---
"@context": https://schema.org
"@type": TechArticle
"@id": https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/glossary/can-spam#article
headline: CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
description: "*Regulation*. US law that lists the guidelines, requirements, and penalties regarding the sending of commercial bulk email."
url: https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/glossary/can-spam
inLanguage: en
dateModified: 2026-03-16T15:00:42.000Z
author:
  "@type": Organization
  name: Twilio Developer Education Team
publisher:
  "@type": Organization
  name: Twilio
---

# CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

*Regulation*. US law that lists the guidelines, requirements, and penalties regarding the sending of commercial bulk email.

The [Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM)][can-spam-act] (15 U.S.C §§ 7701-7713) lists the guidelines, requirements, and potential penalties for noncompliance regarding the commercial use of email and the legal rights of recipients of commercial email. CAN-SPAM notes several requirements for commercial senders including, but not limited to:

* Senders may not use false or misleading headers.
* Senders may not use deceptive subject lines.
* Senders must give their recipients the option of opting out of commercial email.
* Senders must honor all opt-out requests.

To learn more about this law, see the US Federal Trade Commission's [CAN-SPAM Act Compliance Guide][can-spam-act-guide].

> \[!NOTE]
>
> The guidelines laid out in this law represent the "bare-minimum" regarding sending practices. Following these guidelines doesn't guarantee delivery to your recipients' inboxes.
>
> To learn how to improve your sending practices, see [Improve deliverability](/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/deliverability).

> \[!CAUTION]
>
> CAN-SPAM regulations go beyond bulk email. It covers *any* commercial email communication, including business-to-business and business-to-customer email.

[can-spam-act]: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

[can-spam-act-guide]: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business