101 – Who Runs It, What It Costs & Is It Safe?

101 — Police non-emergency

101 is run by Police forces of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 101 reaches your local police force for anything that is not an emergency - reporting a crime after the event, giving information, or asking for advice.

Verified against the operator

Checked 13 August 2026

Free • no sign-up

Short code: 101
Type: Short dial code
Operated by: Police forces of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Cost: Free
Category: Emergency and public services
Verified: 13 August 2026

What 101 is for

101 is a national service available 24/7. An automated system locates you and connects you to your local force's control room.

It is also the right number for reporting a scam call or attempted fraud that did not cost you money but that you think the police should know about. If you have lost money, report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (or Police Scotland on 101).

If a crime is in progress, someone is in danger, or a suspect is nearby, call 999 instead.

What it costs

Free. GOV.UK confirms calls to 101 are free, from a landline or a mobile, however long the call lasts.

Call 101 — how it works

Dial 101 from any UK phone. It is free.
If your situation turns out to be an emergency, say so - 101 handlers are trained for both.

Is 101 safe, and is it spoofed?

Calls that display 101 have been reported in scams. The police do not ring from 101, and never ask you to transfer money to a 'safe account'. Hang up and dial 101 yourself.

If a text or call is trying to rush you, threaten you, or get a password, one-time code or payment out of you, it is a scam whatever number it shows. Read our guide to the UK number ranges scammers use and how to spot a smishing text, and forward anything suspicious free to 7726.

Where this came from

We do not guess short codes. Every entry in this directory was checked against the organisation that runs the code, or against gov.uk or the regulator:

Checked against these sources on 13 August 2026. Short codes and their charges do change — if the operator’s page now says something different, believe the operator.

Checking an ordinary number instead

Short codes are not in Ofcom’s numbering data — only full UK numbers are. If it is a normal 01, 02, 03, 07, 08 or 09 number you want to identify, put it into the phone number checker and you will get its type, its area and the provider Ofcom allocated the range to.

Other UK short codes

999 · Emergency services (and emergencySMS by text)105 · Power cut helpline 111 · NHS urgent medical help 116 123 · Samaritans 18000 · Relay UK – emergency calls 18001 · Relay UK – make a relayed call

All verified UK short codes › · UK area codes › · UK network operators ›

101 — frequently asked questions

Is 101 free?

Free. GOV.UK confirms calls to 101 are free, from a landline or a mobile, however long the call lasts.

Who runs 101?

Police forces of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 101 reaches your local police force for anything that is not an emergency - reporting a crime after the event, giving information, or asking for advice. We verified this against the operator's own published information on 13 August 2026; the sources are linked on this page.

Is 101 a scam number?

No. Calls that display 101 have been reported in scams. The police do not ring from 101, and never ask you to transfer money to a 'safe account'. Hang up and dial 101 yourself.

I got a text from a short code I do not recognise – what should I do?

Do not tap any link in it and do not reply unless you are certain who the sender is. If it is marketing from a company you know, replying STOP to the short code shown in the message opts you out free. If it is unsolicited, forward it to 7726 free of charge and delete it - replying to an unknown sender only confirms your number is live.