# POL-185 — The terms should state a minimum age

> The SMS terms should state the eligibility and minimum age for the programme, consistently with the privacy policy.

- **Rule ID:** POL-185
- **Layer:** Policy pages (`POLICY_PAGE`)
- **Checks:** `SMS terms eligibility clause`
- **Severity:** MEDIUM — Usually survives review, but lowers your trust score or invites manual review.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** AI judgement over the submitted form
- **Fix type:** Fix the privacy policy or SMS terms
- **Required by:** CTIA
- **Applies:** Applies to every 10DLC registration.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/policy-page/pol-185/

## Why this rule exists

The age line is what makes the children's section of the privacy policy operative for the messaging programme rather than for the website in general, and it is the only place a subscriber is told whether they are eligible at all. Where the two documents give different ages the pair contradicts itself, which is the defect POL-231 catches.

## How to fix it

State the minimum age in the terms and make it agree with the privacy policy's children's section. Done when both documents give the same number.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
You must be 18 or older, or 13 or older with a parent's permission, to join Acme Coffee Rewards.
```