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Area code 985

Area code 985 serves Louisiana, including Houma, Hammond and Slidell (Central time). It has been in service since February 12, 2001.

Numbers starting with 985 drew 1,903 reports to the FTC from Aug 14, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026 and 349 complaints to the FCC since November 2023. The number on your screen can be faked, so a 985 number proves nothing about where a call came from.

Location
Louisiana(new Orleans, LA Msa) and (new Orleans-Metairie, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area)
Time zone
Central
In service since
February 12, 2001Created from 504
Overlay
None: the only code for its area
Local calls
Dial 7 digits
Exchanges in use
447 of 792held by 33 carriers
Projected to run out
2Q 2111NANPA forecast 2026.2

Complaints about 985 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 985. These are counts of what people reported; the agencies do not verify them.

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

1,903

FCC complaints since November 2023

349

Different 985 numbers reported

2,124

FCC complaints naming a 985 number, by month

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

Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 20239
December 20234
January 202410
February 20246
March 20248
April 20245
May 20247
June 202412
July 202412
August 202411
September 202411
October 202415
November 20246
December 202415
January 202523
February 202517
March 202525
April 202518
May 202517
June 20259
July 20258
August 202510
September 20257
October 20250
November 20252
December 20252
January 20265
February 20263
March 20264
April 20268
May 20263
June 20267
July 20269
August 20267
September 202614
October 202612

What people said 985 calls were about

Subjects picked in FTC reports, August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. 1,628 of 1,903 reports were robocalls.

Show as a table
SubjectReports
Dropped call or no message936
Other409
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)183
Medical and prescriptions155
Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends83
Warranties and protection plans15

Places served by 985

NANPA lists 45 rate centers for 985. 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.
  • Houma53
  • Hammond44
  • Slidell39
  • Covington32
  • Morgan City25
  • Mandeville23
  • Thibodaux22
  • Laplace16
  • Bogalusa14
  • Larose12
  • Amite City10
  • Franklinton9
  • Raceland9
  • Ponchatoula8
  • Luling7
  • Madisonville7
  • Patterson7
  • Lockport6
  • Norco6
  • Paradis6
  • Dulac5
  • Kentwood5
  • Lacombe5
  • Montegut5
Show all 45 rate centers

Pearl River, Pierre Part, Angie, Chackbay, Folsom, Galliano, Independence, Napoleonville, Pine, Bush, Edgard, Garyville, Gibson, Golden Meadow, Grand Isle, Labadieville, Mount Hermon, Reserve, South Osyka, Leeville, Pearlington.

Phone companies holding 985 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 33 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 Tel107
New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC - GA67
Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless - LA35
Paetec Itel, LLC35
Onvoy, LLC - LA28
Level 3 Communications, LLC - LA24
Voicestream Gsm I, LLC24
Metropcs, Inc.18

When today's 985 exchanges were assigned

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

Show as a table
YearExchanges
200132
200222
200310
200410
20058
20066
20072
20087
20094
20104
20117
20123
20134
20142
20155
201616
20173
20188
20195
20205
202113
202217
20237
20245
20252
20262

Check a 985 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 Louisiana

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