South Carolina area codes
South Carolina uses 6 area codes. The oldest is 803, in service since 1947; the newest is 821, from 2024. Across them 2,767 of 4,716 possible number blocks are allocated, 58.7% of capacity. 803, 864 and 843 are at or past 95%, which is why new numbers there come from overlays rather than the original code. AT&T holds 30.5% of the 2,767 assigned blocks across the state, ahead of Verizon at 12.4%; a further 16.2% sits with CLEC and VoIP holders outside the national carriers. In the 33 days to 30 October 2026, FTC complaints named a South Carolina caller ID 2,166 times – 1.0% of all complaints in the window, most often 803 with 669 (148th of 422 nationally). NANPA records 374 rate centers across the state's codes, and local calls take all ten digits.
All 6 codes
| Code | In service | Blocks used | Largest holder | Complaints | Shares area with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 803 | 1947 | 784/786 | AT&T 34.1% | 669 | 839 |
| 821 | 2024 | 42/786 | AT&T 57.1% | 8 | 864 |
| 839 | 2020 | 192/786 | AT&T 34.4% | 226 | 803 |
| 843 | 1998 | 783/786 | AT&T 26.6% | 571 | 854 |
| 854 | 2015 | 182/786 | Other CLEC / VoIP 34.1% | 117 | 843 |
| 864 | 1995 | 784/786 | AT&T 32.5% | 575 | 821 |
Block share is share of allocated number blocks, not of subscribers. Complaint counts cover 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 and reflect spoofed caller IDs as much as real calls.
How full South Carolina’s codes are
A code holds at most 786 blocks of 10,000 numbers each. When a code fills up, the administrator does not reclaim numbers – it adds an overlay, and from then on new numbers in the same area come from the new code.
Full or nearly full
Who holds the number blocks
Counted from every assigned block in the state: 2,767 blocks, each with the holder NANPA recorded for it. Percentages are measured, not estimated.
| Holder | Blocks | Share of South Carolina | Largest in |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | 845 | 30.5% | 5 codes |
| Other CLEC / VoIP | 447 | 16.2% | 1 code |
| Verizon | 342 | 12.4% | – |
| T-Mobile | 246 | 8.9% | – |
| Windstream | 200 | 7.2% | – |
| Onvoy | 175 | 6.3% | – |
| Lumen | 123 | 4.4% | – |
| Charter | 111 | 4% | – |
| Frontier | 91 | 3.3% | – |
| Bandwidth | 64 | 2.3% | – |
| Brightspeed | 38 | 1.4% | – |
| Spok | 29 | 1% | – |
“Other CLEC / VoIP” is not one company: it is every holder outside the national carriers counted together, which is what resellers and app-based numbers look like in the records. This is allocation, not subscribers.
Spam complaints naming South Carolina codes
FTC Do Not Call complaints where the caller ID shown was a South Carolina number, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026 (33 days). Caller IDs on spam calls are routinely faked, so these are complaints about the code, not calls proven to come from it.
How South Carolina got its codes
1 in the 1940s, 2 in the 1990s, 1 in the 2010s, 2 in the 2020s. Each code after the first was split off from or overlaid on one already in service.
- 1947 803 goes into service.
- 1995 864 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 803.
- 1998 843 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 803.
- 2015 854 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 843.
- 2020 839 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 803.
- 2024 821 goes into service, split from or overlaid on 864.
Time zones
South Carolina is in Eastern time.
Frequently asked about South Carolina area codes
How many area codes does South Carolina have?
6 in service. They are 803, 821, 839, 843, 854 and 864.
What is the oldest area code in South Carolina?
803, in service since 1947. Every later code in the state was split off from or overlaid on an existing one.
What is the newest area code in South Carolina?
821, from 2024, overlaying 864.
Is South Carolina running out of numbers?
803, 864 and 843 are at or past 95% of capacity, but NANPA has not opened relief planning for them, so no new code is announced.
What time zone is South Carolina in?
Eastern time.
Which South Carolina area code gets the most spam complaints?
803 – 669 FTC complaints in the 33 days to 30 October 2026, 148th of 422 codes nationally. Those are complaints about the caller ID shown, and spam callers routinely fake a local-looking number, so this says the code is imitated often, not that the calls come from there.
Which carrier holds the most South Carolina numbers?
AT&T, with 30.5% of the 2,767 blocks assigned across South Carolina, ahead of Other CLEC / VoIP at 16.2%. This is allocation of blocks by the numbering administrator, not a count of subscribers – people keep their numbers when they switch carriers.
Do you have to dial 10 digits in South Carolina?
Yes. Every code in the state is in an overlay or ten-digit dialing area, so a local call needs the area code too. Dialing seven digits reaches a recording, not a wrong number.
Sources and verification
- NANPA – NPA Database (npa_report.csv), file date 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- NANPA – CO Code Assignment Records, All States (utilized), file updated 11/01/2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
- FTC – Do Not Call Reported Calls Data, 28 Sep – 30 Oct 2026, retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Figures on this page are counted from those files, not copied from other sites. Spotted an error? Request a correction. How we collect and check: methodology.