555 NUMBERS
Yes it does sound like something from a movie, the 555- number. Unfortunately, there is no way around it. An organization called NANPA ( North American Numbering Plan Administration) determines how phone numbering sequences will be assigned. We have contacted NANPA again this month to fi nd out if the fictional sequences assigned to the media industry has changed; it has not. The range set aside for fictional use by movie and television projects is from 555-0100 through 555-0199. There are NO area codes set aside exclusively for fictional media use. If you would like to learn about a production that did not follow these guidelines and had consequences, visit the resource page of our website and read about the feature film Bruce Almighty (see Library of Articles > Invasion of Privacy section)
First published November, 2012
Updated | December 2021
555 Numbers revisited
As almost 10 years have passed, we contacted NANPA again to find out if the fictional sequence assigned to the media industry has changed. It has not. Here is the most up-to-date policy, straight from the NANPA Help Desk:
“555 line numbers will remain reserved as fictitious, non-working numbers for use by the entertainment and advertising industries. These specific numbers are 555-01XX, i.e., numbers between and including 555-0100 and 555-0199."
To learn about a production that did not adhere to those guidelines and had consequences, visit the “resources” page of our website and read what happened with the feature film Bruce Almighty. There are other articles there on this same phone number topic (“Hold the Phone-That Fake Phone Number Works,” “Howard In Hot Water Again.”). More recently, the Netflix hit series Squid Game got into a phone number mess, this time with a Korean phone number. www.indiewire.com/2021/10/netflix-editing-squid-game-remove-real-phone-number-1234669702/
When we see a phone number in a script, we have to steer you to the 555- numbers. Trust us, it’s for your own good! If the phone number is outside of the U.S. and Canada, we’ll do the research to find out what number you can show AND stay out of trouble.