Landline checker: is this a landline or a cell phone?
Free landline checker. Enter a number and see whether it is a landline, a mobile or a VoIP line, which carrier it is on, and whether it is valid, from live carrier data. Nothing is sent to the number.
Why you can't tell a landline by looking at the number
US phone numbers do not carry their line type in the digits. The same area code and prefix can hold landlines, cell phones and VoIP numbers, and number portability lets people move a number from a landline carrier to a wireless one and keep it.
The only reliable answer to "is this a landline" is the carrier record for that exact number. That is what this checker reads.
Why sales and marketing teams check for landlines
- SMS campaigns: landlines cannot receive texts, so every landline left on a texting list is a wasted send.
- Dialer routing: separate landlines from mobiles so each goes to the right campaign.
- Compliance review: calling and texting rules can differ for wireless and landline numbers, so knowing the line type is a step in reviewing your process with counsel.
- Lead quality: see at a glance whether a web lead gave a cell phone, a landline or a VoIP number.
Upload a CSV. Get back every number marked mobile, landline, VoIP or toll-free, valid or dead, with carrier.
Start 7-day free trial →To remove landlines from a list, see the landline scrubber. Also see the carrier lookup, phone number verification and VoIP number detection.
Questions
How can I tell if a number is a landline?
Not from the number itself. Area codes and prefixes are shared by landlines, cell phones and VoIP lines, and people can port a landline number to a mobile carrier. A landline checker reads live carrier data for that exact number and returns its line type.
Is this landline checker free?
Yes, up to the 10 free numbers every visitor gets on TrueSearch for Business. You enter your email once. After that, a 7-day free trial covers 250 numbers, then plans start at $97/month for 5,000 numbers.
Can a landline receive text messages?
Standard landlines cannot receive SMS. Texts sent to them do not arrive as texts, which is why SMS lists should keep mobile numbers only.
What other line types can it return?
Mobile, landline, VoIP or toll-free, along with the carrier and whether the number is valid. If the carrier does not report a line type, the result says so.
Does it call or text the number?
No. Nothing is sent to the number. The check reads carrier data only.
Does it check the Do Not Call registry?
No. TrueSearch checks validity, line type and carrier only. To check Do Not Call status, use the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov.
Can I check a whole list for landlines?
Yes. Start a 7-day free trial, upload a CSV or Excel file, and every number comes back marked mobile, landline, VoIP or toll-free, with carrier and validity, in about 30 seconds per 1,000 numbers. There is also a REST API.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. TrueSearch for Business checks validity, line type and carrier from licensed telecom data. It does not check the National Do Not Call Registry, state DNC lists or the FCC Reassigned Numbers Database. Not a consumer reporting agency; not for FCRA purposes.