Area code
Area code 803 — Columbia, SC
South Carolina · in service since 1947
Area code 803 covers Columbia, SC. It is an overlay: 839 serves the same area, so neighbors can have different area codes.
Overlay, same area: 839
Local time in Columbia
Spam reports from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Average #132 of 461 codes
630 FTC complaints
Consumer reports, not verified by the FTC.
See the reports- Time zoneEastern Time
- Local calls10 digits
- Prefixes800 assigned
- Runs out~1Q 2046
- Unwanted call?Block & report
Spam call reports about 803 numbers
Complaints by week
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026Show as table
| Week starting | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Sep 7 (3 days) | 61 |
| Sep 14 | 203 |
| Sep 21 | 209 |
| Sep 28 | 144 |
| Oct 5 | 127 |
| Oct 12 | 153 |
| Oct 19 (4 days) | 105 |
Compared with all codes
- Robocalls
- 73%all codes 75%
- Callers with the same code
- 53%all codes 35%
- Rank by complaints
- #132of 461 · middle half
- FCC complaints, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
- 12823 about text messages
What the calls were about
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| Subject | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends | 232 23% | |
| Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans) | 184 18% | |
| Medical & prescriptions | 77 8% | |
| Dropped call or no message | 62 6% | |
| Home improvement & cleaning | 38 4% | |
| Warranties & protection plans | 18 2% |
Where the people who complained live
Sep 11 – Oct 22, 2026
| State | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 579 58% | |
| Florida | 40 4% | |
| California | 37 4% | |
| Georgia | 33 3% | |
| North Carolina | 33 3% |
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 803 location and prefixes
| Exchange (NANPA) | Place | County | Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLUMBIA | Columbia | spans 2 counties | 252 |
| ROCK HILL | Rock Hill | York County | 42 |
| ORANGEBURG | Orangeburg | Orangeburg County | 38 |
| AIKEN | Aiken | Aiken County | 32 |
| NO AUGUSTA | North Augusta | spans 2 counties | 25 |
| SUMTER | Sumter | Sumter County | 20 |
| CAMDEN | Camden | Kershaw County | 19 |
| LANCASTER | Lancaster | Lancaster County | 16 |
| BARNWELL | Barnwell | Barnwell County | 15 |
| NEWBERRY | Newberry | Newberry County | 15 |
Plus 72 smaller exchange areas.
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026; places: U.S. Census Bureau, matched by DialWhere (how).
NANPA record
- Location
- South Carolina
- Assigned by NANPA
- 1947
- Local dialing
- 10 digits (NANPA: 10D)
- NANPA planning letters
- PL-520
Source: NANPA, NPA database of Oct 24, 2026.
Is 803 running out of numbers?
Previous forecast (October 2025): 2043, moved later by 3 years.
Forecast exhaust year by edition
Source: NANPA NRUF forecast, April 2026 edition.
Who holds 803 prefixes
The five largest of 55 original holders
As listed by NANPA, not today’s carrier.
| Holder (as listed) | Prefixes | |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Bell Tel & Tel | 175 22% | |
| Verizon Wireless | 111 14% | |
| New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC | 80 10% | |
| T-Mobile USA | 44 6% | |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 40 5% |
Source: NANPA CO codes of Oct 23, 2026.
Questions about area code 803
What area code is 803?
A South Carolina area code, in service since 1947.
Where is 803 area code, and what time zone is it in?
Columbia, SC; Eastern Time.
Why am I getting spam calls from 803?
630 FTC complaints from Sep 23 – Oct 22, 2026, most often about impostors (not verified by the FTC; caller ID can be spoofed).
Will 803 get a new area code?
NANPA forecasts exhaust in 1Q 2046; no relief planning listed.