By October 24, 2021, all local calls in four Missouri area codes, including 660, must dial the entire 10-digit number when making phone calls. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered that the 660, 314, 417, and 816 area codes be transitioned to 10-digit dialing to prevent problems with reaching the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline using the three-digit 988 code.

No telephone numbers in the affected area codes will change, only the method of calling. Dialers will not need to dial a 1 before the area for local calls.

The change went into effect on April 24, 2021, but will become mandatory by October 24. After this deadline, local calls dialed with only seven digits may not be allowed, and a recording will inform the dialer that the call cannot be completed as dialed.

On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted an Order (FCC 20-100) approving the designation of 988 as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, requiring all telecommunications carriers, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and one-way VoIP providers (covered providers) to make any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial 988 to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) starting July 16, 2022.

In the area codes where the 988 is an assigned, working prefix, local calls will have to be dialed using all 10-digits of the phone number. This applies to all calls within the four affected area codes that are currently dialed with seven digits.

There are 37 states and 83 area codes that are impacted by this Order where the 988 prefix is a working prefix and has seven-digit local dialing.

Any 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 811 or 911 services may still be reached by dialing their three-digit codes. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) even after the 988 code goes into effect.

A total of 40 counties in north central Missouri, including Howard, use the 660 area code. It was created from the 816 area code and was put into service on October 12, 1997.