Beginning today callers in East Tennessee’s 423 area code will be required to dial all 10 digits of a phone number—including the area code—for all local calls. This change affects residents and businesses in Hamilton, Marion, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, Bradley, McMinn, Monroe, and Polk counties.
The new dialing procedure also applies to anyone outside the 423 area code who is calling a number within it. Calls that do not include the area code will not be completed.
Existing phone numbers will not change, and emergency services like 911 and other 3-digit codes (such as 211 or 411) will continue to operate as usual.
The switch to mandatory 10-digit dialing comes ahead of the introduction of a new area code. Once available numbers in the 423 area code are exhausted, new telephone lines and services in the region will be assigned the 729 area code. Numbers with the new 729 area code will begin to be issued starting September 5.
For more information, residents are encouraged to check with their phone service provider.