542 Area Code
Personal communications services
The 542 area code is reserved for special services (Non-Geographic Services). Numbers in it are used for personal communications services in the 5YY non-geographic pool.
How 542 is used
Numbers in 542 are used for personal communications services such as one-number follow-me forwarding. The called party (the subscriber) pays for the call while the calling party is billed at standard long-distance rates. All 5YY codes share the same purpose and pool of central-office assignments.
- Purpose
- Personal communications services
- Assignee
- NANPA on behalf of the FCC
- Dialed as
- 1-542-NXX-XXXX
History
Creation: Area code 542 was placed into service on May 26, 2026 as the eighteenth 5YY non-geographic NPA, relieving 538. NANPA assigned it in March 2026, and it is the newest code in the 5YY pool.
Relieved: Area code 542 was activated to relieve 538.
Mnemonics: The digits 542 map to letter combinations on the standard telephone keypad, yielding 27 possible three-letter mnemonics. Prior to 1995, the middle digit of area codes was restricted to 0 or 1 — codes created before then cannot form mnemonics.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_communications_service_(NANP), www.nanpa.com/numbering/5xx-nxx-codes.
Other special-use area codes
Same-category codes first, then the rest of the NANP special-use portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is area code 542 used for?
542 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 542 area code is reserved for special services (Non-Geographic Services). Numbers in it are used for personal communications services in the 5YY non-geographic pool.
How is 542 dialed?
Numbers in 542 are dialed as a full ten-digit number (1-542-NXX-XXXX). It is a non-geographic area code, so 1-542 numbers are not tied to any city or state.
Who assigns 542 numbers?
NANPA on behalf of the FCC
What did 542 relieve or replace?
Area code 542 was activated to relieve 538 as that pool of numbers neared exhaustion.
When did area code 542 go into service?
Area code 542 was placed into service on May 26, 2026. It was the 18th 5YY non-geographic area code.