Information

SMS Sender ID registration

Guidance for organisations sending branded messages to Australian mobile numbers.

What the Register does

Part 24B of the Telecommunications Act 1997 establishes the SMS Sender ID Register. Industry Standard, Schedule 1.

The scheme covers SMS and MMS using alphanumeric or branded sender IDs sent to Australian mobile numbers. Since 1 July 2026, an unregistered sender ID is replaced with Unverified. To send messages displaying your chosen sender ID, you must register it and use one or more participating providers. Unverified messages appear together in one thread. ACMA sending guidance. The label is not itself proof that a message is a scam. ACMA explanation.

Messages sent from a phone number rather than a branded sender ID do not require registration under this scheme. ACMA FAQs.

Who can register

The following types of applicant can seek approval:

  • an individual
  • a body corporate
  • a corporation sole
  • a body politic
  • a government entity, as defined by the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999
  • a partnership
  • another unincorporated association or body of persons
  • a trust
  • a superannuation fund, as defined by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993.

You must demonstrate a valid use case linking the sender ID to your organisation. For ABN entities, this can be a registered business name, company name, trademark or domain name; for non-ABN entities, a trademark or name on an official register or record in their home country. Permitted shortened names, acronyms and initialisms can qualify. ACMA eligibility and sender ID guidance.

Register through a provider

Apply through an originating participating telecommunications provider. Check the ACMA list of approved telcos and message providers and confirm which registration route it supports.

If you have an ABN

You can apply through an originating participating provider or its partner:

  1. Confirm authority. The requester must be an authorised contact on the Australian Business Register or otherwise authorised by your entity.
  2. Complete checks and accept terms. The requester must pass an identity check and agree to the Register’s terms of use. These are separate from the authority requirement. Industry Standard, Schedule 1(g).
  3. Follow ACMA access instructions. After the provider applies, ACMA sends the requester instructions. Use the unique link in ACMA’s email and follow its myID sign-in process. Current direct-access guidance requires an authorised-contact or service-of-notice email recorded on the ABR. ACMA FAQs.
  4. Confirm registration after entity approval. Once ACMA approves your entity, you can confirm the sender ID registration. Industry Standard, Schedule 1(h)–(i). Check the final status rather than treating submission as approval: ACMA identifies Complete as approved and registered. ACMA FAQs.

Keep ABR contact details current and contact each provider you intend to use. ACMA ABN registration guidance.

Certified provider alternative for ABN entities

An entity with an ABN can also register through an originating certified provider or its partner, using the non-ABN route below. ACMA alternative route.

If you do not have an ABN

You can apply only through an originating certified provider or its partner. Expect checks of your organisation’s official recognition, your representative’s identity and authority, and your valid use of the sender ID. ACMA non-ABN registration guidance. The provider or partner conducts checks similar to those described above, including the applicable terms requirements. Industry Standard, Schedule 1(m).

You cannot access the Register directly. The certified provider manages registration, confirms your registered sender IDs and maintains your contact details. ACMA non-ABN registration guidance.

Registration and annual costs

Register fees: ACMA currently advises that fees may be introduced in future and will be communicated before implementation. ACMA fee guidance.

TTS charges: We do not charge a sender-ID registration fee or an ongoing annual sender-ID fee. Contact us for wholesale SMS pricing.

Authorise every provider you use

After registration, you can authorise additional participating providers to send messages using that sender ID. Contact each provider to arrange its authorisation; registration with one does not automatically authorise another. ACMA provider authorisation guidance.

Providers check registration, their authority to use the ID and the requester’s authority. ACMA sending checks.