North American Numbering Plan (NANP)

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What is the North American Numbering Plan (NANP)?

The NANP is a shared numbing system used by Canada, the United States, a majority of Caribbean regions, and U.S. territories in the Pacific.

NANP country codes

All NANP regions share country code “+1”.

Within country code “+1”, 3 digit area codes designate the region that the call is being placed to.

This area code can be used to call to a specific region or a country within the NANP.

How NANP phone numbers work

NANP phone numbers are ten digits.

The first three digits represent an area code, while the remaining seven digits represent the local phone number within the area code.

The three digits of the area code can also represent different countries – area code 242 represents the Bahamas, while area code 473 represents Grenada.

Calling within a NANP region

Local calling

Ten-digit method

three-digit numberseven-digit number
area / regional codelocal phone number

Seven digit method

seven-digit number
local phone number

A local phone call can be made by dialing either a 7 or 10 digit (7 digits plus 3 for the area code) number. In some cases (high-density areas and regions with overlapping area codes), the ten digit number has to be dialed.

Long distance calling

1three digitsseven digit number
long distance trunk codearea / regional codelocal phone number

A long distance phone call can be dialed by dialing 1 + three digit area code + seven digit local number.

Calling from one NANP region to another

1three digitsseven digits
NANP trunk numberarea / regional codelocal phone number

Calling between two NANP countries is done the same way as dialing a long distance call in Canada or the United States – 1 + three digit area code + seven digit local number.

It is important to note that international rates will be billed when calling to an area code assigned to a different country. For many users in Canada and the United States, rates between these two countries are often very competitive; however when calling to the Caribbean or U.S. territories in the Pacific, rates can be very expensive.

Calling to a NANP region from outside of the NANP

exit code1three digit numberseven-digit number
International dialing code of the country you are dialing fromNANP country codearea / region code within the NANPlocal phone number within the area code

When calling to a NANP region from a region outside of the NANP, first dial your region’s international dialing code, followed by the country code ‘1’ followed by the ten digits of the local phone number.

Calling from an NANP region to outside of the NANP

011one to three digitslocal number
NANP exit codedestination country codephone number within the destination region

When calling from the NANP, first dial ‘011’ as the exit code, followed by the destination country code and the local phone number.

How is the NANP administered?

The NANP is administered by NANPA (North American Numbering Plan Administration).

NANPA administers NANP numbering resources, and individual country regulatory authorities manage those resources within their jurisdictions.

The NANPA administration is assigned through the U.S.’s FCC and is managed through a private contractor.

More on how the NANP is administered can be found on the NANPA website on “about NANPA.”

Regions of the NANP

North America

Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Bermuda
  • Cayman Islands
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Grenada
  • Jamaica
  • Montserrat
  • Puerto Rico
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Sint Maarten
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Virgin Islands (United States)
  • Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)

Pacific Ocean

  • American Samoa
  • Guam
  • Northern Mariana Islands