What Happens If You Call 911 by Mistake?

In 1987, only 50 percent of the U.S. population had access to 911, the universal emergency assistance line that had been championed by lawmakers and telephone operators since the 1960s. By 2000, the coverage was up to 93 percent. Today, so long as you have a cell or landline phone, you should be able to ring for urgent help when there’s been an accident, crime, or injury.

But sometimes, 911 calls happen by mistake. In Lewis County, Washington, it’s estimated that 20 percent of the calls received are dialed unintentionally. So what if you dial 911 by mistake? What happens? Are there consequences?

1. What to Do if You Call 911 by Mistake
2. Can You Get into Legal Trouble for Accidentally Calling 911?
3. When to Call 911
4. How to Prevent Accidental 911 Calls

What to Do if You Call 911 by Mistake

As it turns out, 911 misdials are often the result of so-called “butt dials” (inadvertent calls owing to a phone being activated while in someone’s pocket), children dialing it without supervision, or triggering a phone’s emergency service shortcuts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Emergency Medical Services, which houses the National 911 Program, it doesn’t really matter how the mistake was made. If you dial 911, you should never, ever hang up. If you do, the 911 operator will have to assume an emergency is in progress and will either dispatch first responders to your location, try to call you back, or both.

Instead, remain on the line and tell the operator that dialing 911 was an accident. By reassuring the call center there’s no emergency, it’s likely you can avoid a welfare check by police.

Suppose you hang up. What then? There’s no hard and fast rule about whether a dispatcher can trace your call to a physical address or whether a certain number of rings is required.

It’s possible your cell carrier may only be able to pinpoint your location to within 300 yards. Updated 911 systems might employ device-based hybrid location accuracy, or DBH, which is what ride-sharing apps like Uber use. (Landline phones, which are normally registered to physical addresses, are a bit easier to track.) It’s best to assume you’ll get a visit; however, you should therefore explain yourself.

(Obviously, the easier you are to find in a real emergency, the better. If you’re curious whether your local emergency services provider has your correct physical address, you can always try contacting their non-emergency number by searching for your city or county online. You’ll also want to make sure your house number is visible from the street both during the day and at night.)

Can You Get into Legal Trouble for Accidentally Calling 911?

Mistakes happen, and it’s highly unlikely any local government is going to legally pursue a resident for accidentally phoning 911. If you intentionally dial 911 and make a false report of a crime or emergency, however, you can expect to have a very real problem on your hands.

Many states have laws prohibiting prank calls. California, for example, considers a false emergency report to be a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of $1000. If prosecutors believe the person knew that injury or death could occur while responding to the false report, it becomes a felony.

When to Call 911

It’s fairly easy to identify a situation in which you might need to phone 911. According to the National 911 Program, it’s when a person needs immediate assistance from the police, fire department, or ambulance. If you’re unsure, just call—and be sure to tell them your name and callback number, your location, and the type of emergency at hand. The dispatcher can advise on whether to proceed with a first responder or whether the issue can be addressed another way.

Reasons to Dial Emergency Services

• You see smoke
• You see a fire
• You’ve witnessed or were in a car accident
• You need to report a reckless driver
• You’ve witnessed (or been the victim of) a crime or suspicious activity
• You or someone nearby are having a medical emergency

Smoke, fire, car accidents, crime, and other emergencies usually indicate that urgent assistance is needed. Some people, however, may pause when it comes to medical issues. Again, the best thing to do is call, but the situation is likely to be urgent if anyone is experiencing the following symptoms [PDF]:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Rapid heart rate
• Mental confusion or unconsciousness
• Heavy bleeding
• Trouble speaking
• Broken bones
• Severe headache
• Drownings
• Drug overdoses
• Seizures
• Allergic reactions

Regardless of the severity of the medical problem, calling 911 might be best if moving the person would result in further injury; the condition is likely to worsen while driving to a hospital; or the person needs assistance that could only be provided by a paramedic.

For non-urgent situations—like general questions or minor complaints—dial your local police station’s non-emergency number.

How to Prevent Accidental 911 Calls

Years ago, iPhones introduced an Emergency SOS function that allows users to speed up 911 service by bypassing the phone app and dialing. Instead, they could tap the power button five times or hold down other buttons (like volume), which would create a countdown and then a call to emergency services.

This function isn’t a default setting: It needs to be set up on an iPhone. If you did that and no longer want it activated, you can use the Settings to get to Emergency SOS. Then, disable both Call with Hold and Release and Call With 5 Button Presses.

If you have children, it’s also a good idea to lock your phone with a password to prevent them from dialing by accident. 911 calls can also be placed by kids playing with old, unused phones on the presumption that, without a calling plan, they can’t make outgoing calls. They can’t—but 911 is usually the lone exception. If you give a kid a used phone to make pretend calls with, be sure to take out the battery first.

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