San Bernardino 909 Area Code Gets New Overlay

The California region currently served by the area code 909 will soon have another area code - 840. If you live in the area, you might have to change the way you dial locally. Here’s what you need to know:

New 840 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, the San Bernardino area of California is adding 840 to the area currently being serviced by 909. This does not mean that your current 909 number will change, but you will need to make some changes to the way you dial local numbers in this area.

909 Area Codes Affected

The 909 area code covers the southwestern portion of San Bernardino County, the eastern part of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange and Riverside Counties. Areas currently served by the 909 area code will be affected by this change, including the following communities:

• Big Bear Lake
• Calimesa
• Chino
• Chino Hills
• Claremont
• Colton
• Diamond Bar
• Eastvale
• Fontana
• Grand Terrace
• Highland
• Industry
• La Verne
• Loma Linda
• Montclair
• Ontario
• Pomona
• Rancho Cucamonga
• Redlands
• Rialto
• San Bernardino
• San Dimas
• Upland
• Walnut
• Yucaipa

The new 840 area code will serve the same geographic area currently served by the existing 909 area code.

How 909 Area Codes Are Affected by 840

To complete local calls in the affected areas, the new dialing procedure requires callers to dial 1 + area code + telephone number. This means that all local calls in the 840 area code that are currently dialed with seven digits will need to be dialed with eleven digits using the new 1 + area code + telephone number procedure. The same dialing procedure will apply to telephone numbers assigned to the new 840 area code.

Key Dates For 840 Rolling Out

Effective July 25, 2020, you should begin using the new dialing procedures whenever you place a call from the 840 area code. If you forget and dial just seven digits, your call will still complete.

Beginning January 23, 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 February 23, 2021, new telephone lines or services may be assigned numbers using the new 840 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 California Public Utilities Commission for more information.