10-Digit Dialing in 509 Area Code to Begin Within Weeks

(Lacey, WA) -- Beginning October 24th, callers within the Washington 509 area code must include the area code when dialing .

The Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission said in a statement that right now, some landline service providers still allow seven-digit dialing in the 509 area code. In July 2022 service providers will completely remove seven-digit dialing from their networks.  

This change to 10-digit dialing in eastern Washington’s 509 area code is a first step toward ensuring that everyone in the country will be able to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline using the three-digit code of 988 that launches in 2022.  

On April 24, telecommunications service providers started allowing 10-digit dialing to help prepare 509 area code callers for mandatory dialing changes required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but now the change is required.      

Requiring the area code will ensure that customers who already have 988 as the prefix in their phone number don’t have trouble making or receiving calls once the new three-digit dialing shortcut launches. No phone numbers will change because of this FCC requirement.   

The commission says ten-digit dialing will not affect the price of calls, coverage areas, whether a call is local or long-distance, rates and services, or any other existing three-digit lines such as 911, 711, and 211.