New Area Code Starts Now

Starting Saturday, all phone calls will need to use 10 digits as the new 820 area code joins the 805.

While the 820 area code as available this past June, the mandatory dialing rules will take effect on June 2. 

The California Public Utilities Commission states cellphone users will have to dial the area code and phone number for all calls going forward. Anyone using a landline will need to dial “1” then the area code and number before making a call.

The 805 area code was forecasted to use up all its available prefixes by the 4th quarter of 2017. Adding a new area code to the 805 area code region provides additional prefixes and ensure new telephone numbers are available for the new customers.  The telecommunications service providers proposed to add the new area code using the overlay method.

Current 805 area code customers will keep their current phone number. 

The 805 area code was introduced when it was split off of the 213 area code in June 1957. The 805 area code was split again when the 661 area code was split off in 1999.

The area served by the 805 area code includes small portions of Monterey and Kern Counties and most of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.  The 805 area code serves the cities of Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo County; Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Solvang in Santa Barbara County; Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura in Ventura County.

The 805 area code is bordered on the north by the 831 area code; to the east by the 559 area code and the 661 area code, to southeast by the 747/818 area code overlay complex, and to the south by the 310/424 area code overlay complex.

Past Articles

• November 2, 2017: New 820 Area Code to Start in December