diff --git a/app/commands.py b/app/commands.py
index 98afdaaf3..f0c1568b6 100644
--- a/app/commands.py
+++ b/app/commands.py
@@ -735,19 +735,28 @@ def populate_annual_billing_with_defaults(year, missing_services_only):
             set_default_free_allowance_for_service(service, year)
 
 
+def validate_mobile(ctx, param, value):
+    if (len(''.join(i for i in value if i.isdigit())) != 10):
+        raise click.BadParameter("mobile number must have 10 digits")
+    else:
+        return value
+
+
 @notify_command(name='create-test-user')
 @click.option('-n', '--name', required=True, prompt=True)
-@click.option('-e', '--email', required=True, prompt=True)
-@click.option('-m', '--mobile_number', required=True, prompt=True)
-@click.option('-p', '--password', required=True, prompt=True, hide_input=True, confirmation_prompt=True)
+@click.option('-e', '--email', required=True, prompt=True)  # TODO: require valid email
+@click.option('-m', '--mobile_number',
+    required=True, prompt=True, callback=validate_mobile)
+@click.option('-p', '--password',
+    required=True, prompt=True, hide_input=True, confirmation_prompt=True)
 @click.option('-a', '--auth_type', default="sms_auth")
 @click.option('-s', '--state', default="active")
 @click.option('-d', '--admin', default=False, type=bool)
-def create_test_user(name,email, mobile_number, password, auth_type, state, admin):
+def create_test_user(name, email, mobile_number, password, auth_type, state, admin):
     if os.getenv('NOTIFY_ENVIRONMENT', '') not in ['development', 'test']:
         current_app.logger.error('Can only be run in development')
         return
-    
+
     data = {
         'name': name,
         'email_address': email,
diff --git a/tests/app/test_commands.py b/tests/app/test_commands.py
index 587da4dd8..b2b6abd14 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_commands.py
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ from tests.app.db import create_annual_billing, create_service
 
 
 def test_create_test_user_command(notify_db_session, notify_api):
-    
+
     # number of users before adding ours
     user_count = User.query.count()
-    
+
     # run the command
     notify_api.test_cli_runner().invoke(
         create_test_user, [
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def test_create_test_user_command(notify_db_session, notify_api):
 
     # that user should be the one we added
     user = User.query.filter_by(
-        name = 'Fake Personson'
+        name='Fake Personson'
     ).first()
     assert user.email_address == 'somebody@fake.gov'
     assert user.auth_type == 'sms_auth'