A Consumer's Guide to Ohio's Area Code Update

The Area Code

The first three digits of a 10-digit telephone number are known as an area code. These numbers represent a specific geographic area in North America. Each area code can support up to 792 combinations of the first three digits of a telephone number (known as an exchange code) and when these combinations are depleted, the area code is said to be exhausted. Once exhausted, a new area code is required. Presently, 15 area codes are used in Ohio: 216, 330/234, 419/567, 440/436, 513/283, 614/380, 740/220 and 937/326.

Area Code Exhaust

Exhaustion is due to several different factors, including: 

• High demand for additional telephone numbers due to the popularity of cellular phones, fax machines, pagers, modems, pay-at-the-pump gasoline stations, ATMs and other telecommunications devices.
• The method by which numbers are assigned to local telephone companies. Telephone numbers are assigned to local telephone companies in blocks of 10,000. Presently, if a local company does not have a need for that many numbers, the numbers go unused.

Additional codes will continue to be created in response to these factors.

The Process

The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) is responsible for predicting when an area code in Ohio will become exhausted. Learn more about NANPA at https://www.nanpa.com. When a prediction is made, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is notified. 

The PUCO then creates a planning team to develop solutions for that affected area code based in part upon public input.

Those solutions typically take one of two forms: a geographic split or an overlay. A geographic split occurs when the geographic area of an existing area code is divided into two or more new areas, each having an area code of its own.

An overlay involves using the same geographic area of an existing area code but assigning all new telephone lines to a new area code. As a result of an overlay, the same geographic space has two or more area codes associated with it.

The planning team then submits its options to the PUCO. The PUCO may then hold additional hearings in the affected areas to ensure additional public input. The PUCO will then adopt a plan and submit its recommendation to NANPA for final approval. NANPA reviews the plan and then assigns a new area code, as appropriate.

Once approved, the new area code is announced to the public. A permissive dialing period is typically used to introduce it, or the old area code can be dialed interchangeably for a trial period until it is implemented permanently. This allows consumers and businesses to adjust and prepare for the change.

After a few introductory months, dialing the new area code becomes mandatory. People who dial the old area code at this point will receive an error recording or a wrong number message.

If Your Area Code Changes

Consumers should inform their friends and family and update their records. In addition, financial institutions, credit card companies, places of employment, etc. should be notified of the change.

Businesses will need to publicize the change. They may also need to look into reprogramming office equipment. In the past, an area code was required to carry a ‘1’ or ‘0’ as its middle digit, but the network was reprogrammed to allow any combination of numbers to be used.

Older equipment will not recognize the new system. Cellular phones may need to be reprogrammed.

An area code overlay also usually requires a transition to 10-digit dialing to permit fuller use of all the numbers within the area code.

What Is 10-Digit Dialing?

In the past, consumers dialed seven digits to make a local call. With the overlay of new area codes, it has become necessary to dial 10 digits (the area code + the seven-digit telephone number) to make local calls in those areas where area code overlays occurred.

When placing local calls to numbers outside of an area code or inside an area code if there has been an overlay, consumers should use the 10-digit dialing pattern. 

As a result of the nationwide implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Line, there is a new dialing procedure for areas of Ohio that use 7-digit dialing and 988 is used as the first three numbers in seven-digit phone numbers. Only telephone numbers with a 216 area code can still use 7-digit local dialing. The rest of Ohio now uses 10-digit local dialing.

Rates will not change even though three more numbers are dialed. Consumers believing they are billed toll charges for numbers that had previously been included in local charges, should contact the PUCO at 1-800-686-7826.

The PUCO’s website has more information on Ohio’s area codes. Visit https://puco.ohio.gov and search for “area code.”