SMS Sending Time Restrictions: What You Need to Know
Understand when you can (and can't) send marketing text messages.
SMS Time Restrictions
Sending texts at the wrong time isn't just annoying—it's potentially illegal.
Federal Guidelines
TCPA restricts marketing texts to:
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time zone
State Variations
Some states have stricter rules:
State | Restriction |
|---|---|
Oklahoma | 8am-8pm |
Washington | 8am-8pm |
Florida | 8am-8pm (proposed) |
Time Zone Handling
Your platform should:
Detect recipient time zones from area codes
Automatically delay messages sent outside hours
Queue messages for next valid window
Best Practice: The 10-8 Rule
Play it safe: Send between 10am-8pm local time. This:
Avoids all state restrictions
Respects working hours
Improves engagement rates
Exceptions
Transactional messages (appointments, order updates) have more flexibility but should still respect reasonable hours.
Hermes automatically handles time zone compliance. Learn more →