You can text 311 in a handful of U.S. cities, but there is no nationwide system and no single number. Each participating city runs its own text line with its own short code or keyword, so whether texting works where you live depends entirely on your local government. If your city doesn’t offer it, phone, app, and web options are still available.
Cities That Let You Text 311
A few cities currently accept non-emergency service requests by text. The number you use is different in each one:
- New York City: text 311-692, available 24/7.
- Chicago: text the keyword CHICAGO to short code 311311 to reach an automated menu for service requests and alerts.1City of Chicago. ChiTEXT Overview
- Minneapolis: text 311TXT or 311898 with a short description of what you need, any time of day.2City of Minneapolis. Texting 311
- Mobile, Alabama: uses a platform called TextMyGov. Text “Hi” to 251-220-2122 to start.
These are examples, not an exhaustive national roster. Cities add text capability as they upgrade their systems, so the list grows over time.
How to Find Out If Your City Participates
If your city isn’t named above, that doesn’t automatically mean texting is unavailable. Search your city’s name along with “311 text,” or go straight to the official municipal website and look for the 311 or customer service page. The city will post the correct number, keyword, or short code there. Numbers vary enough that guessing is a bad idea, since a wrong short code may reach a commercial service rather than your local government.
Smaller cities and rural areas often don’t operate a 311 system at all. If dialing 3-1-1 from your phone returns a “number not in service” message, text 311 almost certainly isn’t an option there either.
What a Text to 311 Can and Can’t Do
Even where it works, texting 311 has real limits worth understanding before you rely on it.
Standard text messages are short, so you can’t send a detailed paragraph the way you could through a web form. Most text-based 311 systems run on menus or keyword prompts rather than free-form conversation, which makes them best for straightforward requests like reporting a pothole or asking about trash pickup.
Photos and video are another limitation. City apps and websites almost always let you upload images, but text lines may not accept picture messages. If what you’re reporting really needs a photo (property damage, illegal dumping, a downed sign), the app or web portal is usually the better route.
Location is the third issue. A 311 app can pull your phone’s GPS coordinates automatically; a text message generally can’t. You’ll need to type out the full address or the nearest cross streets yourself, and getting that right matters because it determines which crew gets dispatched.
Other Ways to Reach 311 If Texting Isn’t an Option
Texting is just one channel. Every city with a 311 program offers at least one of the following, and most offer several:
- Phone. Dialing 3-1-1 from a landline or cell phone in a participating city connects you to a live representative. This is the most widely available option and the best fit for anything that needs back-and-forth conversation.
- Mobile apps. Many cities publish dedicated 311 apps that let you submit a request, attach a photo, tag the location by GPS, and track status. These tend to be the most full-featured channel.
- Web portals. Municipal websites typically host an online 311 form that works around the clock. Good for longer descriptions or attached documents.
- Social media. Some cities take 311-type requests through their official accounts, though response times and formality vary.
Phone calls and apps usually get the fastest response because they create a formal service request in the city’s tracking system. Social media messages sometimes slip through the cracks.
If your city has no 311 program at all, call the main city or county administrative line listed on the municipal website, or contact the relevant department (often public works or the city manager’s office) directly. The function is the same, just without the centralized number.
Save Text for Non-Emergencies
Whatever channel you use, 311 is only for non-emergency matters: potholes, bulk trash pickup, broken streetlights, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, questions about city programs and permits.3NYC311. Service Requests The FCC designated 311 as the abbreviated dialing code for non-emergency government services in 1997 specifically to keep routine requests off emergency lines.4Federal Communications Commission. Use of N11 Codes and Other Abbreviated Dialing Arrangements
If someone is hurt, a crime is in progress, there’s a fire, or anything threatens life or property, call 911 instead. A workable rule: if it can wait until tomorrow morning without anyone getting harmed, it’s a 311 issue. If it can’t, it’s 911.