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Rio Grande Valley

Published on January 1, 2026
✨ AI SUMMARY
New RGV Code Coming Soon: Heads up, RGV/Laredo! Our 'Puro 956' era is nearing its end. The 956 area code is projected to exhaust by early 2027, with a new "Overlay" code expected to be announced this year (2026). You'll keep your current 956 number, but new lines will get the fresh code. Prepare for change!
Enjoy being "Puro 956" while you can... a new area code is coming. 📱

It’s officially 2026, and this might be the last full year that the Rio Grande Valley/Laredo is exclusively "The 956."

According to the latest federal reports (NANPA), the 956 area code is projected to officially exhaust (run out of new numbers) by early 2027.

What this means for us this year: State regulators are expected to announce the new "Overlay" area code sometime in 2026 to prepare for the switch.

If you have a 956 number: You keep it.

After the numbers exhaust you will likely get the new area code (whatever they decide to call it).

If you got a "956" tattoo not sure what to tell you.

There are already threads online predicting the new code could be 449 (unconfirmed!), but we won't know for sure until the state makes the official announcement.

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