CALIFORNIA, USA — Later in October, some California counties will be making the move to 10-digit dialing.
It'll be based on area codes, specifically for the 209, 530, 626, 650, 707, 925, 949 and 951 area codes. Altogether, 82 areas codes across the country will be making the same move.
It's meant to clear the way for the 988 number for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a new three-digit phone number meant to connect people to suicide prevention services. It was adopted by the FCC in July of 2020.
This means that people in the impacted locations will have to dial their area code and then the telephone number for their local calls starting Oct. 24. This is because some areas of the country use seven-digit dialing and also have 9-8-8 as the first three digits in some numbers.
Seven-digit dialing will still work until Oct. 24, but on and after that date, they might not. A seven-digit call would trigger a message saying your call can't be completed.
The new 988 number will start routing calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline on July 16, 2022.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can also be reached at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats. Veterans can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255.
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