 | Forced opt-in: checkbox missing, or checkbox and phone field both mandatory |
| Toll-free (Bandwidth, Sinch, Telnyx) | 1401, 1402, 1404, 1407, 1427, 1432 | Single opt-in for multiple use cases; consent part of other agreements; not optional; pre-selected; channel not named; bundled with other channels |
Text in curly quotes is the provider's wording; the rest is our summary.
Why it happens
- The SMS box is ticked when the page loads, or the form auto-enrolls everyone who leaves a phone number.
- The form can't be submitted without ticking the box, or texts are described as a condition of service or purchase.
- One checkbox covers “I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and to receive text messages”.
- One checkbox covers both promotions and reminders or order updates.
- The label says “updates” or “communications” without saying text messages, or covers email, calls and texts together.
- The Terms and Privacy links are hidden in a pop-up or far from the checkbox.
How to fix it
- Add a checkbox only for text messages, unchecked when the page loads.
- Let people submit the form without ticking it. If the phone field is required for the service, the SMS box must still be optional.
- Accept your terms with a separate checkbox. Twilio:
A consent checkbox for privacy policy and terms of service must be separate from any messaging consent checkboxes.
- If you send promotions and informational texts, use two SMS checkboxes, each with the full disclosure. HighLevel goes further and asks for two checkboxes on every form.
- Write “text messages” or “SMS” in the label, name your business, and keep email and call consent in their own checkboxes.
- Put links labelled Terms of Service and Privacy Policy directly under the checkbox, not in a pop-up or dropdown.
- A page whose only job is signing up for texts can use submit-as-consent wording instead of a checkbox. Telnyx and Bandwidth publish one:
By submitting this form and signing up for texts, you consent to receive marketing text messages (e.g. promos, cart reminders) from [Company Name] at the number provided...
Any form that also handles contact, booking or checkout needs the optional checkbox.
Gets rejected
[x] I agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and to receive updates by email and text.
Gets approved more often
[ ] I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. (can be required) [ ] Appointment texts: By checking this box, I agree to receive recurring appointment reminder text messages from Bright Smile Dental at the phone number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help or STOP to opt out. (optional) [ ] Offers: By checking this box, I agree to receive recurring automated marketing text messages from Bright Smile Dental at the phone number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help or STOP to opt out. (optional) Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
The legal backdrop
For marketing texts sent with an autodialer, federal rules require prior express written consent that discloses the person is not required to sign or agree as a condition of purchasing any property, goods, or services
(47 CFR 64.1200(f)(9)). The FCC's 2023 “one-to-one consent” rule was vacated by the 11th Circuit on January 24, 2025, but carriers still ban shared or transferred consent as policy. The checkbox rules above are carrier and provider requirements, which are stricter than the law.
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
Can the phone number field be required?
Yes, if your service needs it, but the SMS consent checkbox must stay optional. Twilio treats a required phone field on a transactional form with no separate optional consent as forced consent.
Do I need two checkboxes?
If you send both marketing and informational texts, yes: Twilio code 30913 and toll-free code 1401 reject one consent covering both. If you send only one type, one checkbox is enough on Twilio, but HighLevel's guide asks for two checkboxes with its exact wording on every form.
Is 'by submitting this form you agree to receive texts' acceptable?
Usually not on forms that also do something else, such as contact, booking or checkout. Reviewers want an explicit, optional action. It is acceptable on a page whose only purpose is signing up for texts.
Can SMS consent share a checkbox with email consent?
No. Twilio 30556 and toll-free code 1432 reject consent bundled across channels. Use one checkbox per channel.
Sources
- Twilio: A2P 10DLC Campaign Onboarding Guide (updated 2026-09-24)
- Twilio: Toll-Free Verification Onboarding Guide (updated 2026-09-24)
- Twilio error 30913 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- Twilio error 30925 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- HighLevel: How to get your phone number A2P approved in 2026 (modified 2026-07-30)
- HighLevel: A2P campaign rejections, required fixes and vetting errors (modified 2026-09-09)
- Bandwidth: Toll-free verification rejection reasons (modified 2026-09-15)
- Bandwidth: DCA2 vetting rejection reasons (2026-03-17)
- Telnyx: 10DLC campaign compliance guide (accessed 2026-10-03)
- 47 CFR 64.1200 (TCPA rules), eCFR (text as of 2026-09-01)
- Insurance Marketing Coalition v. FCC (11th Cir.) (decided 2025-01-24)
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
- MESSAGE_FLOW · Twilio 30909, 30896, 30917, 30924 · DCA 806MESSAGE_FLOW rejection: fix an opt-in the reviewer can't verify
- Twilio 30446, 30476, 30498, 30509, 30510, 30513, 30543 · TF 1408-1414Toll-free verification rejected for opt-in: Twilio 30476, 30509, 30513
- Twilio 30908, 30932, 30536, 30477, 30519, 30550 · DCA 805, 851, 852 · TF 1207, 1501-1503Privacy policy rejections: the SMS clause carriers require
- Twilio 30503, 30540 · DCA 611 · Proxy 6001-6006 · TF 1311, 1315Opt-in confirmation message rejected: what the first text must say
The Approval Kit adds industry template packs, opt-in and policy page templates, and an agency checklist.