311 Area Code
Non-emergency municipal government and police services
The 311 area code is reserved for non-emergency government services. It is an N11 code dialed as 3-1-1, not as the leading digits of a regular phone number.
How 311 is used
Residents dial 3-1-1 (three digits, not a full ten-digit number) to report potholes, request trash pickup, ask about permits or contact city hall without tying up 9-1-1 emergency lines. Calls are free and routed to the local municipality's call center; each city decides what services to offer behind the number. As an N11 code, the digits 311 are reserved from assignment as the leading digits of any regular telephone number.
- Purpose
- Non-emergency municipal government and police services
- Assignee
- FCC (United States); operated locally by city and county governments
- Dialed as
- 3-1-1
History
Creation: In February 1997 the Federal Communications Commission, acting on a request from the Clinton administration, designated 3-1-1 nationwide for access to non-emergency police and other government services. The decision was driven by a successful AT&T / Baltimore Police Department pilot launched in October 1996 that cut 911 call volume by about a third while logging some 150,000 311 calls in its first months. Chicago, New York, Houston and many other cities followed Baltimore.
Mnemonics: Prior to 1995, the middle digit of area codes was restricted to 0 or 1, which do not correspond to letters on a phone's dialing pad. Because 311 contains 0 or 1, it has no mnemonic letter equivalent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-1-1, www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/nationally-assigned-3-digit-numbers-n11.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is area code 311 used for?
311 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 311 area code is reserved for non-emergency government services. It is an N11 code dialed as 3-1-1, not as the leading digits of a regular phone number.
Is 311 dialed as a full area code?
No. 311 is an N11 code, meaning callers dial only the three digits 3-1-1 – there is no ten-digit equivalent. The digits 311 are reserved and cannot start any regular phone number.
Who assigns 311 numbers?
FCC (United States); operated locally by city and county governments
When did area code 311 go into service?
Area code 311 was placed into service on February 1997.