New Overlay Coming to Illinois 217 Area Code

The Illinois region currently served by the area code 217 will soon have another area code - 447. If you live in this area, you might have to change the way you dial locally. Here's what you need to know:

New 447 Area Code Overlay

An overlay is the addition of another area code to the same geographic region as an existing area code. In this instance, Illinois is adding 447 to the area currently being serviced by 217. This does not mean that your current 217 number will change, but you will need to make some changes to the way you dial local numbers in this area.

217 Area Codes Affected

The 217 area code generally covers the central region of the state of Illinois, including large cities such as Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Decatur, Jacksonville, and Quincy. Areas currently served by the 217 area code will be affected by this change. The new 447 area code will serve the same geographic area currently served by the existing 217 area code.

How 217 Area Codes are Affected by 447

To complete local calls in the affected areas, the new dialing procedure requires callers to dial area code + telephone number or 1 + area code + telephone number. This means that all local calls in the 217 area code that are currently dialed with seven digits will need to be dialed using area code + telephone number or 1 + area code + telephone number. The same dialing procedure will apply to telephone numbers assigned to the new 447 area code.

Key Dates For 447 Rolling Out

Effective August 29, 2020, you should begin using the new dialing procedures whenever you place a call from the 217 area code. If you forget and dial just seven digits, your call will still complete.

Beginning February 27, 2021, you must use the new dialing procedures, as described above. On and after this date, if you do not use the new dialing procedures, your calls will not complete. A recorded message will instruct you to hang up and dial again, including the area code.

Beginning March 27, 2021, new telephone lines or services may be assigned numbers using the new 447 area code.

What will you need to do?

Update your automated services. In addition to changing your dialing procedures, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment that are programmed to dial a 7-digit number will need to be reprogrammed to use the new dialing procedures. Some examples are life safety systems, stored telephone numbers in contact lists in phones, PBXs, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems or gates, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, etc. You may also want to check your business stationery or advertising materials to ensure the area code is included.

What will remain the same?

• Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.
• The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
• What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
• You can still dial just three digits to reach 911.
• If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811 are currently available in your community, you will still dial these codes with just three digits.

Who can you contact with questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information provided in this notice, please call our support team at 1-800-980-9750 or go to Illinois Commerce Commission for more information.