You’ll Have to Start Dialing 10-Digit Codes Starting October 25th

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Starting on Monday, October 25th, Texans with phone numbers in the 254, 361, 409, 806, 830, 915 and 940 area codes will be required to dial the entire 10-digit code for local phone calls.

On October 25th onward, anyone in the aforementioned area codes that only dial 7-digits will hear a recording telling them to hang up and try again with the area code included.

This is all happening because back in July 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order that approved 988 as the abbreviated dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Telecommunications providers have since had to make network changes to ensure 988 access by July 2022.

Customers should ensure that the area code is included in places where a phone number is displayed, such as a business website or any advertising material.

Despite the fact that those in the area codes mentioned before will have to dial 10-digit phone numbers, most things will remain the same. Phone numbers themselves will not change, nor will the price of a call. Customers will also continue dialing a 1 before the 10-digit number for long-distance calls, and prefixes such as 9 will still be used to dial from a multi-line phone system.

Starting July 16th, 2022, dialing 988 will route you to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Until then, you'll have to dial 1-800-273-8255 to reach the lifeline.