Skip to content
Before You Call Back

Area code 502

Area code 502 serves Kentucky, including Louisville, Frankfort and Bardstown (Eastern time). It has been in service since January 1, 1947 and shares its area with 761.

Numbers starting with 502 drew 5,197 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 1,715 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 502 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
Kentucky(louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area) and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Eastern
In service since
January 1, 1947
Overlay
Same area as 761
Local calls
Dial 7 digits
Exchanges in use
735 of 792held by 52 carriers
Projected to run out
4Q 2029NANPA forecast 2026.2, relief planning under way

Complaints about 502 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 502. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

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

5,197

FCC complaints since November 2023

1,715

Different 502 numbers reported

6,250

FCC complaints naming a 502 number, by month

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

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 202343
December 202315
January 202417
February 202412
March 202421
April 202419
May 202433
June 202430
July 202415
August 202412
September 202422
October 202430
November 202442
December 202432
January 202549
February 202544
March 202531
April 202577
May 202529
June 202544
July 202526
August 202558
September 202555
October 20251
November 202516
December 202556
January 202688
February 202652
March 202682
April 2026135
May 202688
June 202686
July 202666
August 202663
September 202698
October 202669

What people said 502 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 3,781 of 5,197 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other2,298
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)1,104
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends780
Medical and prescriptions165
Dropped call or no message127
Warranties and protection plans62

Most reported 502 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 502

NANPA lists 36 rate centers for 502. 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.
  • Louisville400
  • Frankfort41
  • Bardstown28
  • La Grange24
  • Rose Terrace22
  • Georgetown18
  • Shelbyville18
  • Lawrenceburg16
  • Carrollton12
  • Taylorsville11
  • Shepherdsville10
  • Owenton9
  • Zoneton8
  • Bagdad7
  • Bedford7
  • Bloomfield7
  • Lebanon Junction7
  • Campbellsburg6
  • Eminence6
  • Milton6
  • Mount Eden6
  • New Haven6
  • Simpsonville6
  • Sulphur6
Show all 36 rate centers

West Point, Chaplin, Ghent, Mount Washington, New Liberty, Port Royal, Cropper, Finchville, Sadieville, Waddy, Stamping Ground, Xxxxxxxxxx.

Phone companies holding 502 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 69% 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 52 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 Tel189
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - GA87
Powertel Kentucky Licenses, Inc.55
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - KY53
Onvoy, LLC - KY52
Level 3 Communications, LLC - KY36
Metropcs, Inc.33
Paetec Itel, LLC29

When today's 502 exchanges were assigned

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

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200117
200266
20039
20043
200515
200612
200713
20088
20094
20102
20117
201223
20138
20149
201512
201613
20178
20183
20197
20209
202130
202216
202324
202420
202516
20268

Check a 502 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 Kentucky

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