911 (emergency telephone number)

This article is about the North American emergency telephone number. For the emergency telephone number in the Philippines, see 911 (Philippines). For emergency telephone numbers generally, see Emergency telephone number.

911, sometimes written 9-1-1, is an emergency telephone number in Canada and the United States,[2] one of eight N11 codes of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Like other emergency numbers, dialing 911 for purposes other than reporting an emergency is a crime in most jurisdictions. Penalties for abuse or misuse of 911 can range from probation or community service to fines and jail time. Offenders can also be ordered to undergo counseling and have their use of telephones restricted or suspended for a period of time as a condition of probation.

Dialing 911 from any telephone will link the caller to an emergency dispatch office—called a public safety answering point (PSAP) by the telecommunications industry—which can send emergency responders to the caller's location in an emergency. In approximately 96 percent of the United States, the enhanced 911 system automatically pairs caller numbers with a physical address.[3]

As of 2017, a 911 system is in use in Mexico, and Argentina where any implementation in different states and municipalities is being conducted. Venezuela also has a 911 emergency service called VEN911. As of 2025, it has been in operation for almost 12 years.[4]

  1. ^ "911, 108 and 112 are the world's standard emergency numbers, ITU decides". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  2. ^ "911 and E911 Services | Federal Communications Commission". www.fcc.gov. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "9-1-1 Service". Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  4. ^ Escobar, Rosanny (November 22, 2022). "VEN 9-1-1 arriba a sus 9 años de creación – Ven 911". Ven 911 (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
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