Area Code Overlay Approved for 805 Area Code

The area currently being served by the area code 805 will soon have another area code – 820. This is being done to ensure a continuing supply of phone numbers to the central California coast. If you have a number with this area code, get ready to change how you dial locally.

An area code overlay, you say?

Area code overlays occur when a new area code – 820 – is introduced into the same geographic region of an existing area code – 805 – that’s currently being used. It’s simply an addition and not a replacement, so old 805 numbers will remain.

Who’s affected?

Anyone with an 805 phone number in the central California coast will be affected. This includes:

Counties

| San Luis Obispo | Monterey | | Santa Barbara | Kern | | Ventura |

Cities

| Arroyo Grande | Fillmore | Moorpark | Pismo Beach | Santa Paula | | Atascadero | Goleta | Morro Bay | Port Hueneme | Simi Valley | | Buellton | Grover Beach | Ojai | San Luis Obispo | Solvang | | Camarillo | Guadalupe | Oxnard | Santa Barbara | Thousand Oaks | | Carpinteria | Lompoc | Paso Robles | Santa Maria | Ventura |

How will you be affected?

If your area code is 805, there are a couple things that you need to do:

Change how you dial locally. The overlay will require you to dial the area code + telephone number or 1 + area code + telephone number regardless if you’re dialing an 805 or an 820 phone number. Start getting used to dialing 10 or 11 digits instead of seven!

Update your automated services. Make sure that any equipment that you have currently programmed to dial 7 digits is updated to reflect the change. This includes life safety systems, medical monitoring devices, PBXs, fax machines, internet dial-up numbers, alarm security systems and gates, speed dialers, call forwarding settings and voicemail services, to name a few.

When will the overlay take place?

December 1, 2017 – start using the new calling procedure 1 + area code (805/820) + telephone number

June 2, 2018 – you must use the new calling procedure or your local calls will not go through

June 30, 2018 – new lines or services in the area may be given numbers from the new 820 area code

Remember, your phone number’s not going to change! It’s just how you dial local calls that will. Call prices will also remain the same.

Questions? Contact us at 1-800-980-9750 or check out the California Public Utilities Commission website for more information.