Area code 252 – North Carolina
252 has served North Carolina since 1998, split from 919. 695 of its 786 number blocks are allocated (88%). No carrier dominates: Brightspeed 29.8%, Other CLEC / VoIP 17.8%, Verizon 14.1%. 933 FTC complaints named a 252 caller ID in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, putting it 51st of 422 codes with five or more complaints.
- State
- North Carolina
- In service since
- 1998
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Shares area with
- No overlay
Who holds 252 number blocks
Share of the 695 assigned NXX blocks (88.4% of the 786 possible), across 49 carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers.
- Brightspeed29.8%
- Verizon14.1%
- Other CLEC / VoIP12.1%
- Lumen8.5%
- Onvoy7.1%
- Windstream6.9%
- T-Mobile6.9%
- AT&T3.9%
- Bandwidth3.7%
- Charter3.7%
- Spok0.9%
- Peerless0.6%
- Frontier0.4%
- Dish0.4%
- Twilio0.4%
- Telnyx0.3%
- Comcast0.1%
- Vonage0.1%
Spam complaints naming 252
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID was a 252 number, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 (33 days). Caller IDs on spam calls are frequently spoofed, so these are complaints about the code, not calls proven to originate in it.
Rate centers in 252
NANPA allocates number blocks to rate centers and records their names abbreviated to ten characters, so these are NANPA's codes rather than place names – CHAMPAURBN is Champaign-Urbana, NWYRCYZN01 is a New York City zone. We show them unchanged instead of guessing at the full names. Showing the largest 5 of 92.
Timeline
- 1998 252 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 919.
More about 252
Separate pages for the questions that need their own answer: what time it is there, what the complaint data says, who holds the number blocks, and how the code compares with the one it shares its area with.
Frequently asked about 252
What state is area code 252?
North Carolina.
Is a call from 252 a scam?
Not by itself. 252 drew 933 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 51st of 422 ranked codes – mid-pack or lower. Spam callers spoof caller IDs, so the only useful check is the full number.
Which carrier owns 252 numbers?
Brightspeed holds the largest share of assigned number blocks at 29.8%. The rest is spread across 3 other carriers. This is share of number blocks, not of subscribers – people keep their numbers when they switch carriers.
Do I need to dial 10 digits in 252?
No. NANPA records 252 as 7-digit dialing for local calls.
Sources and verification
- NANPA – NPA Database (npa_report.csv), file date 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- NANPA – CO Code Assignment Records, All States (utilized), file updated 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- FTC – Do Not Call Reported Calls Data, 25 daily files 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
NANPA dialing note for this code: “7D”. Reviewed by the data desk. Spotted an error? Request a correction.