Does my school need to register an SMS Sender ID with the ACMA?

From 1 July 2026, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) SMS Sender ID Register will protect schools and the community from scammers by preventing the use of branded text message sender IDs to impersonate known organisations.

A sender ID is the name shown at the top of SMS messages from businesses or organisations. It identifies the sender, such as ATO, AusPost, or myGov. For more information, visit the ACMA website.

Your school must register its SMS Sender ID with ACMA if it sends SMS messages under a Display Name instead of a mobile number.

If your school uses Streetdata or BulkSMS as the SMS provider for TASS messages, contact the provider for guidance on registering your SMS Sender ID.

If your school uses TASS SMS, you only need to register if a display name is entered in the SMS Gateway program in TASS.web System Admin > Utilities > API Gateway Maintenance. If the 'Display Name’ field contains text (not blank or a mobile number)—for example, MySchoolName—you must register it with the ACMA SMS Sender ID Register by visiting https://www.acma.gov.au/acma-assist and creating an ACMA Assist account. The ACMA provides detailed guidance on registering sender IDs. Refer to the ACMA website for current, step-by-step instructions.

Because the ‘Display Name’ field in TASS.web is customisable, TASS cannot register the Sender ID for your school. Your school must ensure sender IDs are registered and compliant.

If your school has multiple sender IDs (different names for campuses), you must register all variations.

If your school does not register its SMS Sender ID by the deadline, your branded sender name may be flagged as untrusted by telcos or blocked from sending SMS messages. This could affect your ability to send important notifications. For compliance and enforcement details, refer to ACMA's official guidance.