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Recently, 10-digit dialing became mandatory in New Hampshire, taking effect statewide on Sunday, Oct. 24. This means every NH resident will need to use 10-digit dialing even for local calls. You may be wondering why this is happening and why now? The reason for this change is to prevent issues with reaching the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which will be switching to a 9-8-8 telephone number in July of 2022 from its much longer number of 1-800-273-8255, which is the current telephone number for callers to use when experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Furthermore, any area code that uses the 9-8-8 prefix in telephone numbers will be required to adopt 10-digit local dialing (area code + telephone number), resulting in 82 area codes within 36 states needing to switch to the 10-digit dialing, New Hampshire being one of them. The importance of the change to 9-8-8 is that similar to 9-1-1 for emergencies, 9-8-8 will provide an easy to remember telephone number for individuals to call when they are facing a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide.

The Department of Safety for New Hampshire has made available additional information to help Granite Staters fully understand this change (bit.ly/NHDOS10digitdial) to include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that have been included below (bit.ly/NHDOS10digitdialFAQs):

Why is 10-Digit dialing going to be required?

The FCC ordered that any area code that has the 988 prefix and has 7-digit local dialing be transitioned 10-digit or 1+10-digit local dialing depending on dialing plan to ensure everyone is able to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline using the 3-digit 988 code.

Will I have to change my phone number?

No. One of the reasons for changing to 10-Digit dialing is to avoid the need to change people’s telephone numbers.

What will be the new dialing procedure?

To complete all local calls, you will now need to dial area code + telephone number. This applies to all calls within your area code that are currently dialed with seven digits.

Who will be affected?

Anyone with a telephone number from the ‘603’ area code will need to make a change from 7-digit local dialing to 10-Digits and long distance dialing will require 11-Digits (1 + area code + telephone number).

When will the change begin?

Beginning Oct. 24, 2021, you must dial 10-Digits for local calls and 11-digits for long distance calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only 7 digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must hang up and dial again using the area code and the 7-digit number or 1 + area code and the 7-digit number.

What will you need to do?

In addition to changing your dialing patterns, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment that are programmed to complete calls to 7-digit local numbers will need to be reprogrammed to complete calls to 10-Digits or 1 + 10-Digit numbers. Be sure to check websites, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, your pet ID tags and other such items to ensure the area code is included.

What will remain the same?

Your telephone number, including area code, will not change. The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the dialing change. A local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed. You will continue to dial 1+ area code + telephone number for all long distance calls. You can still dial just three digits to reach 911 (emergency services) or 711 (relay services). Any 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 or 811 services available in your community can still be reached by dialing their three-digit codes.

Where can you get more information?

A Resource Kit with shareable materials is available at nh.gov/nh911. Or visit fcc.gov/suicide-prevention-hotline.

Remember, 9-8-8 will not be available for use until July 2022. To help Granite Staters get connect to resources and support right now, there is an awareness campaign that has been developed and launched specifically for New Hampshire. The I Care NH Initiative is designed to aid people in getting access to the mental health supports and services that they need prior to a time of crisis. This initiative was a collaboration between the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the NH Suicide Prevention Council. As stated on their webpage, “We can all make a difference by taking care of ourselves, reaching out to others, asking questions and listening to the answers, and knowing where to find help in New Hampshire.” You can visit their webpage at www.dhhs.nh.gov/icare/index.htm to find information about mental health and substance use support services, treatment and recovery resources, and crisis services. They also have promotional materials that are shareable and printable for those seeking to raise awareness for supports and services available in the state.

While this change may seem little an unnecessary nuisance, it is a momentary and short-lived inconvenience to the function of daily life. The many benefits and appropriate assistance that will be made available by having a crisis line for mental health emergencies will prove to be a valuable resource for communities throughout the state and the country. Until 9-8-8 goes into effect, if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or you can text TALK to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line.