202 Area Code

What 202 actually covers

202 is the area code of the District of Columbia, the whole of it and nothing beyond it. Every neighbourhood from Georgetown to Anacostia and from Capitol Hill to Takoma dials 202, and so do the federal departments, Congress, the embassies and the courts that sit inside the District's borders.

It does not cover the suburbs. Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax across the Potomac are 703 and 571; Bethesda, Silver Spring and the rest of Montgomery County are 301 and 240; Prince George's County to the east is also 301 and 240. The Pentagon, for example, is in Virginia and answers on 703 numbers. Plenty of "Washington" organisations are physically in the suburbs, so a 202 number is a narrower claim than it sounds.

Since November 2021 the District has shared a second code, 771, as an overlay. Any DC address can be issued either code, and every local call is dialled with ten digits.

How 202 got here

• October 1947: 202 was one of the original area codes, the second numbering plan area created after New Jersey's 201.
• 1947 to 2021: the District kept a single code for 74 years. Along with one other original code, 202 has never been split geographically, because the District's boundaries cannot grow and the whole territory fits in one code.
• April 2021: 771 was approved as an overlay after regulators projected 202 would run out of numbers.
• November 9, 2021: carriers began assigning 771 numbers.

The cultural weight of 202 is unusual. In most cities the original code signals "downtown" or "old money". In Washington it signals proximity to the federal government. To lobbyists, contractors, journalists and foundations a 202 number on a card reads as "inside the District", and to the public a 202 caller ID reads as "the government is calling". That second association is the one scam operations exploit, and it is why 202 is among the most heavily spoofed area codes in the country.

What a real 202 caller usually looks like

• Landline on an established carrier is what you should expect from a federal department, a congressional office, a DC agency, a court, a hospital, a university or an embassy.
• Mobile 202 numbers are common. Cell phones carried 202 for decades before 771 took over most new assignments, so a mobile result on its own is neutral.
• VoIP results deserve a closer look. Many small firms and non-profits in the District use cloud phone systems legitimately, but a VoIP line with an unfamiliar reseller claiming to be a federal agency is the signature of a spoofed call.
• Ported is frequent because people move between the District and the suburbs with their numbers.

One rule is worth stating plainly: federal agencies do not phone you to demand money or personal details, no matter what the caller ID shows. The IRS, the Social Security Administration, Medicare, the FBI, the Marshals Service and the Treasury all say the same thing on their own websites.

Scams that use 202 caller IDs

Government impersonation is the single largest category of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2025 the agency logged more than 330,000 government impersonation complaints, up a quarter on the year before, with reported losses of about $920 million. A 202 caller ID is a standard prop in these calls.

Social Security calls. The most reported government impersonation scam. The caller says your Social Security number has been "suspended" or linked to a crime, or that benefits will stop unless you confirm your number and move money to a "safe" account. Caller ID often shows a genuine SSA number. In 2026 the SSA's Inspector General warned about a variant where a scammer poses as another agency and "transfers" the call to a fake SSA or OIG officer. The SSA never suspends numbers, never threatens arrest and never asks for payment by gift card, wire or cryptocurrency.

IRS and "DC Tax Office" calls. You owe back taxes, the caller says, and must pay within the hour to avoid a warrant. The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail first and does not demand immediate payment by phone, prepaid card or wire.

MPD warrant and jury duty calls. The Metropolitan Police Department has warned repeatedly about callers who replicate real MPD phone numbers, including a district station's published line, claim an arrest warrant was issued for missing jury duty or a court date, and offer to settle it by phone payment. MPD states it never solicits money, bank information or Social Security numbers. The federal district court in DC keeps its own jury scam alert page for the same reason.

Pepco disconnection threats. A caller claims your Pepco bill is overdue and service will be cut within the hour unless you pay by prepaid card or a payment app, sometimes from a number spoofed to match the utility's. Both MPD and the DC Attorney General have issued alerts. Pepco does not demand instant payment by those methods; hang up and call the number on your bill.

"Federal agent" calls. A variant that has grown with AI voice tools: a caller identifying as an agent from the FBI, DEA, Customs or Homeland Security says your identity was used in a crime, a package in your name was intercepted, or you are a witness in an investigation, and that you must move funds to protect them. No federal agency asks the public to transfer money as part of an investigation.

Neighbour spoofing. Robocall operations display a 202 number sharing your first six digits so the call looks like it comes from your building. The number shown usually belongs to an unrelated resident, which is why some 202 numbers collect reports from people who were never actually called by them.

How to check a 202 number

1. Enter the ten-digit number in the panel at the top of this page. The 202 is already filled in.
2. Compare the line type and carrier with what the caller claimed. Federal and District agencies call from established landlines, not VoIP resellers, and mostly they do not call at all.
3. Read the risk level and community reports. Several "scam" or "robocall" reports within days of each other mark a live campaign.
4. Still unsure? Unlock the risk details for the fraud score and abuse history, then contact the agency through the number on its .gov website, never the one the caller gave you.

Where to report a 202 scam call

• DC Attorney General, Office of Consumer Protection: 202-442-9828, [email protected], or the online form at oag.dc.gov/complaint.
• Metropolitan Police Department, Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit: 202-727-4159 or [email protected], for police impersonation and any loss.
• Social Security OIG: oig.ssa.gov/report for Social Security impersonation.
• Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: tigta.gov for IRS impersonation.
• Federal Trade Commission: reportfraud.ftc.gov. Reports feed the complaint data carriers use to block robocallers.
• CallerTracer: report the number on the Who Called Me page or straight from a lookup result. It shows on this page and on every lookup of that number within minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Is 202 only Washington, DC?

Yes. 202 and its overlay 771 cover the District of Columbia and nothing else. Northern Virginia is 703 and 571, and the Maryland suburbs are 301 and 240.

Are new 202 numbers still issued?

Yes, but most new lines since late 2021 come out as 771 because the 202 pool is nearly exhausted. An older office or long-time resident is more likely to hold a 202.

A government agency called me from a 202 number. Is it real?

Almost certainly not, if the call demanded money, a payment method or your Social Security number. Federal agencies write first and do not collect payments by phone. Caller ID can be spoofed to show any number, including an agency's real one. Hang up and call the agency back through its .gov website.

What time zone is 202?

Eastern Time, with daylight saving from March to November. The clock at the top of this page shows the current time in Washington.

Which area codes are next to 202?

771 shares the District. 703 and 571 cover Northern Virginia, 301 and 240 cover the Maryland suburbs on both sides of the District, and 410 and 443 are Baltimore to the north-east.