904 meet 324: Jacksonville area assigned new area code. Here's what you need to know.

A new 324 area code has been announced to serve the same geographic boundaries as the 904 area code, including Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Fernandina Beach, Orange Park and surrounding communities.

Approved last month by the Florida Public Service Commission, the new area code overlay will extend the area's current supply of telephone numbers.

Existing customers will keep their current telephone numbers. But new customers, or requests for additional lines, may be assigned the new 324 area code.

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Ten-digit dialing will now be required to make local calls (the area code plus the seven-digit phone number).

"As Florida’s 4th originally assigned area code, the 904 area code has a long history of adapting to Florida’s growth," said PSC Chairman Andrew Fay. "This approved relief was the first of its kind for Jacksonville as the 324 area code overlay is designed to meet the increased demand for new numbers in this thriving area.”

Phone numbers in Florida and throughout the United States are governed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. In October 2021, NANPA forecasted a need for 904 area code relief.

An industry meeting was held in January 2022, and NANPA filed a petition with the PSC in February 2022 favoring the "all-services distributed overlay plan." PSC staff held a virtual public workshop on March 23, 2022, to educate and receive input from affected customers.

For more information about area codes, residents can call the PSC's customer assistance line at 1-800-342-3552, contact their local telephone carrier for additional assistance or visit www.floridapsc.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New area code 324 assigned to Jacksonville, Florida area