The seven toll-free codes
Toll-free numbers start with one of seven codes, and the codes are not interchangeable: the same seven digits after 800 and after 888 reach two different subscribers. The dates each code entered service come from NANPA's area code database.
| Code | In service since | FTC reports | FCC complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | January 1, 1966 | 3,215 | 2,641 |
| 833 | June 3, 2017 | 27,850 | 11,768 |
| 844 | December 7, 2013 | 15,387 | 6,583 |
| 855 | October 9, 2010 | 18,931 | 9,067 |
| 866 | July 29, 2000 | 20,707 | 8,935 |
| 877 | April 4, 1998 | 21,595 | 10,681 |
| 888 | March 1, 1996 | 19,056 | 8,527 |
FTC: reports published August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026. FCC: complaints filed since November 1, 2023 naming the number as caller ID or call-back number.
FTC reports naming a toll-free number, by code
Reports published August 14, 2026 to November 11, 2026, with the number of different numbers reported.
Show as a table
| Code | FTC reports |
|---|---|
| 833 (19106 numbers) | 27,850 |
| 877 (11159 numbers) | 21,595 |
| 866 (9929 numbers) | 20,707 |
| 888 (10151 numbers) | 19,056 |
| 855 (9888 numbers) | 18,931 |
| 844 (9157 numbers) | 15,387 |
| 800 (1530 numbers) | 3,215 |
Who holds a toll-free number
The FCC assigns most toll-free numbers first come, first served. Businesses reserve them through companies called Responsible Organizations (RespOrgs), which Somos, Inc., the administrator of the toll-free database, certifies. The FCC is not involved in assigning numbers, cannot access the database, and cannot give you any information about a number's status.
To find the RespOrg behind a number, the FCC points to the Somos help desk: 1-844-HEY-SOMOS (1-844-439-7666) or somos.com/find-a-toll-free-number. Some 833 numbers were sold at an FCC auction; otherwise, selling a toll-free number (“number brokering”) is illegal.
Does calling back cost anything?
From a landline, no: toll-free numbers can be dialed with no charge to the caller. From a mobile phone, you may pay for the airtime minutes unless your plan has unlimited calling.
Toll-free numbers can also carry pay-per-call services in limited cases, such as some directory services or services you subscribed to. You must hear an introductory message first, and you are not charged if you hang up during or at the end of it. A toll-free call cannot connect you automatically to a 900 number or call you back collect, and your phone company cannot cut off your service for refusing to pay disputed 800 or 900 charges.
Calls and texts from toll-free numbers
A toll-free number on your caller ID can be spoofed like any other. The FCC even names displaying a business's toll-free call-back number as a legitimate use of caller ID changes. Toll-free numbers can also send and receive texts if they are text-enabled.
One rule works in your favor: when a prerecorded telemarketing message is left on your voicemail, it must give a toll-free number that connects you to an automated opt-out and adds your number to the caller's do-not-call list. More on what robocalls must include: are robocalls illegal?