Starting in three weeks, Metro Detroiters will have to dial 10 digits to complete phone calls.

The change takes effect Oct. 7 and applies to calls made by customers in the 313 area code, the Michigan Public Service Commission said in a press release Tuesday.

Officials said Metro Detroit nearly has exhausted all phone numbers with a 313 area code to assign to new customers. As a result, a new "overlay area code" of 679 will be in use, requiring the 10-digit dialing requirement.

State officials announced the new area code in March , when they began a "permissive dialing period," in which 313 callers were urged to practice using 10-digit dialing for every call, though seven-digit dialing continued to work. As of Oct. 7, calls placed with only seven digits won't be completed.

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