In preparation for a switch next year — when all local calls will require the 509 area code — the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission will allow people in the 509 area code to dial the three extra digits starting April 24.
The change is part of a nationwide plan to allow everyone in the country to be able to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline using just the three-digit code of 988. That access will be available in 2022.
Starting this Oct. 24, calls made without adding the 509 area code to the seven-digit phone number may not go through. In July 2022, service providers will completely remove seven-digit dialing from their networks.
The switch to 10-digit dialing won’t affect the price of calls, coverage areas, whether a call is local or long-distance, rates and services, or existing three-digit lines such as 911. The update won’t change any phone numbers.
The 509 area code is the only one left in Washington that hasn’t switched to 10-digit dialing.
Starting July 16, 2022, dialing 988 will route calls to the suicide lifeline. Until then, callers can reach the hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
