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Area code 956

Area code 956 serves Texas, including Laredo, Brownsville and Mcallen (Central time). It has been in service since July 7, 1997.

Numbers starting with 956 drew 1,376 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 559 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 956 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
TexasMcallen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Time zone
Central
In service since
July 7, 1997Created from 210
Overlay
None: the only code for its area
Local calls
Dial 7 digits
Exchanges in use
735 of 792held by 48 carriers
Projected to run out
2Q 2029NANPA forecast 2026.2, relief planning under way

Complaints about 956 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 956. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

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

1,376

FCC complaints since November 2023

559

Different 956 numbers reported

1,828

FCC complaints naming a 956 number, by month

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

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 202310
December 20236
January 20245
February 20246
March 20244
April 20249
May 20248
June 20246
July 202410
August 202411
September 202410
October 202411
November 20248
December 202411
January 20256
February 202511
March 20255
April 20257
May 202511
June 20257
July 20259
August 20256
September 20258
October 20251
November 20253
December 20255
January 20265
February 20267
March 20267
April 20268
May 20265
June 2026174
July 2026104
August 202614
September 202622
October 202614

What people said 956 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 878 of 1,376 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Other636
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)254
Dropped call or no message153
Medical and prescriptions103
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends96
Warranties and protection plans16

Places served by 956

NANPA lists 35 rate centers for 956. 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.
  • Laredo122
  • Brownsville105
  • Mcallen103
  • Harlingen86
  • Edinburg53
  • Mission43
  • Weslaco36
  • Pharr33
  • Rio Grande City16
  • San Benito12
  • Los Fresnos11
  • Roma11
  • Donna10
  • Mercedes10
  • Raymondville10
  • Zapata10
  • Dolores9
  • Port Isabel8
  • Edcouch6
  • La Feria5
  • Encinal4
  • Lyford4
  • Rio Hondo4
  • Falcon Heights3
Show all 35 rate centers

Sullivan City, El Sauz, Hargill, Lasara, Mccook, San Isidro, San Perlita, Santa Rosa, Stillman, Falcon Exchange, Port Mansfield.

Phone companies holding 956 exchanges

Each exchange (the three digits after the area code) is assigned to one carrier. 81% 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
Southwestern Bell145
Stpcs Joint Venture, LLC143
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - IL130
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - TX44
Onvoy, LLC - TX43
Metropcs, Inc.26
Twc IP Enabled Services, LLC19
Bandwidth.com CLEC, LLC - TX18

When today's 956 exchanges were assigned

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

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200132
200234
200318
20048
20057
200616
200745
200821
20095
201017
201116
20126
201314
201424
201522
201617
201713
20185
201916
202026
202125
202221
202317
202420
202518
202613

Check a 956 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 Texas

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