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Guide

Texts that book appointments,sent with consent,and stopped the moment they ask.

Text message marketing for car dealerships works when every text is expected, useful and easy to stop. Get written consent before any marketing text, honor opt-outs fast (federal ceiling: ten business days, 47 CFR 64.1200, checked 8 October 2026), text only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. the buyer's local time or tighter where state law says, register through your texting provider, and judge it by appointments that show.

Consent, opt-outs, what to send and when, measured by the appointments that show up.

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01The job

What text message marketing for car dealerships should do

Text message marketing for car dealerships has one narrow job: turn a lead or a past customer into a booked appointment that shows up. Texting fills the gap between a lead form and a phone call nobody picks up. It should push toward a call or a visit, not replace them. Vendors sell it as SMS marketing for car dealerships, and every rule below applies under either name.

An independent store sends three kinds of text, and the rules and the risk differ for each.

  1. Conversation. A salesperson or BDC agent replying one-to-one to a buyer who asked about a car.
  2. Informational automation. Appointment confirmations and "your car is ready." A service-due reminder is different: it invites the buyer to pay for work, and 47 CFR 64.1200(f)(13) (eCFR, checked 8 October 2026) defines telemarketing as a message encouraging the purchase of services. Treat it as marketing unless counsel says otherwise, along with any text that carries an offer.
  3. Marketing. Inventory alerts, offers, event invites and equity sends to a list.

The FCC's consumer guide draws the line: commercial texts need written consent, while consent for informational texts may be oral (FCC consumer guide, last reviewed 27 February 2026, checked 8 October 2026). Informational texts still need consent and still have to honor opt-outs. Marketing sends carry the most legal exposure and burn out lists, so the rest of this page focuses on them.

A text has done its job when the buyer is on your lot. Every other number is a step on the way.

Conversation is where the appointment gets made, and only if a person picks up the reply fast, qualifies the buyer and books a time. That is appointment setting, the core of a working dealership BDC, and it is the work tad does for independent dealerships.

02The rules

The texting rules for dealers, as of 8 October 2026

New FCC opt-out rules adopted on 30 September 2026 are not in force yet. This table separates the rules that apply today from adopted, proposed and carrier ones.

Consent for marketing textsAn autodialed text that advertises or telemarkets to a cell number needs prior express written consent. There is no established-business-relationship exception, so past customers need it too.47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2). In force.
What written consent isA signed agreement, e-signatures included, that names the number, authorizes the seller to send telemarketing by autodialer and says plainly that signing is not a condition of purchase.47 CFR 64.1200(f)(9). The current definition.
Opt-out todayAny reasonable method counts. Stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel and unsubscribe always do, as does any reply a reasonable person reads as stop. Honor it within a reasonable time, ten business days at most. You may not name one exclusive method.47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10). In force since 11 April 2025. Its revoke-all part is on hold under waiver DA 26-12.
Opt-out confirmationOne text confirming the opt-out, with no marketing in it, is allowed. Sent within five minutes, it is presumed covered by the earlier consent.47 CFR 64.1200(a)(12). Codified and current.
Opt-out changes adoptedA dealer may designate one or more of three methods (a standard-word reply, a keypress, or a website or number) as the only ways to opt out, if each text discloses them. A marketing opt-out ends all future marketing from that dealer. Informational opt-outs can be limited to their category. The ten-business-day ceiling stays.FCC 26-67, adopted 30 September 2026. Takes effect 30 days after Federal Register publication, not published as of 8 October 2026. Replaces the 31 January 2027 revoke-all date from DA 26-12.
Proposed, not lawA ceiling shorter than ten business days (a joint letter to the FCC suggested seven), mandatory two-way texting and a required revoke-all option.FCC 26-67 further notice of proposed rulemaking. Open for comment only.
Time of dayNo telephone solicitation before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location, and 64.1200(e) applies this to texts to wireless numbers. The definition of telephone solicitation in 64.1200(f)(15) leaves out messages sent with the person's prior express invitation or permission or under an established business relationship. Ask counsel whether your records meet that test, and check your state, which may be stricter.47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1), (e) and (f)(15). In force for solicitations.
Do Not CallSolicitations to registry numbers need signed written permission unless an exemption applies, such as an established business relationship (a purchase in the last 18 months or an inquiry in the last 3, ended by a do-not-call request to you). That exemption does not cover autodialed marketing texts, which still need written consent (first row). You also need an internal do-not-call list, a written policy and trained staff.47 CFR 64.1200(c)(2), (d) and (f)(5). In force, internal list included.
10DLC registrationBrands are verified through The Campaign Registry before they may send business texts on ten-digit numbers. A dealership registers through its texting provider, not directly. CTIA's principles add voluntary opt-in and opt-out practice.The Campaign Registry, and CTIA's May 2023 principles. An industry requirement, not law.

Last checked 8 October 2026. Not legal advice: confirm with counsel and with your state's rules before you send. Sources, all checked 8 October 2026:47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR,FCC DA 26-12,FCC 26-67,the Federal Register search showing FCC 26-67 unpublished,The Campaign Registry andCTIA's Messaging Principles.

03Consent

Getting consent that will hold up

Consent is only as good as your record of it. Here are five places a dealership picks up phone numbers, what to capture at each, and the first text to send once consent is on record.

  • 01

    Web lead and chat forms

    A separate checkbox, left unticked (tad's recommendation). The rule needs wording that authorizes your dealership to send marketing texts to that number by automated technology and says consent is not a condition of purchase. CTIA's voluntary guidance adds how often texts come and 'Reply STOP to opt out.' Save the timestamp, page URL, wording version and number.

    Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR and CTIA Messaging Principles, checked 8 October 2026.

  • 02

    At the desk and in the deal jacket

    A stand-alone consent line the buyer signs, not a clause buried in the buyer's order or the finance paperwork. E-signatures count. Note which number the consent covers.

    Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR, checked 8 October 2026.

  • 03

    When the buyer texts first

    Answering their question is a conversation. Before adding them to promotions, text a link to your signed web consent form, with the same disclosures. A reply YES in the thread is weaker: whether it is a signature under 47 CFR 64.1200(f)(9)(ii) is a question for counsel.

    Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR, checked 8 October 2026.

  • 04

    On the service drive

    CTIA's voluntary guidance says an opt-in should apply only to the campaign it was given for, so treat a number given for repair updates as covering that repair, not sales offers. Ask for marketing consent separately at write-up, on its own signed line.

    Source: CTIA Messaging Principles, checked 8 October 2026.

  • 05

    Bought and third-party leads

    Written consent authorizes a named seller, so the vendor's form must cover your dealership. Get each lead's record (form wording, timestamp, URL) before any offer. No record means no marketing texts to that lead.

    Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR, checked 8 October 2026.

    Bought leads versus generated leads

  • 06

    The welcome text

    CTIA's voluntary guidance calls for a first message that confirms enrollment, names the program, gives a help contact, says how to stop, says how often texts come and mentions any fees.

    Source: CTIA Messaging Principles, checked 8 October 2026.

    Text templates for each stage of a lead

Every record should answer four questions: who agreed, to what wording, for which number, and when. Keep it in your CRM, not in a vendor portal you might leave. The definition you are building to is47 CFR 64.1200(f)(9) (eCFR, checked8 October 2026).

04The schedule

What to send, and when

Each text has a trigger, a timing and one result it should produce. The timing and frequency caps below are tad's recommendations, not law and not industry statistics.

First reply to a new leadA form, chat or inbound text.
Within five minutes whenever someone is covering, evenings and weekends included. After 9 p.m. the buyer's time, reply once only if the buyer texted first, then follow up after 8 a.m.A reply, then a call or a booked appointment.
No-answer follow-upNo contact after the first attempt.
Day 1, day 2, day 4, then weekly for two weeks. Then stop texting and move the lead to aged-lead follow-up by phone and email.A reply or a clear no.
Appointment confirmationAn appointment is set.
When booked, the day before and two hours before, never before 8 a.m. the buyer's time.A kept appointment.
No-show recoveryA missed appointment.
Once, within an hour of the missed time.A rebooked time.
Inventory matchA matching unit arrives for a shopper who opted in.
Once per match.An appointment to see that car.
Equity or service-to-salesYour DMS or CRM shows a payoff or mileage threshold.
Monthly at most.An appraisal appointment.
Event or offer sendYour opted-in marketing list, and nobody else.
A few times a month at most, weekday daytime, checking the opt-out rate after each.Appointments booked from the replies.

The inventory, equity and offer rows are marketing. Automated sales follow-up, such as the no-answer and no-show rows, encourages a purchase and can count as telemarketing under47 CFR 64.1200(f)(13) (eCFR, checked8 October 2026), so all of them need written consent first. Unsure which side of the line a text sits on? Treat it as marketing. Wording for the lead, confirmation, no-show and inventory rows is on ourcar sales text message templatespage.

05Opt-outs

Opt-outs are a process, not a keyword

An opt-out has to reach every tool and every person who might text that buyer. Four habits make that happen.

  • 01

    One suppression list, everywhere

    Your CRM, texting platform, BDC phones and any app a salesperson uses should read from one list. Once FCC 26-67 takes effect, a marketing opt-out covers all marketing from the dealership, so one list must feed every tool. tad recommends treating any opt-out as a stop on everything.

    Source: FCC 26-67, checked 8 October 2026.

    How we work inside your CRM

  • 02

    Read the words, not just STOP

    Until FCC 26-67 takes effect, any reply a reasonable person would read as stop counts. Afterward, a dealer may make standard-word replies the only method, if each text carries one of the words and all seven are recognized. tad's advice: honor 'please stop texting me' anyway.

    Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR and FCC 26-67, checked 8 October 2026.

  • 03

    One confirmation, then silence

    One plain confirmation, with no offer in it, within five minutes, and nothing after it. CTIA's voluntary guidance also calls for a single confirmation.

    Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 on eCFR and CTIA Messaging Principles, checked 8 October 2026.

  • 04

    Faster than the ceiling

    Ten business days is the legal maximum, and the FCC is asking whether to shorten it. Build for same-day, and get sales texting off personal phones so every opt-out is seen and logged.

    Source: FCC 26-67, checked 8 October 2026.

    BDC best practices

A check tad recommends: once a month, take ten numbers that opted out and look each one up in the CRM, the texting platform and the BDC dialer. If any of them can still be texted, that tool is not reading the shared list. Fix it before the next send.

06The scorecard

Measure it by appointments, not opens

A standard SMS reports no reliable opens, and a click says nothing about whether a car got sold. The first three numbers follow the buyer from text to sold car. The last three tell you whether the list is healthy and what each shown appointment cost.

  • 01

    Appointments set per 100 texted

    Split by message type. It tells the GM which texts start conversations and which only add noise.

  • 02

    Show rate, confirmed or not

    Text-confirmed appointments against unconfirmed ones. It tells you whether the confirmation sequence earns its place.

  • 03

    Sold from shown

    Cars sold from text-sourced appointments that showed. It credits texting with cars, not just bookings, and shows whether the right buyers come in.

  • 04

    Opt-out rate per send

    If it rises, you are texting too often or the list is wrong. It is the warning light before complaints.

  • 05

    Delivery failures

    A sudden spike can mean carrier filtering or a registration problem. Ask your provider to confirm your brand and campaign registration.

  • 06

    Cost per shown appointment

    Platform, message and registration fees plus staff time, divided by shown appointments. Compare it with phone and email on the same basis.

Illustrative only, with made-up round numbers: $1,200 of fees and staff time in a month, divided by 30 shown appointments, is $40 per shown appointment. Run the same sum for phone andemail marketing before deciding where the next dollar goes.

Call tracking shows which texts turned into a phone conversation. Equity and service-to-sales texts belong inside yourcustomer retentionplan, not running on their own.

Where tad fits: we follow up on new inquiries within minutes, qualify the buyer, book and confirm the appointment, work aged and cold leads, and cover evening, weekend and overflow leads, inside your existing CRM. We do not sell texting software. We judge the work the way this page does: appointments that show up.

Keep reading

Where to go next

Questions

Common questions

Ask us anything else on a free call. No obligation.

  • Yes, with conditions. An autodialed text that advertises to a cell number needs the buyer's prior express written consent under 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2), and a past purchase does not replace it (eCFR, checked 8 October 2026, linked in the rules table). Whether your platform counts as an autodialer is a question for your lawyer, so the safe course is written consent before every marketing text. Opt-out and Do Not Call rules apply too. This is not legal advice.

  • It works when the texts are expected and somebody answers the replies quickly. A reply is still only a lead until a person qualifies the buyer and books a time. Skip the undated open-rate claims and measure it yourself: appointments set and shown from texts, compared with phone and email on the same kind of lead, in your own CRM. If texting books appointments that show, it works for your store.

  • The bill has four parts: the platform subscription, per-message charges, any registration fees your provider passes through, and the staff time it takes to answer replies. Do not leave out the last one. A text nobody answers costs you the lead as well as the message. Ask your provider to itemize every charge in writing, including which ones recur. tad does not sell texting software, so none of those charges come from us.

  • Not with autodialed marketing texts unless you hold a written consent record for that number. A past purchase or service visit does not replace it (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2), checked 8 October 2026). Sort the database into numbers with a consent record and numbers without one. Market only to the first group. For the rest, ask for written consent at the next visit, on your web form or by email, and save it the way section 03 describes. This is not legal advice, so confirm with counsel.

  • Their consent ends. Today STOP, and any reply a reasonable person would read as stop, revokes consent, and you have no more than ten business days to honor it (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10), checked 8 October 2026). Under 64.1200(a)(12) you may send one confirmation with no marketing in it. tad's recommendation is stricter than the rule: stop the same day, in every system, and keep that number off every list until the customer asks back in.

  • Federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location, and 64.1200(e) carries that to texts to wireless numbers (eCFR, checked 8 October 2026). The rule's definition of telephone solicitation, 64.1200(f)(15), leaves out messages sent with the person's prior express invitation or permission, and whether your consent records meet that test is a question for counsel. Treat 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the buyer's time zone as your outer limit, check whether your state sets tighter hours, and ask counsel. For offer sends, tad recommends weekday daytime.

  • A2P means application-to-person: business texts sent through software. 10DLC is the channel for those texts on ordinary ten-digit numbers, and brands are verified through The Campaign Registry before they are allowed to send (checked 8 October 2026). It is an industry requirement, not law. Your dealership cannot register with the registry directly, so registration goes through your texting provider. Ask it to confirm in writing that your brand and campaign are approved.

  • The hard part is credit, not arithmetic. One lead can get a call, an email and a text, so set one rule before you start, such as crediting the text that set the appointment, and have whoever books it tag the source in the CRM at booking. At month end, divide what texting cost by the cars sold from those tagged appointments that showed, and run the same sum for phone and email. Leave opens and clicks out. They describe activity, and activity does not pay for anything.

07Next step

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