A ringback number is a number that you call that will immediately ring the telephone from which it was called.
In most instances you must call the ringback number, quickly hang up the phone for just a short moment and then let up on the switch, you will then go back off hook and hear a different tone. You may then hang up. You will be called back seconds later. On some systems, you will have to press a button or flash hook again before the final hang up.
Ringback Number Lists
An 'x' in this list of ringback numbers means that you must insert those numbers from the phone number from which you are calling.
A '?' in this list means that the number varies from switch to switch in the area, or changes from time to time. Try all possible combinations.
If the ringback number for your NPA is not listed, try common ones such as 114, 951-xxx-xxxx, 954, 957 and 958. Also, try using the ringback numbers listed for other NPA's served by your telephone company.
Note: These geographic areas are for reference purposes only. Ringback numbers may vary from switch to switch within the same city.
Ringback Numbers in the United States
NPA Ringback number Approximate Geographic area
| 201 | 55?-xxxx | Hackensack, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, NJ |
| 202 | 958-xxxx | District of Columbia |
| 203 | 99?-xxxx | CT |
| 206 | 571-xxxx | WA |
| 207 | 981-xxxx | ME |
| 208 | 59X-xxxx | ID |
| 208 | 99xxx-xxxx | ID |
| 210 | 211-8849-xxxx | Brownsville, Laredo, San Antonio, TX (GTE) |
| 213 | xxx-xxxx | Los Angeles, CA (GTE 2EAX, DMS100, and GTD-5 witches) |
| 213 | 117-xxxx | Los Angeles, CA (GTE 5ESS switches) |
| 213 | 195-xxxx | Los Angeles, CA (GTE 1AESS switches) |
| 214 | 971-xxxx | Dallas, TX |
| 215 | 811-xxxx | Philadelphia, PA |
| 216 | 551-xxxx | Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Lorain, Youngstown, OH |
| 219 | 571-xxx-xxxx | Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, Southbend, IN |
| 219 | 777-xxx-xxxx | Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, Southbend, IN |
| 281 | 234-xxxx | Houston, TX |
| 301 | 579-xxxx | Hagerstown, Rockville, MD |
| 301 | 958-xxxx | Hagerstown, Rockville, MD |
| 303 | 99x-xxxx | Grand Junction, CO |
| 304 | 998-xxxx | WV |
| 305 | 999-xxxx | Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Miami, FL |
| 312 | 511-xxxx | Chicago, IL |
| 312 | 511-xxx-xxxx | Chicago, IL |
| 312 | 57?-xxxx | Chicago, IL |
| 313 | 116-xxx-xxxx | Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Detroit, MI (GTE) |
| 313 | 951-xxxx | Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Detroit, MI |
| 315 | 98x-xxxx | Syracuse, Utica, NY |
| 317 | 777-xxxx | Indianapolis, Kokomo, IN |
| 317 | xxx-xxxx | Indianapolis, Kokomo, IN (y=3rd digit of phone number) |
| 319 | 79x-xxxx | Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa |
| 334 | 901-xxxx | Montgomery, AL |
| 401 | 98?-xxxx | RI |
| 404 | 450-xxxx | Atlanta, GA |
| 407 | 988-xxxx | Orlando, West Palm Beach, FL |
| 408 | 470-xxxx | San Jose, CA |
| 408 | 580-xxxx | San Jose, CA |
| 412 | 985-xxxx | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 413 | 1983-xxxx | Pittsfield, Springfield, MA |
| 414 | 977-xxxx | Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Racine, WI |
| 414 | 978-xxxx | Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Racine, WI |
| 415 | 350-xxxx | San Francisco, CA |
| 417 | 551-xxxx | Joplin, Springfield, MO |
| 501 | 221-xxxx | Ft. Smith, AR (646 prefix) |
| 501 | 221-xxx-xxxx | AR |
| 501 | 780-xxxx | Ft. Smith, AR (452 prefix) |
| 502 | 988 | Frankfort, Louisville, Paducah, Shelbyville, KY |
| 503 | 541-XXXX | OR |
| 504 | 99x-xxxx | Baton Rouge, New Orleans, LA |
| 504 | 9988776655 | Baton Rouge, New Orleans, LA |
| 505 | 59?-xxxx | New Mexico |
| 512 | 95X-xxxx | Austin, TX |
| 513 | 951-xxxx | Cincinnati, Dayton, OH |
| 513 | 955-xxxx | Cincinnati, Dayton, OH |
| 513 | 99?-xxxx | Cincinnati, Dayton, OH (X=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 or 9) |
| 515 | 559-XXXX | Des Moines, IA |
| 516 | 660-xxxx | Hempstead, Long Island, NY |
| 516 | 660-xxx-xxxx | Hempstead, Long Island, NY |
| 517 | 116-xxx-xxxx | Bay City, Jackson, Lansing, MI (GTE) |
| 520 | 594-xxxx | AZ |
| 601 | 777-xxxx | MS |
| 603 | 981-xxxx | NH |
| 609 | 55?-xxxx | Atlantic City, Camden, Trenton, Vineland, NJ |
| 610 | 811-xxxx | Allentown, Reading, PA |
| 612 | 511 | Mineapolis, St.Paul, MN |
| 612 | 999-xxx-xxxx | Minneapolis, St.Paul, MN |
| 614 | 998-xxxx | Columbus, Steubenville, OH |
| 615 | 920-XXXX | Chatanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, TN |
| 615 | 930-xxxx | Chatanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, TN |
| 616 | 116-xxx-xxxx | Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, MI (GTE) |
| 616 | 946-xxxx | Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, MI |
| 619 | 331-xxxx | San Diego, CA |
| 619 | 332-xxxx | San Diego, CA |
| 659 | 981-XXXX | Newmarket, NH |
| 703 | 511-xxx-xxxx | VA |
| 703 | 958-xxxx | Alexandria, Arlington, Roanoke, VA |
| 708 | 511-xxxx | Chicago, Elgin, IL |
| 713 | 234-xxxx | Houston, TX |
| 714 | 231-xxxx | Los Angeles, CA |
| 714 | 330? | Anaheim, CA (GTE) |
| 714 | 33?-xxxx | Anaheim, CA (PacBell) |
| 716 | 981-xxxx | Rochester, NY (Rochester Tel) |
| 718 | 660-xxxx | Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, NY |
| 719 | 99x-xxxx | Colorado Springs, Leadville, Pueblo, CO |
| 801 | 938-xxxx | Utah |
| 801 | 939-xxxx | Utah |
| 802 | 987-xxxx | Vermont |
| 804 | 260 | Charlottesville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, VA |
| 805 | 114 | Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 805 | 980-xxxx | Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 810 | 116-xxx-xxxx | Pontiac, Southfield, Troy, MI (GTE) |
| 810 | 951-xxx-xxxx | Pontiac, Southfield, Troy, MI |
| 813 | 711 | Ft. Meyers, St. Petersburg, Tampa, FL |
| 817 | 971 | Ft. Worth, Waco, TX (Flashhook, then 2#) |
| 818 | 915?-xxxx | Pasadena, CA |
| 832 | 234-xxxx | Houston, TX |
| 864 | 999-xxx-xxxx | Greenville, Spartanburg, SC |
| 906 | 116-xxx-xxxx | Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, MI (GTE) |
| 906 | 951-xxx-xxxx | Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, MI |
| 908 | 55?-xxxx | New Brunswick, NJ |
| 908 | 953 | New Brunswick, NJ |
| 913 | 951-xxxx | Lawrence, Salina, Topeka, KS |
| 914 | 660-xxxx-xxxx | Peekskill, Poughkeepsie, Wite Plains, Yonkers, NY |
International Ringback Numbers
| Canada: | ||
| 204 | 590-xxx-xxxx | Manitoba |
| 403 | 999-xxx-xxxx | Alberta, Yukon, and N.W. Territories |
| 416 | 57x-xxxx | Toronto, Ontario |
| 416 | 99x-xxxx | Toronto, Ontario |
| 416 | 999-xxx-xxxx | Toronto, Ontario |
| 506 | 572+xxx-xxxx | New Brunswick |
| 514 | 320-xxx-xxxx | Montreal, Quebec |
| 519 | 999-xxx-xxxx | London, Ontario |
| 604 | 311-xxx-xxxx | British Columbia |
| 604 | 871-xxx-xxxx | British Columbia |
| 613 | 999-xxx-xxxx | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 705 | 999-xxx-xxxx | North Bay, Saulte Ste. Marie, Ontario |
| 819 | 320-xxx-xxxx | Quebec |
| 902 | 575-xxx-xxxx | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 905 | 999-xxx-xxxx | Hamilton, Mississauga, Niagra Falls, Ontario |
| Argentina: | ||
| 115 | ||
| Australia: | ||
| 199 | ||
| 12722 199 | Telstra | |
| 12723 12 | Optus | |
| Brazil: | ||
| 109 | ||
| France: | ||
| 3644 | ||
| India: | ||
| 161 | ||
| Malaysia: | ||
| 196 | ||
| New Zealand: | ||
| 137 | ||
| Sweden: | ||
| 0058 | ||
| United Kingdom: | ||
| 174 or 1744 or 175 or 0500-89-0011 or 17070 + 1 | ||
| The Netherlands: | ||
| 99-xxxxxx | ||
| 0196 | Amsterdam | |
| 0123456789 | Hilversum | |
| 0123456789 | Breukelen | |
| 951 | Groningen | |
SC
Would like to point out that for British Columbia (on Telus network), it is actually simply xxx-xxx-xxxx (own area code+phone number) wait for a beep and hang up. Before 10 digit dialing it was xxx-xxxx (phone number), During the transition dialing your own 7 digit number would get you the reminder to dial the area code for future calls then the call would proceed to a beep and hanging up would get the phone to ring.
Nathaniel
576-xxxx (where xxxx is the last digits of your phone number) is used in the Austin, MN Area.
CarlB
+1-areacode-999-xxxx appears to be a regular ‘phone exchange in +1-613 (Ottawa – Bell Canada), +1-705 (Barrie – Iristel) and +1-905 (Telus/Clearnet mobile – Pickering/Ajax) according to http://cnac.ca/data/ac705.htm and http://cnac.ca/data/ac905.htm
I’d suspect that many obscure local test numbers which *used* to work have been scrapped over the last several years and replaced with the semi-standard 958-xxxx (local) and 959-xxxx (long distance) “plant test” exchanges, so as to reclaim entire 10000-block exchange prefixes like 320- or 999- for use as ordinary ‘phone exchanges as available 10000-blocks of unused numbers become increasingly scarce due to inefficient allocation schemes (any small town of a few thousand people may well have a block of 10000 numbers allocated to an incumbent carrier and additional block of 10000 numbers allocated to competitors solely for use in number-porting schemes… a lot of wasted numbers)