All 10 digits

10-digit dialing now required

Central Oklahoma area codes expand, requiring 10-digit dialing.

The 405/572 area code overlay officially has gone into effect.

If you tried phoning a friend and received a recorded message to hang up and dial again with the area code, that's because 10-digit dialing is now required in central Oklahoma.

The North American Numbering Plan Administrator, which oversees the United States, its territories and 19 other North American countries, announced the change in January 2020.

Local telephone companies like Dobson Fiber, which provides service throughout the area code operational limits, have been working to inform customers via billing, social media and other methods, Dobson Marketing Director Ali Clark said.

“We've just tried to not only communicate externally to customers, but communicate internally as well to our customer service group,” she said.

Clark said she expects some increase in complaints based on reactions to the company's social media, because there are still people who are unaware of the change.

Phone users will need to reprogram numbers that are already in their phones without an area code attached, Clark added. Additionally, there also may be other items impacted by the change that don't immediately come to mind.

“People are going to just have to go through the motions of trying to think of everything that is tied to a phone number,” she said. “If it doesn't have the area code programmed in, it will have to be reprogrammed, so they may have to call their alarm company or if they have a front gate entrance in their neighborhood.”

Matt Skinner, spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, said in addition to security systems, other important reprogramming or updating that may need to occur includes medical devices and pet tags or microchips.

Local businesses with television or print advertising that does not include the area code may also face some challenges from the overlay. However, Skinner said, there has been plenty of notice to make changes.

“They’ve had six months to prepare, we’ve had permissive 10-digit dialing for six months,” he said. “We didn’t really have any serious issues in the 918 changeover, we’re hoping we have none in the 405.”

The 572 area code overlay is being initiated to prevent the “exhaustion” of available phone numbers. The previous way to handle number exhaustion was a full area code split.

Overlay plans save businesses money long-term because they get to retain local dialing and keep their phone numbers rather than being forced into entirely new zones, Skinner said.

Projections made by the administrator placed the 405 area code service area at risk of running out of available numbers by December of this year. 572 area code numbers will begin being issued May 24.

Skinner added that calls between 405 and 572 area codes will count as local calls and no changes will occur for the dialing of three-digit services like 911, 211 or 811.

The 405/572 overlay will be the second for the state. The administrator issued the 539 area code overlay to coincide with the 918 area code in April 2011.

A man sits on a bench looking at his phone at the Oklahoma Capitol on Monday. As a new area code is overlaid on the old 405 area code for central Oklahoma, all numbers will require 10-digit dialing. DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN

The 572 area code is being overlaid on the 405 area code region in central Oklahoma. Starting Saturday, all calls in that region will require 10-digit dialing. New phone numbers in the region will begin getting the 572 area code in a month. TODD PENDLETON