01243 Area Code — Chichester, Bognor Regis & Emsworth

01243 is the UK dialling code for Chichester in West Sussex, also serving Bognor Regis, Emsworth and Westergate, allocated by Ofcom under the National Telephone Numbering Plan. Our database has tracked 167 distinct 01243 numbers across 289 public lookups.

Quick facts

About the 01243 dialling code

01243 is the UK geographic dialling code for Chichester, allocated by Ofcom under the National Telephone Numbering Plan. It is used by landlines — and increasingly VoIP lines — registered to the Chichester area.

A full Chichester number is normally written as 01243 XXXXXX. You can dial the local part on its own from within the same area, or the full number from anywhere in the UK.

Because of UK number portability and internet calling, a 01243 number no longer guarantees the caller is physically in Chichester. Fraudsters also "spoof" local codes like 01243 so an unknown call looks like a nearby business or neighbour — so treat an unexpected call on what is actually said, not on the area code alone.

Map of the 01243 dialling area

The marker shows Chichester; the shaded circle is an approximate indication of the area the 01243 code serves — exact Ofcom charging-area boundaries are irregular and don't follow a neat radius.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. View larger map

Areas typically served by 01243

Settlements in and around the Chichester dialling area that typically use 01243 numbers. Approximate — Ofcom charging-area boundaries don't follow town or county lines exactly, and properties near a boundary may take a neighbouring code.

Calling 01243 from abroad

From outside the UK, dial your international access prefix, then the UK country code 44, then 1243 (the area code without its leading zero) and the local number.

History of the 01243 code

The code was 0243 until PhONEday, 16 April 1995, when a "1" was inserted after the leading zero to create 01243.

In the letter-dialling era the code had the mnemonic CH3 — on an old rotary dial, the letters CH (from Chichester) sat on the same holes as the digits 243, so subscribers literally dialled the start of the town's name.

Top searched 01243 numbers

These are the 01243 numbers most-looked-up by visitors to our number checker. Click any number to see its full lookup page with risk-level, range holder, and community reports.

Is a call from 01243 safe?

Most 01243 calls are ordinary local calls from Chichester homes and businesses. The main risk to be aware of is "neighbour spoofing", where a scammer fakes a local 01243 prefix so you are more likely to answer. Never share bank details, passwords or one-time security codes with an unexpected caller, even when the number looks local — hang up and call the organisation back on a number you have verified yourself.

To call a 01243 (Chichester) number from outside the UK, drop the leading zero and dial +44 1243 followed by the local number.

Operators serving Chichester

These UK communications providers have been allocated 01243 number blocks by Ofcom. The number of blocks per operator gives a rough sense of how widely each provider serves this area.

Ofcom number ranges on 01243

Ofcom's National Numbering Plan lists 388 number blocks under 01243, of which 222 are allocated to 111 communications providers. The first allocated blocks are shown below — look up any full number with the number checker to see its exact range holder.

Showing 12 of 222 allocated blocks. Source: Ofcom telephone numbering data, updated weekly.

Common scam patterns reported in Chichester

Categories most-commonly tagged on user-submitted reports for 01243 numbers in our community comments.

• silent — 2 reports

How to block and report 01243 spam calls

Block or report 01243

• You can block 01243 directly from your recent-calls list on iPhone or Android, and forward scam texts free to 7726.
• Scam or fraud calls should be reported to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040) or Police Scotland (101); persistent marketing calls to the ICO / TPS.

Full step-by-step instructions for every phone, network-level blocking and all UK reporting routes are in our guide: How to block and report unwanted calls in the UK.

Frequently asked questions about the 01243 code

Neighbouring dialling codes

Codes covering areas around Chichester — useful when a caller is nearby but outside the 01243 boundary.

Living in or moving to Chichester?

Our free postcode reports cover house prices, crime, broadband and schools for the districts around Chichester.

Check another UK number

Have the full 10- or 11-digit number? The UK Phone Number Checker shows the Ofcom range holder, risk level, and any community reports for that specific number.