Area codes that are not in service.
348, 497 and 111 look like area codes, and people get calls that show them. None is in service anywhere in the North American Numbering Plan. Here is what each one is, why a phone can display a code that does not exist, and how to check any code yourself.
- 348: never assigned
- 497: reserved
- 111: not a valid code
348, 497 and 111
- 01348 — never assignedNANPA lists 348 as a valid code that has never been given to any area. It could become a future area code, but today no number in the US, Canada or the Caribbean starts with 348.
- 02497 — reservedCodes with 9 as the middle digit are held back for a future expansion of the numbering plan, and NANPA lists 497 as one of these expansion codes. It is not assigned to any area and is not available as an ordinary area code.
- 03111 — not a valid codeAn area code cannot begin with 0 or 1: a leading 0 reaches the operator and a leading 1 starts a long-distance or ten-digit call. So 111 can never be an area code.
Why your phone can show a code that does not exist
- Spoofed caller IDCaller ID is a field the calling system fills in. A robocall operation can put any digits there, including a code that has never existed, and the call can come from anywhere.
- An international number missing its plus signA number from outside North America can look like an area code when the country code is hidden or misread. Italian mobile numbers, for example, begin with 3 after the +39 country code, so +39 348… is an Italian mobile, not a 348 area code.
Other codes that are not in service
Checked against NANPA’s area code report dated October 19, 2026. A code can be assigned at any time, so the report is the place to confirm one before relying on it.
- Never assigned247, 282, 328, 338, 342, 348, 439, 454, 467, 486, 489, 632, 642, 648, 654, 745, 749, 827, 834 and 953 are valid codes that have not been given to any area.
- Reserved373, 426, 583 and 687 are reserved, and 392, 497, 594, 596, 695, 793 and 892 are expansion codes — every code with 9 as its middle digit is held back the same way.
- Not a valid format105, 111, 116, 117, 140, 173 and 176 begin with 0 or 1, which no area code can.
- Assigned, but not a place500 and the other 5XX codes — 529, 532 and 566 among them — are in service for non-geographic personal communications numbers. They place a caller nowhere.
How to check whether an area code is real
NANPA, which administers North American numbers, publishes the status of every three-digit code in its area code reports. A code in service there has a location and an in-service date; a code like 348 has neither.
The area code guides on this site cover the codes we have written up, and the newest US area codes tracks every code that went into service this year. For the rules behind the digits — why nothing starts with 0 or 1, and why a middle 9 is held back — see NPA-NXX explained.
Area codes not in service: FAQ
Is 348 a real area code?
No. 348 has never been assigned. NANPA lists it as available for a future area code, but no number in the US, Canada or the Caribbean starts with 348 today.
Is 497 a real area code?
No. 497 is reserved as an expansion code — one of the codes with 9 as the middle digit that NANPA holds back for a future expansion of the numbering plan. It is not assigned to any area.
Is 111 an area code?
No. North American area codes cannot begin with 0 or 1, so 111 is not a valid area code.
Why did I get a call from a 348 number?
Either the caller ID was spoofed — filled in with digits that belong to nobody — or an international number is being shown without its country code. An Italian mobile, for example, reads +39 3… .
Should I call back a number whose area code does not exist?
No. If the caller ID was spoofed, the number belongs to someone else or to nobody, and an international number can be charged at international rates. If the call claimed to be your bank or a government office, call them on a number you already trust.
How can I check whether an area code is real?
NANPA, which administers North American numbers, publishes the status of every three-digit code in its area code reports. A code in service has a location and an in-service date; a code like 348 has neither.
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