Indiana's northern area code map

10-digit dialing in Indiana's 219 & 574 Area Codes starts this year

Contributed By:The 411 News

Indpls. – Beginning on Saturday, Apr. 24, 2021, everyone in northern Indiana’s 219 and 574 telephone area codes is encouraged to start using 10 digits, rather than seven, to make local phone calls.

(For example, callers should start dialing “219-555-5555” or “574-555-5555” instead of “555-5555.”) This will help ease into the upcoming transition to mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls within the 219 and 574 area codes.

The announcement came from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) and Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC)

Elkhart, Goshen, Granger, La Porte, Logansport, Mishawaka, Nappanee, Plymouth, Rochester, South Bend, and Warsaw use the 574 area code.

Local calls made with seven digits will still work until Oct. 24, 2021, to allow everyone ample time to adjust to the new dialing pattern and to make any required system changes before 10-digit dialing becomes mandatory for local calls.

The change to 10-digit dialing is necessary to accommodate the national “988” National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

All telecommunications providers in the United States are required to implement the three-digit 9-8-8 dialing code for the hotline by July 16, 2022. Under the FCC order, 10-digit dialing must be in place before then for any area code with a “988” prefix.

Effective April 24, 2021, you should start using 10 digits whenever you place a local call from the 219 or 574 area code (dialing the area code followed by the number’s remaining digits). If you forget and dial just seven digits (through Oct. 24, 2021), your call will still be completed.

Starting on October 24, 2021, you must use 10-digit dialing for all local phone calls. After this date, if you do not use 10 digits, your call will not be completed and a recording will instruct you to hang up and dial again.

Beginning July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will be reachable by calling the three-digit 9-8-8 code. The lifeline can be reached before and after that date at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Story Posted:03/01/2021