Quiet Hours for Texting

1. Regulatory Framework

• TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act, U.S.)

  • Applies to promotional/marketing texts.

  • Generally restricts sending marketing texts before 8 AM or after 9 PM in the recipient’s local time.

  • Transactional or informational texts (e.g., appointment reminders, alerts, 2FA) are typically exempt, but best practice is still to avoid “odd hours.”

• Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL, Canada)

  • Doesn’t explicitly state “quiet hours” like the TCPA, but requires express or implied consent.

  • Best practice aligns with the U.S. rule of 8 AM–9 PM local time.

2. Carrier & Industry Standards

• The CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) provides guidelines for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging.

• They strongly encourage senders to avoid sending texts during quiet hours (again: 8 AM–9 PM local time for recipients).

• Carriers may block or filter messages outside these windows if they look like marketing traffic.

3. Business Best Practices

• Local Time Awareness: If you’re sending bulk campaigns, always account for time zones. A 9 AM text in New York is 6 AM in Los Angeles.

• Content Type Matters:

  • Marketing/Promotional: Strict adherence to quiet hours.

  • Informational: More flexibility (e.g., flight delays, fraud alerts).

• Opt-In Expectations: If customers opt in for real-time alerts (e.g., sports scores, breaking news), quiet hours are less restrictive—but transparency at signup is crucial.

Rule of thumb for North America:
Don’t send marketing texts before 8 AM or after 9 PM in the recipient’s local time.