How to Port Out Your Verizon Number: Transfer PIN, Account Number & Timeline

The port runs on details from your Verizon account. On a standard monthly (postpaid) account, only the Account Owner or an Account Manager can generate the transfer PIN. If you're not sure what kind of line you're moving, check the number's line type first — some destinations, Google Voice included, accept only mobile numbers.

Have these ready before you sign up with the new provider:

• Your Verizon account number — at the top of your paper bill, or at the top of your Profile page in My Verizon.
• A Number Transfer PIN — a code you generate just for porting. It is not your account PIN or security code, and most carriers specifically ask for the transfer PIN.
• The account holder's name and billing address, exactly as Verizon has them. Small differences are a common reason ports get rejected.

First, turn off Number Lock if it's on. It's Verizon's free protection against unauthorized ports, and a locked line can't generate a transfer PIN or port out. Switch it off under Security → Number Lock in the My Verizon app or website, or by dialing *611. On Verizon Prepaid, wait 15 minutes after turning it off before generating the PIN.

Then generate the PIN. It expires after 7 days, so create it when you're ready to start the port. Share it only with your new provider — Verizon says it never asks you for your PIN or account number. If you get a PIN or transfer message you didn't request, dial *611 right away.

Ways to generate it:

• My Verizon app or website: sign in, open the Number Transfer PIN page, and select Generate PIN.
• Dial #PORT (#7678) from the smartphone that has the number you're moving, then open the text link Verizon sends to generate the PIN in the My Verizon app.
• If you can't use the app or website — or the option doesn't appear for a prepaid line — call Verizon customer service at 800-922-0204 or visit a Verizon store.
• Verizon Business accounts: the Primary Contact or an Administrator generates the PIN in My Business Wireless. To move 10 or more lines at once, call 1-800-922-0204.

Your new provider starts the port, not Verizon. When you sign up, choose to keep (transfer) your existing number and enter your Verizon details. The new provider contacts Verizon, moves the number, and has the Verizon line disconnected — the port itself is what ends that line.

Don't cancel Verizon first. Verizon says that if you disconnect the line before the move, you'll have to reactivate the number before the new provider can transfer it — and a number left disconnected can eventually be reassigned to someone else. The FCC gives the same advice: don't end service with your current company before starting with the new one.

The full sequence:

• Check what you still owe on the line (see below) and turn off Number Lock.
• Generate your Number Transfer PIN and copy your account number.
• Sign up with the new carrier or app and choose to transfer your number.
• Enter the account number, PIN, account holder name, and billing address exactly as they appear on your Verizon bill. One PIN covers the whole account, so if you're moving only some lines, list exactly which ones.
• Keep using your Verizon phone until the new provider confirms the port is complete.
• If you moved your last phone line, cancel any connected lines left on the account — smartwatch, tablet, hotspot — so their charges stop.

FCC rules require simple ports — generally a single line with no complex switching changes — to be processed within one business day. Between mobile carriers it is often faster: the FCC notes you may be able to use your phone on the new carrier within a few hours.

Moves into internet-based (VoIP) services and business phone apps can take longer — from several business days to a few weeks, depending on the provider, which will give you an estimated port date. Your Verizon service keeps working in the meantime. If your PIN expires before the request is submitted, simply generate a new one.

Verizon doesn't charge a fee to move your number out, and under FCC rules it can't refuse to release your number because you owe money. But what you owe doesn't go away, and porting ends the line, which can trigger these charges:

• Device payments: any remaining device payment balance has to be paid off.
• Early termination fee: possible if the line has a minimum contract term you haven't completed.
• Promotional discounts: if you accepted an optional monthly discount with a minimum term, leaving early voids it, and you repay the discounts received so far (capped at a rolling maximum of 6 months).
• Final bill: your Verizon account stays open until your last line has moved and a final bill is issued.

If a port fails, your new provider tells you the reason. Correct that detail and have the provider resubmit the request. The usual causes:

• Expired PIN: a Number Transfer PIN is only valid for 7 days. Generate a new one.
• Wrong kind of PIN: your account PIN or security code won't work — use the Number Transfer PIN.
• Name or address mismatch: enter the account holder's name and billing address exactly as they appear on your Verizon bill.
• Wrong account number: copy it from the top of your bill or from your My Verizon profile.
• Number Lock still on: turn it off in My Verizon or by dialing *611, then resubmit.
• Line already cancelled: Verizon requires the number to be reactivated before it can be moved.

Once you have your PIN, the destination is up to you:

• Another mobile carrier — the most common move, and usually the fastest kind of port.
• Google Voice — it accepts US mobile numbers, so a Verizon mobile line qualifies. Our Google Voice porting guide covers the fee and the steps.
• A business phone app — if customers already know this number, moving it into a business phone service keeps it reachable and lets a team share its calls and texts. Because these apps run over the internet, some ask you to turn off iMessage and FaceTime (iPhone) or RCS chat (Android) before the port so incoming texts don't get stuck.