The 555 area code is a myth. There is no geographical location, city, or state in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP)—which covers the US, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean—that uses 555 as a valid area code.
Instead, 555 is technically a non-geographic exchange prefix used in the seven-digit portion of a phone number (i.e., (555) 555-XXXX). However, its widespread recognition comes from Hollywood, where it has been reserved for fictional use to protect real people from receiving prank calls.
This article explores the true purpose of the 555 exchange prefix, clarifies which 555 numbers are real, and explains why it’s the most famous fake number in television and film history.
The True Status of the 555 Exchange Prefix
While search engines often treat “555 area code” as a query for a location, the number 555 is not an Area Code (NPA). It is a Central Office Code (NXX), the three digits that follow the Area Code.
- The Fictional Range (The Hollywood Standard)
The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) reserves a small block of 555 numbers specifically for media use.
- Reserved for Fiction: 555-0100 through 555-0199 are the only numbers officially designated for entertainment and advertising purposes. These 100 numbers guarantee that anyone who dials them will reach a non-working number.
- Purpose: This restriction was enforced after numerous incidents where viewers of TV shows and movies called real phone numbers shown on screen, leading to harassment and lawsuits for the actual number holders.
- The Real, Assigned 555 Numbers
While most 555 numbers are fictional, a few numbers outside the 555-01XX block are, or have been, genuinely reserved for special non-geographic purposes across North America.
| Actual 555 Number | Status | Purpose |
| 555-1212 | Active | National Directory Assistance (though rarely used today due to smartphones). |
| 555-4334 | Reserved | Assigned for national use by a telecommunications service. |
| 555-XXXX (All others) | Reserved | The vast majority of the 555-XXXX block was briefly made available in the 1990s for nationwide information services but was largely returned to NANPA inventory due to lack of public adoption. |
Key Takeaway: If you see any number in a movie that begins with an area code followed by 555-01XX (e.g., 212-555-0123), it is fake. However, if a call somehow appears on your phone from a 555 number, it is almost certainly a spoofed or fraudulent call, as the general public is not assigned these numbers.
Why 555 Became the Standard in Film and TV
The choice of 555 as the fictional number prefix is rooted in the early days of telephony.
Legacy of Named Exchanges
Before the use of all-digit dialing, phone numbers began with two letters representing a central office name (e.g., KLondike 5-XXXX).
- The numbers ’55’ on the dial correspond to the letters J, K, L. Few major American cities had telephone exchanges beginning with these letters.
- Because the JKL prefix (which translates to 55X) was rarely used for actual customer lines, telephone companies began reserving the 555 exchange for internal use only (such as directory assistance). This made it the perfect “safe” number for media producers starting in the 1960s.
Iconic Fictional Numbers
The 555 prefix has been featured in some of the most recognizable phone numbers in pop culture history:
- Ghostbusters: (212) 555-2368
- The Rockford Files: (area code) 555-2368
- The Simpsons (Mr. Plow): (area code) 555-3226
- Bruce Almighty: The infamous real number that caused problems was later changed to 555-0123 for DVD and TV releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I get a call from an area code that starts with 555, should I answer?
You should never answer a call from a number that uses 555 as the area code (e.g., 555-123-4567). Area codes in the NANP cannot start with 555. Any such call is using a fictitious or invalid number and should be treated as a scam.
Are there any countries outside of North America that use 555?
Yes, but in different contexts. In New Zealand, for instance, the free mobile number *555 is used to report road incidents. Outside of the NANP, the number sequence is not typically reserved for fiction, which is why Hollywood must work to localize numbers for international releases.
What should I do if a movie uses a non-555 number?
If a movie uses a phone number that falls outside the reserved 555-0100 through 555-0199 range (e.g., the Ghostbusters number 555-2368, which predates the strict guidelines), it could technically be assigned to a real person. However, due to public awareness, few people call them. If you see a number that is not a 555 number and is not obscured, it is often a mistake or an intentionally non-functional number using an invalid area code (like the fictional 311 in The Italian Job).
