SMS quiet hours by state

The federal baseline

Under federal telemarketing rules, telephone solicitations, which regulators and courts have generally applied to marketing texts, may only be made between 8 AM and 9 PM in the recipient's local time. The time that matters is where the recipient is, not where your business is.

Informational messages that a person requested, such as a ticket confirmation, are generally treated differently, but promotional content inside them can change that.

States with stricter windows

Several states narrow the window or add restrictions. The examples below are commonly cited, but they are not a complete list and details such as exemptions vary:

• Florida: solicitations limited to 8 AM to 8 PM local time, and no more than three messages on the same subject to a person within 24 hours.
• Oklahoma: 8 AM to 8 PM, with a similar limit of three messages on the same subject in 24 hours.
• Maryland: 8 AM to 8 PM, with a similar three-in-24-hours limit.
• Washington: 8 AM to 8 PM.
• Texas: generally 9 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday and noon to 9 PM on Sunday.
• Connecticut: 9 AM to 8 PM.
• Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi: 8 AM to 8 PM with restrictions on Sundays and, in some cases, holidays.
• Utah: 8 AM to 9 PM with restrictions on Sundays and legal holidays.

Some states also require registration for certain telemarketers or provide exemptions when the recipient has an existing relationship with the business. Check with counsel for your specific program.

A simple safe window

If you send nationally and want one rule that covers most situations, aim for 10 AM to 8 PM in the recipient's local time, Monday through Saturday, and treat Sundays and major holidays with care. Most promotional messages perform well in that window anyway, since people are awake and able to act on a link.

Time zones are the hard part

The continental US spans four time zones, Alaska and Hawaii add two more, and Canada adds Atlantic and Newfoundland time. A campaign sent at 9 AM Eastern reaches Los Angeles at 6 AM. Recipients also move, so a phone number's area code is a reasonable guess at time zone, not a guarantee.

Practical options are to send in waves by time zone, to schedule campaigns for midday Eastern so that every continental time zone falls within normal hours, or to use a platform that holds messages per recipient.

Daily frequency limits

Where states limit the number of messages on the same subject within 24 hours, an on-sale day can create risk: an announcement, a reminder and a last-call text in one day may reach the limit. Plan sequences across days, and segment so the people who already bought do not receive the reminders.

What about Canada?

CASL focuses on consent, identification and unsubscribing rather than time of day, but sending late at night still generates complaints and opt-outs. Treat Canadian recipients with the same daytime window you use for US recipients, based on their local time.

Event-night exceptions

Venues and promoters often need to send an update at night, such as a doors delay. If the message is purely informational and sent to people who requested updates for that event, it may be treated differently from marketing, but avoid adding promotions to it. When in doubt, send it earlier or keep it strictly informational.

How Encore Text handles quiet hours

Encore Text maps each contact's area code to a region and time zone. When a campaign is sent, recipients who are in their local overnight hours are not texted immediately; their messages wait in the queue and go out at 8 AM local time, while everyone else receives the message right away. This is applied per recipient, so one campaign can safely reach both coasts. If your program is subject to a stricter state window, schedule campaigns for a time that falls inside that window for those recipients.

Building a sending calendar

A simple weekly plan helps you stay inside the rules without thinking about it every time. Decide which days and hours you will send marketing texts, write them down and share them with everyone who can schedule campaigns. For a nightlife brand that might be Tuesday and Thursday between 11 AM and 6 PM in the recipient's time zone, with show-day logistics only for ticket holders. For a touring artist it might be announcement days and presale mornings.

Put major holidays on the calendar and decide in advance whether you will send on them. When a big on-sale lands on a Sunday, check whether any of your recipients are in states with Sunday restrictions and adjust the timing for those segments.

Keeping records of when you sent

If a complaint ever comes in, being able to show exactly when a message was sent to a specific number, and in which time zone, is valuable. Keep campaign logs with send times and recipient-level delivery timestamps. Encore Text records when each message was queued, sent and delivered, which gives you that history without extra work.

Quick reference

• Use the recipient's local time zone.
• Federal baseline: 8 AM to 9 PM.
• Many states: 8 AM to 8 PM, some with Sunday or holiday limits.
• Some states: limits on messages about the same subject within 24 hours.
• Safe default for national lists: 10 AM to 8 PM, Monday to Saturday.

Frequently asked questions

What time can I send marketing texts?

The federal baseline is 8 AM to 9 PM in the recipient's local time. Several states are stricter, so many senders use a 10 AM to 8 PM window.

Is it based on my time zone or theirs?

The recipient's local time zone.

Can I send on Sundays?

Federal rules do not prohibit it, but some states restrict Sunday solicitations or narrow the hours. Check the states on your list.

Does Encore Text block late-night sends?

Messages that would arrive overnight are held and delivered at 8 AM in each recipient's local time.

Related

• TCPA SMS compliance checklist
• CASL SMS rules for Canadian recipients
• SMS marketing for nightclubs and venues
• SMS marketing for event promoters
• SMS message examples for events
• How Encore Text keeps you compliant