# 30529: Toll Free rejection: Alcohol promotions require age verification

Log Type: TWILIO

Log Level: ERROR

## Description

Your toll-free verification submission was rejected because your messaging program involves alcohol-related content and the review did not find an acceptable age-verification process. Messaging traffic on the toll-free number remains blocked until the number is verified.

Twilio reviews the business that is sending the messages, the stated use case, sample content, web presence, opt-in or consent flow, and related terms and privacy policy when evaluating a toll-free verification submission.

### Possible causes

* Your opt-in flow or website does not use a robust age-verification process for alcohol-related messaging.
* Your age gate relies on a simple confirmation such as "Yes" instead of collecting a full date of birth. Twilio requires age gating for alcohol-related traffic to mean that users enter their date of birth.
* Your website or landing pages make alcohol-related content available before the user passes an age gate.
* Your verification submission does not clearly show how your opt-in flow, website, and sample messages enforce legal age restrictions.
* You intend to send age-gated alcohol traffic to Canada. Age-gated content into Canada must be blocked unless you have a special carrier exemption. ([help.twilio.com](https://help.twilio.com/articles/360045004974-Forbidden-message-categories-for-SMS-and-MMS-in-the-US-and-Canada))

### Possible solutions

* Add a 21+ age gate to your website and opt-in flow before users can access alcohol-related content or enroll in messaging.
* Require users to enter their full date of birth in `MM/DD/YYYY` format, or use a third-party age-verification service. Do not rely on a simple "Yes" confirmation as your only control.
* Update your verification submission so it includes clear evidence of the revised age-verification flow, including where the age gate appears in the user journey and how consent is collected.
* If the rejected submission is eligible for resubmission, correct the issue and resubmit from the toll-free number's Regulatory Information section in Console during the resubmission window when available.
* If you send messages to Canada, block age-gated alcohol traffic unless you have the required carrier exemption. ([help.twilio.com](https://help.twilio.com/articles/360045004974-Forbidden-message-categories-for-SMS-and-MMS-in-the-US-and-Canada))

#### Additional resources

* [Toll-Free Verification Console Onboarding Guide](/docs/messaging/compliance/toll-free/console-onboarding)
* [Toll-Free Message Verification for US/Canada](https://help.twilio.com/articles/5377174717595-Toll-Free-Message-Verification-for-US-Canada)
* [Forbidden Message Categories in the US and Canada](https://help.twilio.com/articles/360045004974-Forbidden-message-categories-for-SMS-and-MMS-in-the-US-and-Canada)