MailProof · Small business
The US CAN-SPAM Act requires honest headers, a clear unsubscribe, a physical postal address, and honoring opt-outs within 10 business days — up to $53,088 per email.
📐 The honest answer: CAN-SPAM applies to any business sending commercial email, regardless of size — every message still needs accurate headers, a working opt-out, and a physical postal address.
If it applies to you, here's what you need — these are the points small businesses most often miss:
⚠️ Exposure: up to $53,088 per email (FTC) · Status: In force. Regulators and plaintiffs do go after small businesses — being small is not a defence.
Compare the penalty for every rule →
CAN-SPAM applies to any business sending commercial email, regardless of size — every message still needs accurate headers, a working opt-out, and a physical postal address.
A truthful From/subject, a clear and free way to unsubscribe, and a valid physical postal address. You must honor opt-outs within 10 business days.
Yes — it applies to all commercial email, including the first one. There's no exemption for small senders.
Each separate email in violation can incur penalties up to $53,088, and multiple parties (e.g. the brand and its agency) can be liable.
RuleGoose checks this against the US CAN-SPAM Act (15 U.S.C. 7701) + FTC Rule. Read it yourself: eCFR — 16 CFR Part 316 (CAN-SPAM Rule) →
or read the full CAN-SPAM email marketing guide, or get one RuleGoose Score across every rule.
Informational only, not legal advice, and not affiliated with the FTC. Thresholds can change and be fact-specific — confirm against the cited source. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.