Age-restricted content opt-in
Use this pattern when your campaign involves age-restricted content that is legally permitted (such as restaurants serving alcohol, tobacco products over short codes, or gun advocacy/safety training). A full date-of-birth age gate must appear before the SMS consent — the user cannot consent to messages until age is verified.
What makes this compliant
Full date-of-birth collection — The age gate requires day, month, AND year. A simple "Are you 21+? Yes/No" button is not sufficient and will be automatically denied.
Age gate appears before consent — The DOB fields are positioned above the SMS consent checkbox. The user must verify age before they can opt in.
Phone number is optional — Same as other marketing forms, the phone field is not required to submit.
Standard SMS consent checkbox — After age verification, the same two-checkbox pattern applies (SMS consent + Terms/Privacy).
All standard disclosures present — Brand name, message type, frequency, data rates, STOP/HELP, Terms, and Privacy are all included.
Common mistakes that cause denial
Using a simple Yes/No age confirmation instead of full date-of-birth
Placing the age gate after the SMS consent checkbox
Missing the age gate entirely for age-restricted content
Not clearly identifying the content as age-restricted in the registration
Attempting to register content that is not approvable even with an age gate (e.g., direct firearms sales, vapes, cannabis)
