Forbidden SMS and MMS Categories in the US and Canada

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

T-Mobile's Sev-0 fines (effective Feb 15, 2024) hit phishing at $2,000, illegal content at $1,000, and other violations including SHAFT at $500. Sparkforge passes these fines through. Cannabis, CBD, gambling, firearms, and high-risk financial messaging are blocked across all number types.

This Messaging Policy applies to every Sparkforge sub-account using Sparkforge Phone. The categories below are forbidden on SMS and MMS to US and Canadian recipients regardless of the sender's number type — short code, toll-free, or 10DLC.

Violations suspend SMS/MMS capability for the sub-account.

T-Mobile Sev-0 fines (effective Feb 15, 2024)

T-Mobile fines and blocks any A2P 10DLC traffic that violates the tiers below. Sparkforge passes these fines through to the responsible sub-account.

Tier	Fine	Violation
Tier 1	$2,000	Phishing, smishing, social engineering (including simulated phishing for security testing)
Tier 2	$1,000	Illegal content (must be legal federally and in all 50 states)
Tier 3	$500	SHAFT and other commercial messaging violations without proper compliance (e.g. age-gating)

Fines apply across short code, toll-free, and 10DLC. T-Mobile reserves the right to permanently suspend brands and campaigns for excessive violations. Reference: T-Mobile Code of Conduct Section 5.

Forbidden message categories

High-risk financial services

Payday loans, short-term high-interest loans, third-party auto loans, third-party mortgage loans, student loans, cryptocurrency. Third-party means originating from any party other than the lender servicing the loan.

Third-party lead generation services

Companies that buy, sell, or share consumer information.

Debt collection or forgiveness

Third-party debt collection, debt consolidation, debt reduction, credit repair programs. A hospital can text patients about its own bills if they opted in — a third-party collector cannot.

Get-rich-quick schemes

Work-from-home programs, risk investment opportunities, pyramid schemes. This is distinct from compliant employment outreach, brokerage member messaging, and legitimate investment news alerts.

Illegal substances

Cannabis — federally illegal in the US. No SMS/MMS in the US regardless of message content.
CBD — federally legal but not in all states; US carriers block CBD messaging.
Prescription drugs — offers for drugs that cannot be sold over the counter in the US or Canada are forbidden.

Gambling

Casino apps, gambling websites. Prohibited on every number type in the US and Canada.

SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco)

Tobacco: prohibited on toll-free; allowed on short code and long code with age-gating.
Alcohol: allowed on toll-free (US only), short code, and long code with age-gating.
Firearms and vaping: prohibited.

What to do if your use case is forbidden

Use other channels. Sparkforge Email is open for many of these categories — cannabis or CBD content can ship via email, Facebook, or Instagram, provided you age-gate and target locales where the substance is legal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these rules Sparkforge-specific or carrier-wide?

Carrier-wide. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon enforce A2P 10DLC restrictions; Sparkforge applies the policy across every sub-account on the platform.

Can I send cannabis or CBD messaging via SMS?

Not in the US. Cannabis is federally illegal, and CBD is restricted by US carriers. Use email, Facebook, or Instagram with age-gating in legal locales.

How are Sev-0 fines billed?

Sparkforge receives the fine notice from T-Mobile and passes the cost through to the responsible sub-account. The dollar amount matches the tier ($2,000, $1,000, or $500).

What is age-gating?

Age-gating verifies a recipient is of legal age before sending restricted content (alcohol, tobacco). It is a hard requirement for SHAFT messaging that is otherwise allowed on short or long code.

Does this apply to internal or testing messages?

Yes. T-Mobile fines simulated phishing sent for security testing under Tier 1. Use a separate testing platform that does not traverse public carriers.