Short answer: You can keep your business phone numbers when you switch to VoIP. Federal rules require your current carrier to release them. A simple single-line port is required to complete within one business day once an accurate request is accepted; multi-line business ports usually take about 5 to 10 business days. Most delays come from paperwork that doesn’t match the old account exactly.
Porting is moving a phone number from one provider to another without changing the number. Your customers keep dialing the same number; it simply rings on your new phone system. The FCC requires carriers, including interconnected VoIP providers, to port numbers when a customer asks, and a carrier can’t refuse a valid port request because you owe a final bill or are switching to a competitor.
| Type of port | Typical timeline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Simple port (one line, no special features) | 1 business day after the request is accepted | Required by FCC rule 47 CFR 52.35. Requests received between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time can activate that night. |
| Multi-line business port | About 5–10 business days | Not covered by the one-day rule. Includes main numbers, hunt groups and direct lines on one account. |
| Toll-free numbers (800, 888, etc.) | Varies by carrier | Moved through a separate “RespOrg” process, not local porting. |
| Rejected and resubmitted port | Adds several days per rejection | The clock restarts after each correction. |
| Rejection reason | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Name or address doesn’t match the carrier’s records | Copy both exactly from the bill, including suite and spelling of the business name. |
| Wrong account number | Some carriers use a different account number for porting than the one on the bill. Call them and ask for the “porting account number.” |
| Missing or wrong PIN | Request a port-out PIN from the carrier before submitting. |
| Port freeze or port protection on the account | Ask the carrier to lift it for the numbers being moved. |
| Partial port without naming the remaining main number | If you keep some lines with the old carrier, tell the new provider which number becomes the new billing number. |
| DSL or other services on the line | Plan internet replacement first; moving the number can disconnect services that ride on that copper line. |
Fax machines can move to fax-to-email, or keep working through an analog adapter (ATA) on the new system. Alarm panels, elevator phones and some card terminals often need a cellular communicator or dedicated line instead; check with the equipment vendor before porting those numbers. If you are moving off an AT&T copper line, see our guide to the AT&T landline shutdown in California.
We collect your bill and LOA, check the details against the carrier’s records before submitting, build and test your new system before the port date, and schedule the cutover so your phones keep ringing. If a port is rejected, we fix the details and resubmit. Book a call or call 310-444-1500.
No. Carriers must honor a valid port request. They can reject a request with wrong information, but they can’t block the port because you are leaving or have an unpaid balance.
Usually not. Your old service keeps working until the moment the numbers move, and the new system is already set up, so the switch takes minutes.
Yes. Wireless-to-VoIP ports are allowed. You will need the wireless account number and port-out PIN.
Yes, that’s a partial port. Tell the new provider which number stays on the old account as its main billing number.
No. Wait until every number has moved and been tested. Canceling early can release your numbers.
