New 837 Area Code Coming to the California’s 530 Region

TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS®) is reminding customers that a new area code goes into effect Jan. 31, 2025, in parts of the company’s California service area.

For residential and business telephone customers currently served by the 530 area code, a new 837 area code will be added as an overlay. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the change to ensure a continuing supply of new telephone numbers.

An overlay is the addition of another area code (837) to the same geographic region as an existing area code region (530). Starting on Jan. 31, 2025, customers in the 530 area code may be assigned a number in the new 837 area code when they request a new service or an additional line.

Existing phone numbers will not change as a result of this overlay. However, customers will be required to dial the area code and the 7-digit telephone number to complete local calls. The price of local calling, or other rates and services, will not change due to the overlay.

Who is impacted?

The 530 area code includes most of northern and northeastern California, including the following TDS service areas: Anderson, Igo, Platina, and Trinity Center.

It also covers 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 includes 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.

What will remain the same?

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

• 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.
• You will continue to dial 10 digits for local calls within and between the overlay area code, 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 in the overlay region should:

• Continue to dial 10 digits for all local calls, including calls within the same area code.
• Continue to identify your 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, customers, etc.
• Make sure your websites, personal and business stationery, printed checks, advertising materials, contact information, and personal or pet ID tags also include the area code.
• Ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment recognize the new 837 area code as a valid area code and continue to store or program telephone numbers as 10-digit numbers.

Who may you contact with questions?

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please call TDS Telecommunications at 888-CALL-TDS (888-225-5837) or visit www.tdstelecom.com for more information.  You can also visit the CPUC website at www.cpuc.ca.gov.