North American Numbering Plan (NANP)

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 number	seven-digit number
area / regional code	local 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

1	three digits	seven digit number
long distance trunk code	area / regional code	local 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

1	three digits	seven digits
NANP trunk number	area / regional code	local 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 code	1	three digit number	seven-digit number
International dialing code of the country you are dialing from	NANP country code	area / region code within the NANP	local 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

011	one to three digits	local number
NANP exit code	destination country code	phone 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

Canada
United States

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

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