How to Make 911 Calls With VoIP (and Set Up E911)
You can dial 911 from a VoIP phone, but dispatchers only know where you are if E911 is set up. Here is how to register your address on every number.
You dial 911 on a VoIP phone the same way you would on any other phone, but the call only helps if the dispatcher knows where you are. That depends on E911, the setting that ties a physical address to each of your business phone numbers. A VoIP number isn't wired to a wall jack in one building, so nothing tells the dispatcher where your office is unless someone enters the address. That someone is you.
Telzio's E911 calling lets you register an address for each phone number in the dashboard and update it whenever a location changes.
Key takeaways
- Register an address for every VoIP number before you need it. Telzio stores one address per phone number.
- A second office and every remote employee need their own address, and the address has to change when the location does.
- VoIP phones need power and an internet connection, so keep a charged cell phone as your 911 backup. That is our recommendation, not a feature.
- Federal law sets rules for multi-line phone systems and VoIP providers: direct 911 dialing, an on-site notification, and a dispatchable location.
Can you call 911 from a VoIP phone?
Yes. With Telzio you can dial from desk phones, the mobile app, or the webphone, as long as the device has an internet connection. What changes is how the dispatcher finds you. On a landline, the phone company already knows the address because the line runs to one building. On VoIP, the dispatcher only knows what you registered.
What is E911?
E911, or Enhanced 911, is the US standard that sends a caller's location to emergency dispatchers along with the call. With basic 911, the caller has to tell the operator where they are. That works until the caller doesn't know the address, is visiting a branch for the first time, or can't speak.
For a business, E911 is the difference between a dispatcher reading an address off a screen and a dispatcher asking a frightened employee to describe the building.
Why does E911 matter for every business?
When someone calls 911, the operator usually asks them to confirm their address. A registered E911 address gives the dispatcher a starting point even when the caller can't answer. Here is how that plays out for the most common setups:
| Your setup | Which address to register |
|---|---|
| One office | The office address on every number |
| Several offices | A different address on the numbers used at each office |
| Remote employees | The address where each person works, updated in the dashboard when they move |
Telzio's E911 page says you can register a different address for each phone number and update addresses from the dashboard, so a new branch or a new remote hire is a few clicks, not a support ticket.
How do you set up E911 on Telzio?
Repeat these steps for each phone number:
- Open Plans & Numbers in the Telzio dashboard.
- Click the plan to expand it, then click the phone number.
- Click Enable under E911 Emergency Service.
- Enter the address and click Validate Address.
The E911 support article has the full walkthrough. If you're bringing numbers over from another provider, you can port them to Telzio and update the 911 address for each one afterward. Do it on the day the number goes live, not the week after.
What do Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'S Act require?
Two federal laws shape how business phone systems handle 911. Based on the 911.gov guide to both laws:
Kari's Law says a multi-line phone system must let people dial 911 directly, without a prefix like 9. The system must also send a notification to a central location, such as a front desk or security office, with a callback number and location information. The rules cover systems manufactured, sold, or installed after February 17, 2020.
RAY BAUM'S Act says a dispatchable location must accompany 911 calls on any technology platform. That means a validated street address, plus details like a room or floor number. Interconnected VoIP providers are among those covered, and non-fixed devices must provide a dispatchable location or alternative location information.
Neither law replaces the setup above. Whatever provider you use, check how the location is collected and stored for each number, and test the setup at each office before you rely on it.
Does 911 work during a power or internet outage?
Plan on it not working unless you've prepared. Telzio's service runs over the internet, and desk phones plugged into a standard wall outlet lose power when the building does. Our guide to preventing phone downtime during a power outage recommends an uninterruptible power supply for your network equipment and Power over Ethernet phones connected to a switch on that UPS. It also notes that the Telzio app can keep placing and receiving business calls over cellular data.
That article doesn't cover 911 specifically, so our advice is simple: in an emergency, use a charged cell phone. Keep one at the front desk, and make sure new hires know where it is.
Why are fewer people keeping a landline?
The main reason landlines felt safer was location. The phone company knew which building the line served, so dispatchers could find you quickly.
Most people have stopped weighing that trade. In the second half of 2024, 78.7% of U.S. adults lived in wireless-only households, according to the CDC's National Health Interview Survey (preliminary estimates, released June 2025). The old landline advantage was a fixed address, and E911 gives a VoIP number the same thing as long as you register it.
What is changing with next-generation 911?
911 networks are moving to IP-based systems, usually called Next Generation 911 or NG911. In June 2026 the FCC adopted updated reliability rules for NG911 networks, which took effect on August 10, 2026. The rules apply to the providers that carry 911 traffic to emergency call centers, and they explicitly exclude the providers that originate calls, so there is nothing for your business to configure. Some provisions have compliance dates that the FCC will set later. The part that stays your job is the address on each number.
Get E911 set up across your phone numbers
If you run one office, you can finish the steps above in a single sitting. If you have several offices or remote employees, it helps to decide up front which address belongs on which number. Our team can walk through that with you.
