CA to US (sending to US recipients from a Canadian number): A2P registration is ALWAYS required — regardless of when the number was purchased.
CA to CA (sending only to Canadian recipients): If the number was purchased BEFORE March 26, 2025, A2P is NOT required. If the number was purchased ON OR AFTER March 26, 2025, A2P registration OR Persona verification is required. These requirements apply to Canadian 10DLC long code numbers only. Toll-free numbers are not affected by these rules.
1. Why Do Canadian Numbers Have Different A2P Rules From US Numbers?
A2P 10DLC was introduced as a US carrier requirement. The Campaign Registry (TCR) operates across North American carriers, which includes Canadian carriers. Canadian businesses sending messages to US recipients therefore send across the same carrier network that enforces A2P registration — making registration mandatory regardless of where the sending business is located.
For purely Canadian traffic (CA to CA), A2P requirements were phased in more gradually. Numbers purchased before March 26, 2025 were grandfathered under the older rules that did not require registration for domestic Canadian messaging. Numbers purchased after that date are subject to the newer requirements. This phase-in approach is common when carrier registration systems are updated — existing traffic gets a grace period while new traffic is subject to the new rules from day one.
These requirements apply only to Canadian 10DLC long code numbers. For toll-free numbers (1-800, 1-888, etc.): Toll-Free vs A2P 10DLC: Which Should You Choose? →
For background on what A2P 10DLC is: What Is A2P 10DLC? →
2. What Is the Complete Decision Matrix for Canadian Numbers?
Your requirement is determined by the intersection of two factors: where your messages are going and when your number was purchased. Use this table to find your situation.
| Messaging route | Number purchased BEFORE March 26, 2025 | Number purchased ON OR AFTER March 26, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| CA to CA (Canadian number, Canadian recipients only) | A2P registration NOT required. No action needed unless you later send to US recipients. | A2P registration OR Persona verification required before sending. |
| CA to US (Canadian number, any US recipients) | A2P registration REQUIRED. Applies to all Canadian 10DLC numbers regardless of purchase date. | A2P registration REQUIRED. Persona verification is not an alternative for CA to US messaging. |
| CA to International (e.g. CA to Australia, UK, etc.) | Persona verification only — A2P registration not required for international routes. | Persona verification only — A2P registration not required for international routes. |
If you currently send CA to CA only and your number was purchased before March 26, 2025 — you are exempt from registration right now. But if you later decide to message US recipients, A2P registration becomes required immediately. Confirmed from GHL's official Canadian messaging policy article: "If you later message U.S. recipients, you must complete A2P Brand and Campaign registration before sending CA to US messages, even if you previously sent only within Canada." Do not begin CA to US messaging without first completing A2P registration — messages will fail with Error 30034.
3. How Do You Register a Canadian Brand in GoHighLevel?
The registration process for Canadian brands follows the same structure as US brand registration — brand registration first, then campaign registration automatically submitted after brand approval — but with important Canadian-specific differences in the Tax ID format.
For Canadian businesses, GHL only accepts the Business Number (BN) in BN-9 format — the first 9 numeric digits of the BN. Corporation Registration Numbers, Incorporation Numbers, and Provincial Registry ID numbers are no longer accepted for Canadian A2P brand registration. The BN-9 is the identifier issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If you are not sure of your BN-9, verify it through the CRA's Business Registry. The legal business name in the registration must match exactly as registered with the CRA.
- Navigate to Settings — Phone Numbers — Trust Center in your GHL sub-account. Select Canada as the country when prompted during registration setup.
- Enter your BN-9 (9 numeric digits): Do not enter the full BN-15 with the program identifier suffix. Only the first 9 digits are required and accepted.
- Legal business name must match CRA records: The name entered must match exactly what the CRA has on file for that BN-9. Even small differences can cause rejection.
- Complete the rest of registration the same as a US Standard Brand: Business address, business type, website URL, campaign use case, sample messages, opt-in documentation, Privacy Policy with the required no-mobile-data-sharing clause.
The specific fee breakdown for Canadian brand registration is not explicitly separated from the US fee schedule in GHL's official fees article, which states fees are accurate as of August 2025 for US only. You may want to verify current Canadian-specific registration fees in GHL's Trust Center before submitting. For the US fee structure as a reference: A2P 10DLC Fees Explained →
For the full brand registration walkthrough: A2P Brand Registration Guide →
For the campaign registration walkthrough after brand approval: A2P Campaign Registration Guide →
4. What Is Persona Verification and When Does It Apply to Canadian Numbers?
Persona verification is a lighter identity confirmation process that is separate from A2P brand and campaign registration. It is an alternative compliance path available in specific scenarios — it is not a substitute for A2P in all situations.
| Scenario | Can Persona verification replace A2P? |
|---|---|
| CA to CA messaging — number purchased before March 26, 2025 | Not needed — neither A2P nor Persona required |
| CA to CA messaging — number purchased on or after March 26, 2025 | Yes — Persona verification is a valid alternative to A2P for this route |
| CA to US messaging | No — A2P registration is required. Persona verification cannot replace A2P for CA to US messaging |
| CA to International messaging (outside US) | Yes — Persona verification only is required for international routes. A2P not needed |
- How to trigger Persona verification: Persona verification may be triggered automatically when you purchase a phone number in GHL. If it was not triggered at the time of purchase, you can trigger it manually from your phone number settings in GHL. Enable the Persona verification checkbox to initiate the process. Confirm the current Persona verification navigation in your GHL account, as the interface can change.
- What Persona verification covers: Persona verifies the sender's identity — that a real, identifiable business is behind the number. It is not a campaign use case registration. Messages sent through Persona-verified numbers for international routes are delivered because the sender identity is verified, but the messaging content and use case is not reviewed at the same level as a TCR-registered A2P campaign.
5. What Happens If You Send Without the Required Registration?
- Error 30034 — Number not A2P compliant: Confirmed from GHL's official messaging guidelines: messages sent without A2P registration on routes that require it return Error 30034. The message is not delivered.
- Error 1002 — Message blocked: For routes requiring Persona verification where verification is missing (for example, CA to CA new numbers without Persona), messages are blocked and return Error 1002.
- Applies immediately to CA to US routes: There is no grace period for CA to US messaging. If your Canadian number is not A2P registered and you send to a US recipient, the message fails. This applies to both new and existing Canadian numbers.
- Existing CA to CA numbers (pre-March 26, 2025) are not at risk currently: If your number was purchased before the cutoff and you send only to Canadian recipients, no error occurs. The risk appears if messaging routes change.
A Canadian GHL user builds a client database that includes both Canadian and US phone numbers. They set up a missed call text-back automation. The Canadian number was purchased before March 26, 2025 and is exempt from CA to CA requirements. But when the automation fires to a US contact in the database, the message fails with Error 30034. The fix: complete A2P brand and campaign registration for the Canadian number before any workflow that may reach US recipients is activated. If you are not certain whether your contact list includes US numbers, assume it does and complete A2P registration.
GHL Scale Up handles A2P registration for Canadian businesses and for agencies with Canadian client sub-accounts. BN-9 verification, brand registration, campaign submission, and rejection troubleshooting — end to end.
See results from our registration setups: real GoHighLevel results and case studies →
To discuss your Canadian number situation: book a free strategy call at ghlscaleup.com/contact →
Once registered, the first SMS automation to build: GoHighLevel Missed Call Text Back →
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Do Canadian GoHighLevel numbers need A2P 10DLC registration?
It depends on two factors: where your messages are going and when the number was purchased. For CA to US messaging (sending from a Canadian number to US recipients): A2P registration is always required, regardless of when the number was purchased. For CA to CA messaging (sending to Canadian recipients only): numbers purchased before March 26, 2025 are exempt from A2P registration. Numbers purchased on or after March 26, 2025 require either A2P registration or Persona verification before sending. Toll-free numbers are not affected by these requirements.
Do I need A2P registration if I only send to Canadian recipients?
It depends on when your number was purchased. If your Canadian 10DLC number was purchased before March 26, 2025 and you only send to Canadian recipients, A2P registration is not currently required. If your number was purchased on or after March 26, 2025, you need either A2P registration or Persona verification before sending to Canadian recipients. If you later expand to message US recipients, A2P registration becomes mandatory regardless of the original purchase date.
What Tax ID do I use for Canadian A2P brand registration in GoHighLevel?
For Canadian brands, GoHighLevel accepts only the Business Number (BN) in BN-9 format — the first 9 numeric digits of your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number. Corporation Registration Numbers, Incorporation Numbers, and Provincial Registry ID numbers are no longer accepted. The BN-9 is issued by the CRA. Your legal business name in the registration must match exactly what the CRA has on file for that BN-9.
Can I use Persona verification instead of A2P for sending to the US from a Canadian number?
No. Persona verification is not a substitute for A2P registration on CA to US messaging routes. Confirmed from GHL's official Canadian messaging policy article: A2P registration is required for all Canadian 10DLC numbers sending to US recipients. Persona verification is only a valid alternative for CA to CA messaging (numbers purchased on or after March 26, 2025) and for international messaging (outside the US).
What happens if I send to US recipients from an unregistered Canadian number?
Messages fail and return Error 30034 — Number not A2P compliant. The message is not delivered to the US recipient. There is no grace period for CA to US messaging without registration. This applies to both new and existing Canadian numbers. Complete A2P brand and campaign registration before activating any automation or workflow that may send messages to US contacts.
Do toll-free numbers in Canada need A2P registration?
No. Confirmed from GHL's official Canadian messaging policy article: these A2P requirements apply exclusively to Canadian 10DLC long code numbers. Toll-free numbers (starting with 800, 888, 877, etc.) are not affected and continue to operate under existing toll-free verification guidelines.
What is the March 26, 2025 cutoff date for Canadian numbers?
March 26, 2025 is the date GHL introduced the requirement for Persona verification or A2P registration for new Canadian 10DLC numbers sending CA to CA messages. Numbers purchased before this date are grandfathered under older rules and do not currently require A2P or Persona for CA to CA messaging. Numbers purchased on or after this date require either A2P registration or Persona verification before sending to any recipient — Canadian or US. The cutoff only affects CA to CA messaging. CA to US registration is required for all numbers regardless of purchase date.
Related Articles
Need A2P registration for your Canadian GHL numbers?
GHL Scale Up handles Canadian and US A2P registration for agencies and their clients. BN-9 verification, brand registration, campaign submission, and rejection troubleshooting — end to end.
Book Your Free Strategy Call
All requirements in this guide are verified against GHL's official support portal documentation as of July 2026. Canadian A2P policies and cutoff dates are set by carriers and can change — always verify current requirements in GHL's Trust Center before acting.
ghlscaleup.com