What is a port-out PIN?
Moving your phone number from one carrier to another is called porting. To start a port, your new carrier asks for your account number with your old carrier and a code that proves the move is yours: the port-out PIN. Verizon and AT&T call it a Number Transfer PIN; T-Mobile calls it a Transfer PIN.
It is not your account PIN. The account PIN or passcode is the long-lived code you give support to prove who you are. The Number Transfer PIN is a separate, short-lived code you request when you are ready to switch, and it stops working after a few days.
How to get your Number Transfer PIN
| Carrier | How to get it | Lasts | Turn off first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Number Transfer PIN | Dial #PORT from the line you're moving, or generate it in the My Verizon app or website. The account owner or an account manager creates it. Verizon support | 7 days | Number Lock |
| AT&T Number Transfer PIN | In your online AT&T account or the AT&T app: Settings, then Transfer phone number, then Request new PIN. Or call *PORT from your AT&T phone (you'll need your account passcode). AT&T support | 4 days (14 days for business accounts) | Wireless Account Lock |
| T-Mobile Transfer PIN | The primary account holder creates it in the T-Life app or on T-Mobile.com, under Permissions & controls, then Transfer PIN. T-Mobile support | Temporary; check T-Mobile's support page | Port-out protection |
Steps and time limits are from each carrier's support page in November 2026. Carriers change them; if anything differs, the carrier's own page is right. On a prepaid brand or a smaller carrier (Cricket, Boost Mobile, Metro, Mint Mobile, Xfinity Mobile and others), search its support site for “Number Transfer PIN” or ask its support team.
Before you request it
- Turn off your number lock. Verizon's Number Lock, AT&T's Wireless Account Lock and T-Mobile's port-out protection block every transfer while they are on. A lock left on is the most common reason a port fails.
- Have your account number ready. It is on your bill and in your carrier's app. Your name and billing address must match what the carrier has on file.
- Don't cancel your old service. The line has to stay active until the transfer completes, or there is no number left to move.
- Request the PIN last. It expires, so get it when you are ready to give it to the new carrier.
Why the PIN alone won't stop a SIM swap
A port-out PIN is meant to stop someone moving your number without you. But the PIN is created by whoever controls your carrier account. Anyone who signs in to your account with stolen details can generate one in minutes. And a SIM swap at your own carrier, where your number moves to a new SIM or eSIM controlled by someone else, needs no transfer PIN at all.
Treat a Number Transfer PIN you didn't request as an emergency. If your carrier texts or emails you about one, call it from another phone, ask it to block any transfer and change your account password and PIN. Our SIM swap attack guide covers the next steps.
How to keep your number from being ported out
Turn the lock back on
If you are not switching, keep your carrier's number lock on all the time, and protect the account that can switch it off: a unique password, a carrier PIN you use nowhere else, and no text-message codes for the email that account resets to.
Move your logins off your number
Use an authenticator app or passkeys for email, banking and exchange accounts, and remove your phone number as a recovery option wherever another one exists. A stolen number then opens fewer doors.
Use a carrier that slows port-outs down
On a mass-market carrier, a valid PIN and an unlocked account are enough to move a number within days. Efani, our top-ranked secure mobile service, holds every port-out request for a mandatory 14-day cooling-off period, guards account changes with an 11-layer authentication protocol, and covers up to $5 million in SIM swap losses. Switching to Efani is itself a port: you keep your number and bring the Number Transfer PIN from your current carrier.
See every level of SIM swap protection, ranked →
Carrier reviews
- Verizon review: its locks, and how it compares on SIM swap defense
- AT&T review: its locks, and how it compares on SIM swap defense
- T-Mobile review: its locks, and how it compares on SIM swap defense
Frequently asked questions
What is a port-out PIN?
A port-out PIN, which carriers usually call a Number Transfer PIN or Transfer PIN, is a code your current carrier gives you so your new carrier can move your number. The new carrier asks for it together with your account number, and the transfer only goes through when they match.
Is the port-out PIN the same as my account PIN?
No. Your account PIN or passcode is the long-lived code you use to prove who you are to your carrier. The Number Transfer PIN is a separate, temporary code you request when you are ready to switch. Some carriers ask for both.
How long does a Number Transfer PIN last?
It depends on the carrier. Verizon's lasts 7 days and AT&T's lasts 4 days (14 for business accounts), according to their support pages. T-Mobile describes its PIN as temporary; check its support page for the current limit. Request the PIN just before you start the switch.
Why won't my number transfer even with the right PIN?
The most common reason is a number lock that is still on: Verizon's Number Lock, AT&T's Wireless Account Lock or T-Mobile's port-out protection all block transfers until you turn them off. A name or billing address that doesn't match your account, or a cancelled line, can also stop it.
Does a port-out PIN stop SIM swaps?
Only partly. The PIN is generated by whoever controls your carrier account, so an attacker who gets into your account, or talks support into making a change, can get past it. It also does nothing against a SIM change at your own carrier, which needs no transfer at all. Keep your carrier's locks on and, if your number guards real money, move it to a secure carrier.