988 Approved for US National Suicide Prevention Hotline - Mandatory 10-Digit Local Dialing Required for all US Area Codes

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted 988 as a new number for connecting callers to the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline in the United States. Starting July 16, 2022, all providers must implement mandatory 10-digit local dialing nationwide, which will require consumers to dial 10 digits (area code + telephone number) instead of the current 7-digit dialing for local calls. The change is already required for Twilio customers, who have always supported 10-digit dialing. Non-Twilio providers must also implement the mandatory 10-digit dialing, which will affect consumers in certain area codes across the US. Callers can dial 988 after July 16, 2022, to be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.