Area code · Canada
Area code 236 — Vancouver, BC
British Columbia · in service since June 1, 2013
Area code 236 covers all of British Columbia. 250, 604 divide it between them; 257, 672, 778 overlay it as well, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Local time in Vancouver
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Average #296 of 461 codes
282 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zonePacific Time; UTC-7 all year from Nov 1, 2026
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes745 in service
- Runs out~4Q 2031
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 236 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 29 |
| Sep 14 | 59 |
| Sep 21 | 59 |
| Sep 28 | 47 |
| Oct 5 | 34 |
| Oct 12 | 26 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 132 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 89%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 0%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #296of 461 · middle half
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 131 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 203 53% | |
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 33 9% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 3 1% | |
| Other | 135 35% | |
| No subject given | 12 3% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 52 13% | |
| Florida | 44 11% | |
| Texas | 27 7% | |
| Ohio | 18 5% | |
| Illinois | 17 4% |
October 2026 (partial) report · most reported
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC · source
Source: FTC Do Not Call complaints created Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026. They are reported by consumers and are not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed (how we count).
Source: FCC Consumer Complaints data, unwanted calls filed Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026, by caller ID; not verified by the FCC.
Area code 236 location and prefixes
| Exchange (CNAC) | Place | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | Vancouver | 142 |
| Kelowna | Kelowna | 19 |
| Abbotsford | Abbotsford | 16 |
| Victoria | Victoria | 16 |
| New Westminster | New Westminster | 11 |
| Nanaimo | Nanaimo | 10 |
| Richmond | Richmond | 10 |
| Aldergrove | Aldergrove | 9 |
| North Vancouver | North Vancouver | 9 |
| Penticton | Penticton | 9 |
Plus 259 smaller exchange areas.
Source: CNAC, CO code status of Oct 23, 2026.
NANPA record
- Location
- British Columbia
- Assigned by NANPA
- July 28, 2011
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-514, PL-450, PL-428
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 236 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2034, moved earlier by 3 years.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 236 prefixes
The five largest of 17 original holders
As listed by CNAC, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Navigata Communications Limited | 144 19% | |
| Iristel Inc. | 112 15% | |
| Distributel | 66 9% | |
| Telus | 57 8% | |
| Videotron Ltd. | 56 8% |
Source: CNAC, CO code status of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 236
What area code is 236?
A British Columbia area code in Canada, in service since June 1, 2013.
Where is 236 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Vancouver, BC; Pacific Time; UTC-7 all year from Nov 1, 2026.
Why am I getting spam calls from 236?
282 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about debt reduction (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 236 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 4Q 2031; no relief planning listed.