Alabama area codes
Alabama uses 7 area codes. The oldest is 205, in service since 1947; the newest is 483, from 2026. Across them 3,270 of 5,502 possible number blocks are allocated, 59.4% of capacity. 256, 205 and 334 are at or past 95%, which is why new numbers there come from overlays rather than the original code. AT&T holds 34.2% of the 3,270 assigned blocks across the state, ahead of Verizon at 10.9%; a further 14.7% sits with CLEC and VoIP holders outside the national carriers. In the 33 days to 30 October 2026, FTC complaints named an Alabama caller ID 3,358 times – 1.5% of all complaints in the window, most often 256 with 1,064 (33rd of 422 nationally). NANPA records 433 rate centers across the state's codes, and local calls take all ten digits.
All 7 codes
| Code | In service | Blocks used | Largest holder | Complaints | Shares area with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | 1947 | 785/786 | AT&T 44.1% | 901 | 659 |
| 251 | 2001 | 528/786 | AT&T 32.8% | 471 | no overlay |
| 256 | 1998 | 786/786 | AT&T 40.7% | 1,064 | 938 |
| 334 | 1995 | 784/786 | AT&T 24.7% | 525 | 483 |
| 483 | 2026 | 14/786 | Other CLEC / VoIP 64.3% | – | 334 |
| 659 | 2019 | 179/786 | Onvoy 38.5% | 256 | 205 |
| 938 | 2010 | 194/786 | AT&T 39.7% | 141 | 256 |
Block share is share of allocated number blocks, not of subscribers. Complaint counts cover 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 and reflect spoofed caller IDs as much as real calls.
How full Alabama’s codes are
A code holds at most 786 blocks of 10,000 numbers each. When a code fills up, the administrator does not reclaim numbers – it adds an overlay, and from then on new numbers in the same area come from the new code.
Full or nearly full
Who holds the number blocks
Counted from every assigned block in the state: 3,270 blocks, each with the holder NANPA recorded for it. Percentages are measured, not estimated.
| Holder | Blocks | Share of Alabama | Largest in |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | 1,119 | 34.2% | 5 codes |
| Other CLEC / VoIP | 481 | 14.7% | 1 code |
| Verizon | 358 | 10.9% | – |
| Onvoy | 285 | 8.7% | 1 code |
| T-Mobile | 239 | 7.3% | – |
| Windstream | 191 | 5.8% | – |
| Lumen | 159 | 4.9% | – |
| Brightspeed | 154 | 4.7% | – |
| Bandwidth | 81 | 2.5% | – |
| Charter | 74 | 2.3% | – |
| Spok | 41 | 1.3% | – |
| Frontier | 22 | 0.7% | – |
“Other CLEC / VoIP” is not one company: it is every holder outside the national carriers counted together, which is what resellers and app-based numbers look like in the records. This is allocation, not subscribers.
Spam complaints naming Alabama codes
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID shown was a Alabama number, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 (33 days). Caller IDs on spam calls are routinely faked, so these are complaints about the code, not calls proven to come from it.
How Alabama got its codes
1 in the 1940s, 2 in the 1990s, 1 in the 2000s, 2 in the 2010s, 1 in the 2020s. Each code after the first was split off from or overlaid on one already in service.
- 1947 205 goes into service.
- 1995 334 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 205.
- 1998 256 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 205.
- 2001 251 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 334.
- 2010 938 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 256.
- 2019 659 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 205.
- 2026 483 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 334.
Time zones
Alabama is in Central time.
Frequently asked about Alabama area codes
How many area codes does Alabama have?
7 in service. They are 205, 251, 256, 334, 483, 659 and 938.
What is the oldest area code in Alabama?
205, in service since 1947. Every later code in the state was split off from or overlaid on an existing one.
What is the newest area code in Alabama?
483, from 2026, overlaying 334.
Is Alabama running out of numbers?
256, 205 and 334 are at or past 95% of capacity, but NANPA has not opened relief planning for them, so no new code is announced.
What time zone is Alabama in?
Central time.
Which Alabama area code gets the most spam complaints?
256 – 1,064 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 33rd of 422 codes nationally. Those are complaints about the caller ID shown, and spam callers routinely fake a local-looking number, so this says the code is imitated often, not that the calls come from there.
Which carrier holds the most Alabama numbers?
AT&T, with 34.2% of the 3,270 blocks assigned across Alabama, ahead of Other CLEC / VoIP at 14.7%. This is allocation of blocks by the numbering administrator, not a count of subscribers – people keep their numbers when they switch carriers.
Do you have to dial 10 digits in Alabama?
Yes. Every code in the state is in an overlay or ten-digit dialing area, so a local call needs the area code too. Dialing seven digits reaches a recording, not a wrong number.
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, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Figures on this page are counted from those files, not copied from other sites. Spotted an error? Request a correction. How we collect and check: methodology.