California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco 

SAN FRANCISCO, August 26, 2024 – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) reminds Californians that the new 837 area code will be added as an overlay to the 530 area code region starting January 31, 2025. 

With new telephone numbers in the 530 area code region in high demand, the CPUC in June 2023 approved the implementation of an area code overlay, which adds a second area code to the same geographic region served by the existing 530 area code. The 530 area code serves most of northeastern California, covering all or portions of Alpine, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba counties. It serves communities such as Chico, Davis, El Dorado Hills, Oroville, Paradise, Placerville, Red Bluff, Redding, South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Woodland, and Yuba City, as well as unincorporated areas.  

Starting on January 31, 2025, customers in the 530 area code region may be assigned a number in the new 837 area code when they request new service or an additional line. Customers receiving an 837 area code will be required to dial 1 + the area code and phone number for all local calls, just as customers with telephone numbers from the 530 area code do today. 

Facts

Below are some facts about the 530/837 area code overlay:

• Telephone numbers, including the current area code, will not change.

• The overlay does not affect the price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services.

• What is a local call now will remain a local call.

• Customers in the overlay region will continue to dial 1+10 digits for local calls within and between the overlay area codes, and 1+10 digits for long-distance calls.

• Customers still can dial just three digits to reach 911 and 988, as well as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, or 811 if those are currently available in their community.

How to Prepare

• Customers should continue to identify their telephone number as a 10-digit number (3-digit area code + 7-digit telephone number), and include the area code when giving the number to friends, family, business associates, and others. 

• Customers should ensure their websites, personal and business stationery, printed checks, advertising materials, contact information, and personal or pet ID tags include the area code.

• Customers should ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment recognize the new 837 area code as a valid area code and should continue to store or program telephone numbers as 10-digit numbers.  Some examples include but are not limited to: stored telephone numbers in contact lists in wireless or cordless phones, PBXs, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, medical alert devices, safety alarm security systems and gates, ankle monitors, and/or other similar equipment.  

 For more information, please contact your telephone service provider or visit the CPUC’s website. 

 About the California Public Utilities Commission

The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. Visit www.cpuc.ca.gov for more information.