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Area code 251

Area code 251 serves Alabama, including Mobile, Foley and Atmore (Central time). It has been in service since June 18, 2001.

Numbers starting with 251 drew 1,375 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 550 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 251 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
Alabama(mobile, AL Msa)
Time zone
Central
In service since
June 18, 2001Created from 334
Overlay
None: the only code for its area
Local calls
Dial 10 digitsArea code needed, even next door
Exchanges in use
528 of 792held by 48 carriers
Projected to run out
2Q 2043NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 251 numbers

Reports where the number on the consumer's caller ID (or, for the FCC, the number the caller asked them to call back) starts with 251. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

FTC reports, Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026

1,375

FCC complaints since November 2023

550

Different 251 numbers reported

1,786

FCC complaints naming a 251 number, by month

November 2023 to October 2026. Source: FCC Consumer Complaints Data.

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 202313
December 202313
January 202416
February 202410
March 20246
April 202411
May 202415
June 20245
July 202414
August 20248
September 202414
October 20246
November 202412
December 202411
January 202528
February 202516
March 202521
April 202517
May 202517
June 202518
July 202521
August 202516
September 202522
October 20250
November 202519
December 20256
January 202615
February 20266
March 202620
April 202613
May 202625
June 202625
July 202617
August 202625
September 202624
October 202614

What people said 251 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 951 of 1,375 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other568
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)394
Medical and prescriptions94
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends89
Dropped call or no message86
Warranties and protection plans26

Most reported 251 numbers

Numbers with at least five reports from three or more places in the last twelve months. Many of them are likely spoofed.

Places served by 251

NANPA lists 42 rate centers for 251. A rate center is the town or district a block of numbers is tied to for billing; sorted here by how many exchanges each holds.
  • Mobile233
  • Foley73
  • Atmore16
  • Jackson15
  • Fairhope14
  • Bay Minette13
  • Brewton12
  • Evergreen10
  • Mcintosh10
  • Bellefontaine8
  • Flomaton8
  • Monroeville8
  • Mount Vernon7
  • Citronelle6
  • Beatrice5
  • Finchburg5
  • Grand Bay5
  • Grove Hill5
  • Huxford5
  • Melvin5
  • Peterman5
  • Bayou La Batre4
  • Clear Springs4
  • Coffeeville4
Show all 42 rate centers

Dauphin Island, Excel, Frisco City, Gosport, Irvington Saint Elmo, Pine Apple, Repton, Fowl River, Mccullough, Uriah, Castleberry, Chatom, Gilbertown, Deer Park, Frankville, Fruitdale, Millry, Silas.

Phone companies holding 251 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 75% of these exchanges are pooled: their numbers are handed out in blocks of 1,000 to other carriers, so the holder below is not always the company serving a given number.

Exchanges held, top 8 of 48 carriers

NANPA central office code assignments, file of November 11, 2026.

Show as a table
Carrier (legal name)Exchanges
Bellsouth Telecomm Inc dba South Central Bell Tel87
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - GA72
Onvoy, LLC - AL66
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - AL38
Brightspeed of Southern Alabama29
Eliska Wireless Ventures Subsidiary I, LLC29
Paetec Itel, LLC19
Level 3 Communications, LLC - AL17

When today's 251 exchanges were assigned

Exchanges still assigned, by year of assignment. Exchanges returned since are not counted.

Show as a table
YearExchanges
20019
200220
200314
20049
20056
20067
20079
20089
20096
20107
20112
20124
20132
20144
20155
20167
20175
20189
20199
202021
202142
202227
202315
202415
202525
20263

Check a 251 number

A check shows the carrier and rate center of the number's exchange and every FTC and FCC report about that exact number. Why the number on screen can be fake.

Other area codes in Alabama

NANPA area code database and central office code file of November 11, 2026; FCC complaints November 1, 2023 to November 11, 2026; FTC reports August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. How the data is used.

Official sources (7)Show