From November 25, 2026, a business that sends covered texts can designate replying with a standard word such as STOP as the only way customers can opt out, but only if every text says so and the system honors all seven standard words. The FCC adopted the change on September 30, 2026, and it published in the Federal Register on October 26, 2026 (91 FR 67214). Until November 25, 2026, the rule runs the other way: a sender may not designate an exclusive opt-out method, and must honor any reasonable request. This post covers the text of the rule, what it means for appointment reminders and missed-call follow-up texts, and a test to run before the date.
News for owners. By Chleb AI Editorial (AI-assisted). Published 2026-11-01. 8 min read.
The FCC's Report and Order FCC 26-67 amends 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(9)(iii)(A), (10), (11) and (12). The summary in the Federal Register version says the Commission "allow[s] callers to designate an exclusive means to revoke consent." The final rule takes effect November 25, 2026.
As of October 22, 2026, the date of the eCFR data, the rule says a called party may revoke consent "by using any reasonable method," and it ends with this sentence: "Callers or senders of text messages covered by paragraphs (a)(1) through (3) and (c)(2) of this section may not designate an exclusive means to request revocation of consent." From November 25, 2026, the new text reverses that for the three methods it lists.
The order also replaces a deadline that was coming. The 2024 "revoke all" provision of 64.1200(a)(10) was delayed by Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau waivers until January 31, 2027, and that delay was still in effect on November 1, 2026. The order says the new rule "will go into effect at that time and supersede the delayed effective date." The FCC declined a request to push the date out 12 months.
The new 64.1200(a)(10) lets a caller designate any of these as the exclusive means to revoke consent.
1. An automated, interactive voice or key press-activated opt-out mechanism on a call.
2. Replying to an incoming text with one of seven standardized words: "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel," or "unsubscribe."
3. A website or telephone number the caller designates to process opt-out requests.
The condition is in the same paragraph: "The caller must clearly and conspicuously disclose the designated method to revoke consent on the call or in the text." A sender who designates a method "is not required to process revocation requests made by any other means."
From November 25, 2026, a sender who designates nothing keeps the any-reasonable-means duty. Paragraph (a)(11) says callers that do not designate an exclusive means "must process revocation requests made by any reasonable means." A means outside the list, such as a voicemail or a reply that says "please take me off your list," "creates a rebuttable presumption that the consumer has revoked consent," and a "totality of circumstances analysis" decides whether you can show the request was not conveyed in a reasonable manner. Treat it as a revocation.
If you designate reply texts as your exclusive method, you do not have to print all seven words. The rule says a text sender can meet the disclosure duty "by including at least one of the standardized words" in each text, "so long as the text sender recognizes the use of any of the standardized words as a valid revocation request." The order's example is telling recipients they can reply "stop."
Worked example, an HVAC company's appointment reminder: "Cool Breeze HVAC: your technician arrives Tuesday between 8 and 10 a.m. Reply STOP to opt out of texts." The last sentence is the disclosure. If a customer replies "Unsubscribe" or "Quit," the system must treat it the same as STOP, because the rule requires recognizing all seven words.
If your texting setup cannot receive replies, the rule has a separate requirement. The sender must give "a clear and conspicuous disclosure in each text" that two-way texting is not available because of technical limits of the texting protocol, and must give reasonable alternative ways to revoke consent in each text.
As of November 1, 2026, the deadline is unchanged: requests "must be honored within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days from receipt."
Paragraph (a)(12) covers the reply you send after someone opts out. A confirmation text "does not violate" the consent requirements "as long as the confirmation text merely confirms the text recipient's revocation request and does not include any marketing or promotional information." If it goes out within five minutes of the request, it is presumed to fall within the consumer's prior express consent. A later one needs a showing that the delay was reasonable.
Example confirmation: "You are unsubscribed from Cool Breeze HVAC promotional texts." The rule bars "marketing or promotional information" in the confirmation, so leave out any offer. The rule does not mention booking links; leaving them out as well keeps the message plainly a confirmation.
The order splits revocations by message type. For informational calls and texts, meaning ones with no advertising or telemarketing, the rule says callers "may interpret" a revocation "as applying only to the specific category of informational robocalls and text messages to which the revocation was directed and not to all communications." The FCC's example is a customer who stops payment reminders but still wants fraud alerts, appointment reminders or outage calls.
For marketing the rule is broader. A revocation made in response to a call or text that contains an advertisement or constitutes telemarketing "revoke[s] consent to all future calls or text messages containing an advertisement or constitute telemarketing from that caller."
For a service business that means two kinds of text, labeled differently in your system: operational (appointment confirmations, technician arrival, invoice receipts) and promotional (seasonal tune-up offers, discount coupons). STOP on a promotion ends all promotions. STOP on a reminder may, at your choice, end only reminders. The rule defines informational as having no advertising or telemarketing, so a text that mixes a reminder with an offer is a judgment call to settle with your own counsel. The word "may" matters: the rule permits the narrower reading, it does not require it.
The order says the change "does not alter the existing opt-out methods specified in our rules" "for calls made pursuant to an exemption or that include an advertisement or constitute telemarketing." As the order's own example, section 64.1200(b)(3) still requires calls that use an artificial or prerecorded voice to introduce an advertisement or constitute telemarketing to provide an automated, interactive voice or key press-activated opt-out mechanism.
The order adds no new compliance obligation for small entities, according to its own regulatory flexibility analysis. It says it "eliminate[s] and streamline[s]" existing rules.
This order changes how a customer revokes consent under the federal robocall and robotext rules. It does not decide whether you had consent to text in the first place, and it does not change other rules. Florida adds its own: Fla. Stat. 501.059(5) says a telephone solicitor "may not initiate an outbound telephone call, text message, or voicemail transmission" to a consumer who "has previously communicated" that they do not wish to receive one. That sentence has no word list and no exclusive-method option. A business that sends sales texts to Florida numbers needs to check that statute, and the federal do-not-call and calling-hours rules in 47 CFR 64.1200(c), separately from this order. This post does not cover them.
The same Federal Register issue carried a proposal, "Modernizing the Ability of Consumers To Control Robocalls," that was not a rule. It asks whether to cut the ten business day limit; a joint letter suggested seven business days. It also asks about requiring two-way texting and a single method to revoke all consent. Comments are due November 25, 2026 and reply comments December 28, 2026. As of November 1, 2026, none of it binds a sender.
1. Decide whether to designate. Designating reply texts as the only method lets you ignore voicemails and emails as opt-outs. Not designating keeps the any-reasonable-means duty. Pick one on purpose.
2. If you designate reply texts, add a standard word to every text. Put "Reply STOP to opt out" on each message your system sends, including automated missed-call texts and reminders. One word is enough under the rule.
3. Test all seven words. From a spare phone, text a reminder to yourself and reply with each of stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel and unsubscribe. Your system must recognize each one as a valid revocation. What it then stops follows your step 6 decision.
4. Test a sentence. Reply "please stop texting me." From November 25, 2026, under the federal rule, a sender that designated an exclusive method does not have to process it. Decide now what your staff will do when it arrives, and remember the Florida statute above does not use an exclusive-method list.
5. Time the confirmation. It should arrive within five minutes and contain no offer or other marketing.
6. Label each message type as operational or promotional, then decide what a STOP on each ends.
7. Ask your texting provider these two questions in writing: "Does your system recognize all seven words in the FCC rule, and what happens to a number that replies with one?" and "Can an opt-out on promotional texts be set to end all promotional texts?" A good answer names the words and describes the block.
Chleb AI builds AI receptionists and CRM follow-up for service businesses, and missed-call texts are part of that work. This post summarizes an FCC rule, not legal advice for a specific business, and it does not describe how any particular product handles opt-outs. Run the seven-word test above on every system that texts your customers, ours included.
Written with AI assistance. Every factual claim links to its source above. Illustrations are AI-generated, not photographs; cover cards are set in type; charts and diagrams are built from the public data they cite. This is general information, not legal, financial or tax advice. Found an error? Tell us at chleb@chleb.ai or through the contact page and we will correct it and note the correction on this page.
November 25, 2026, according to the order and the Federal Register summary. It supersedes the January 31, 2027 date that the earlier revoke-all provision was delayed to as of November 1, 2026.
The rule lists seven: stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel and unsubscribe. A sender who designates reply texts as its exclusive method must recognize all seven, even if it prints only one in each text.
A reasonable time not to exceed ten business days from receipt. The FCC has proposed asking whether to shorten that, but as of November 1, 2026, no change has been adopted.
Under the federal rule, yes, if it only confirms the request and contains no marketing or promotional information. Sent within five minutes, it is presumed to fall within the consumer's prior express consent. The rule addresses the federal consent paragraphs only.