Industry
Texting for Auto Dealerships: Sales, Service and 10DLC
How car dealerships text leads and service customers compliantly: consent on lead forms, sales follow-up, service texts, 10DLC and what it costs.
Car shoppers fill out a lead form, a trade-in estimate or a credit application, then ignore the voicemail that follows. They answer a text. That's why dealership sales teams, BDC agents and service advisors have all moved to texting, and why the dealerships that do it well treat consent and registration as part of the process, not an afterthought.
What dealerships text
- New lead follow-up. The first reply to a website lead, within minutes, from a real person at the store.
- Appointment setting and confirmations. Test drives, deliveries and service visits, with a reminder the day before.
- Service updates. The car is checked in, the estimate is ready to approve, the car is ready to pick up.
- Promotions to opted-in customers. Service specials, trade-in events and new inventory, sent to the people who agreed to marketing texts.
Consent for dealership texting
Marketing texts sent with automated systems need the customer's prior express written consent. In a dealership, that's collected in a few places:
- Website lead forms. An unchecked box that names your dealership, says the shopper agrees to receive marketing texts at the number they gave, and says agreeing isn't a condition of buying anything. See how to word SMS consent.
- Showroom and service drive. A written or electronic signature at the desk or at write-up, with the same disclosures.
- Keyword opt-in. A sign or window sticker that says "Text PRICE to …", with the same disclosures printed on the sign (your dealership's name, that they'll get marketing texts, that it isn't a condition of purchase, frequency, message and data rates, STOP and HELP), followed by a confirmation text before anything promotional.
Leads from third-party sites. Before you text a lead that came from a marketplace or a lead seller, check what the shopper actually agreed to. If the consent doesn't name your dealership or clearly cover texts from you, treat the lead as not opted in: call or email instead.
Service texts are different, but not consent-free. A text confirming an appointment the customer booked or saying their car is ready is informational. Informational texts sent with automated systems still need the customer's consent; anything with an offer in it is marketing and needs written consent.
One inbox for sales, BDC and service
A shopper who texts back at 8pm shouldn't depend on which salesperson sent the first message. With a shared two-way inbox, the BDC takes new conversations, assigns them to a salesperson, and a manager can see who's handling each conversation. Service advisors work their own conversations from the same platform, from the same registered numbers. STOP-keyword opt-outs are honored automatically; treat any reply asking you to stop as an opt-out too. See the sales texting playbook and speed to lead.
10DLC registration for car dealerships
Texting from local numbers means registering a brand (the dealership's legal entity and EIN, exactly as on its tax records) and a campaign describing what you send and how customers opt in. A dealer group whose rooftops are separate legal entities registers each one as its own brand. Describe the use case honestly: if you send both service updates and promotions, the campaign has to cover both. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. See 10DLC registration and the common rejection reasons.
What texting costs a dealership
Vehicle photos are picture messages, which cost more than plain texts: on Signilio, each one counts as 3 texts toward the plan. Growth is $79.99 a month for 3,000 texts and 5 seats; Pro is $189.99 a month for 12,000 texts, 15 seats and 10 numbers, enough for sales, BDC and service on one plan, with carrier fees included. See pricing, or check how long your message is with the SMS cost calculator.
None of this is legal advice; have counsel review your program before you send.
Sample texts for auto dealerships
Starting points to adapt. Bracketed fields are merge fields or your own details; every marketing text names your business and says how to opt out.
New website lead
Hi [First name], this is [Rep] at [Your dealership]. Thanks for asking about the [Model]. It's on the lot today. Would 5pm today or 10am tomorrow work to see it? Reply STOP to opt out.
Appointment reminder
[Your dealership]: reminder of your test drive tomorrow at 10am with [Rep]. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule.
Service update
[Your dealership] Service: your [Model] is ready for pickup. We're open until 7pm. Questions? Just reply here.
Promotion (opted-in customers)
[Your dealership]: oil change and tire rotation for [price] through Saturday. Book here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Common questions
- Can car dealerships text customers?
- Yes, with consent. Marketing texts sent with automated systems need the customer's prior express written consent, such as an unchecked box on your lead form that names the dealership. Name the dealership in every message, honor opt-outs right away, and keep marketing texts between 8am and 9pm in the customer's local time (the FCC's calling-hours rule for telephone solicitations, used as the window for every marketing text).
- Do car dealerships need 10DLC registration?
- Yes, to text from ordinary local numbers. You register the dealership as a brand (its legal name and EIN) and a campaign describing your messages and how customers opt in. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. Signilio registers your brand and campaign during onboarding.
- Can a dealership text leads from third-party car sites?
- Only if the consent the shopper gave covers texts from your dealership. Check the lead's opt-in language: if it doesn't name your dealership or clearly cover texts from you, treat the lead as not opted in and reach out another way.
- Are service reminder texts considered marketing?
- A text confirming an appointment the customer booked, or saying the car is ready, is informational. It still needs the customer's consent if it's sent with automated systems. A text with an offer, such as a service special, is marketing and needs written consent.
- How fast should a dealership text a new internet lead?
- Within minutes. Shoppers often submit forms to several dealerships at once, and the first store to start a real conversation usually gets the appointment. A short first text that names the dealership, the vehicle and one question works better than a long pitch.
- Can sales and service share one texting platform?
- Yes. With a shared inbox, sales, the BDC and service each work their own conversations, managers see who's handling each conversation, and customers keep texting the same registered numbers.
- Do picture messages of vehicles cost more?
- On Signilio, yes: each picture message counts as 3 texts toward the plan's allowance. Send photos where they help the conversation, and plain texts for reminders and follow-ups.