What is TextMyGov and How Do I Use it?

September 8, 2025

Author: Emma Conway, Digital Marketing Specialist

So, your organization launched TextMyGov. What now?

As a resident of a municipality with TextMyGov, you now have exclusive access to your community leaders! The system is meant to bridge the gap between you and the leaders of your community by making municipal resources and information easily accessible.

There are multiple features that make up the TextMyGov system and your municipality may not have chosen to implement all of them. Before taking the guidance below, visit your municipality or organization’s TextMyGov page on their website to find out what capabilities are available to you.

Learn how to text your organization to report issues, find information quickly, request documents, receive notifications, and more with this Community Benefits Guide. 

Did you get a text from us? Learn why HERE!

Some examples of common keywords you can text are:  

You can find a full list of keywords that your municipality has set up by texting the word LIST.

Unrecognized Response: You may receive a response that says something like “the system does not recognize your response.” This means this word does not have an automatic response set up yet, but your local officials will still see the message you sent in. Try texting another, related keyword. Or write a short message explaining what you need help with. You should receive a response to this message within your municipalities’ normal business hours.   

You can also report various issues to your local officials. What types of issues you can report depends on what the municipality has set up for you. To report an issue, simply text a keyword, just like you would if you were finding information. You can try texting REPORT, which often tells you what reporting options you have and what the associated keywords are.

The system will text you back with a couple clarifying questions. It may ask you for the address of the issue, your name, details about the issue, or possibly a photo. The information you provide is NOT public and will only be viewed by municipal officials. TextMyGov provides the fastest way to report issues in your community, no apps required.

Some examples of common reporting options are:  

Reminder: These keywords are EXAMPLES of the types of issues your municipality might have available to you. Text LIST for a full list of keywords your community has set up, or, if enabled by your organization, text REPORT for a list of reporting options.

TextMyGov is not responsible for resolving reported issues. If you have questions about your reporting options, please contact your municipality.  

If your municipality has a 5-digit number (ex. 91896), you can opt in to receive notifications directly from your municipality. Each municipality’s notifications will vary depending on your area and what they choose to communicate.

To sign up to receive these messages, text the designated notifications keyword to your municipality’s short code number and reply YES when prompted. This information can be found on your organization’s website or by calling the organization directly. There will also be a TextMyGov widget on their homepage which can either direct you to that page or provide an easy way to sign up for texts by entering your phone number.

Your organization could have more than one keyword that you can text. This means that they have multiple groups that are separated into specific categories such as events, road closures, weather alerts, etc.

Examples of the types of notifications you may receive:

Replies are NOT enabled. You can text STOP to opt out and HELP for assistance. If you try texting the 5-digit number with any other word, you will receive an error.

Weather Alerts: If your community has Weather Alerts enabled, you can opt into a weather alerts specific group where you will receive messages from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about weather in your area. Find more information on your municipality website and here: https://textmygov.com/weather-alerts/

You may receive the occasional text message from your municipality’s 10-digit number. This is a message being sent directly to you or a small group of people, usually pertaining to something specific, like an outstanding balance on your account. Feel free to reply to these messages, if relevant. Reponses will be seen by the sender.

It is possible for your municipality to call your phone through TextMyGov. A recorded message will play either as a phone call or a voicemail. Voice calls sent through TextMyGov are not spam, but are intentional messages created for you. This is a one-way phone call from a texting-only number. Calls made to the 10-digit number will not be valid. If you have a question about your call, you can either text the municipality’s 10-digit TextMyGov number or call the municipal office directly.

*These messages will never ask you to provide any personal information or vocally respond. If you receive a call claiming to be from TextMyGov asking for personal information, do not provide the information as the call is almost certainly spam. 

TextMyGov cannot provide municipality-specific information to residents. If you have a question about how your municipality uses TextMyGov, the capabilities available to you, or questions about other local issues, please visit your municipality website or contact them directly.