This guide outlines the requirements U.S. wireless carriers apply to businesses that fall under the SHAFT categories. If your brand markets products related to Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, or Tobacco, these rules are essential for approval and ongoing compliance.
What does SHAFT mean?
SHAFT stands for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. It refers to retailers who sell products in these categories and communicate with customers via SMS.
In addition to standard CTIA, TCPA, FCC, and carrier‑specific rules, SHAFT businesses must follow additional requirements to be approved and remain in good standing with U.S. wireless carriers.
What is required to provision SHAFT programs?
A robust age gate (required)
All SHAFT programs must include a strong age‑verification process.
Carriers must be able to view and test your age‑gate experience during approval.
The age gate must collect the customer’s full date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY).
A yes/no question is not acceptable.
Customers who do not meet the age requirement will receive a Denied Entry message and will not be subscribed.
Standard provisioning materials
SHAFT programs must follow the same provisioning steps as all other SMS programs, including submitting all required documentation.
Carrier approval
Carriers may approve or deny any program at their discretion, especially if content does not align with their codes of conduct or content policies.
Onsite content review
Your website and Mobile Terms & Conditions must clearly reflect the nature of your program and must not promote or encourage illegal activity.
What is a "robust age gate"?
An age gate verifies a customer’s age before they can subscribe to your SMS list.
A compliant age gate:
Collects the customer’s date of birth
Confirms they meet the legal age requirement
Provides written consent from the user to receive SMS messages
Aligns with state and federal laws (commonly 18+ or 21+ depending on product type)
Firearms and Alcohol programs must use a 21+ age gate.
These requirements help ensure restricted content does not reach audiences who should not receive it, in accordance with FCC, TCPA, FDA, FAA, and TTB regulations.
What SHAFT content is allowed?
SHAFT businesses can send:
General promotions, sales, and event announcements
Brand‑focused messages that do not reference specific products
Safety information, product care tips, and customer service updates
Standard compliance content (program name, HELP/STOP instructions, etc.)
Examples of allowed indirect marketing messages (HELP/STOP instructions should be sent at least once a month):
[Program Name]: Nobody can beat our prices! Visit us to shop top brands: [link to homepage]
[Program Name]: New arrivals just dropped—take 10% off today only! [link to homepage] HELP for help, STOP to cancel
[Program Name]: Gear is moving fast! Grab what you need before it’s gone. [link to homepage]
[Program Name]: It’s playoff season! Stock up for the big game this weekend. [link to home page]
What SHAFT content is prohibited?
The following content cannot be sent under any circumstances and may lead to program suspension or termination:
Firearms
Direct promotion or sale of firearms, ammunition, or parts
Links that lead directly to firearm product pages
MMS imagery depicting firearms or ammo
Alcohol
Encouraging consumption
Misleading claims
Messaging that appeals to minors (flavors, pop culture references, etc.)
Tobacco, vape, cannabis
Any content promoting consumption or purchase
Messaging that appeals to minors
Cannabis, CBD, hemp, THC, or marijuana products (strictly prohibited)
Sexual content
Explicit imagery or descriptions
Solicitation of sexual acts
Content involving minors
Simulated or actual sexual acts
⚠️ Important: Non‑explicit adult‑oriented content may be allowed if it is informational and not graphic. Examples include:
Health and wellness topics (including reproductive health)
Romance‑related but non‑sexual content
Lingerie or undergarment promotions (without explicit imagery)
Hate speech
Profanity, threats, or hateful language toward individuals or groups
Gambling and sweepstakes
Any gambling‑related content
Any sweepstakes promotions
Examples of prohibited messages
[Program Name]: Come check out our revolvers, now 10% off! [link to product page]
[Program Name]: ARs on sale—grab yours before they’re gone! [link to product page]
[Program Name]: Drinks are on us! Get $5 off all vodka flavors. [link to product page]
[Program Name]: Take a long drag—best prices on cigars, cigarettes, and vape. [link to product page]
Do the U.S. wireless carriers have separate rules for firearms?
Yes. Carriers and Tier 1 Aggregators enforce strict policies for firearm‑related programs. Direct promotion can trigger a Severity Level 0 carrier audit and immediate program suspension or termination can occur.
Text messages cannot promote firearms, ammunition, or parts.
Links cannot lead to pages that promote or sell these products.
No MMS imagery depicting firearms or ammo. This includes the following:
Photos of firearms, rifles, handguns, AR-style weapons
Images of ammunition, magazines, bullets, or cartridges
Product hero shots featuring weapons
Any image showing weapon usage or handling
Firearm businesses can still promote:
Their brand
Non‑firearm products and accessories
Loyalty programs and account signups
Coupon codes
What about cannabis?
Marketing cannabis‑related products—including CBD, hemp, THC, and marijuana—is strictly prohibited across all U.S. carriers because these products are not legal in every state.
Violations may result in:
Suspension of your short code
Termination of your program
Do not include:
Cannabis‑related terms in your messages
Links to pages selling these products
⚠️ All cannabis‑related marketing is prohibited via SMS.
Compliance for SHAFT Transactional Programs
Transactional programs have additional requirements:
Opt‑in typically occurs at checkout.
Customers cannot be automatically subscribed, even if a phone number is required.
Transactional opt‑in must be separate from marketing opt‑in.
Consent must be explicit:
Checkbox must be unchecked by default
Disclaimer language must be present
Terms & Privacy links must be included
SMS sign‑up must be separate from email sign‑up.
Terms & Conditions must list that transactional messages will be sent
A 21+ age gate must be completed before transactional messages can be sent.