E911 Locations — Why Every Phone Needs an Accurate Address

On a VoIP system, a 911 call is dispatched to the registered address of the phone's location — not to wherever the device happens to be. Signal requires every extension and device to belong to a location with a verified street address, and keeping those addresses accurate is both a safety obligation and a legal one.

How E911 works on VoIP

Traditional landlines are physically tied to an address; VoIP phones are not. E911 (Enhanced 911) bridges the gap: when anyone dials 911, Signal transmits the caller's registered location to emergency services. The dispatcher sees the address on file for that phone's location — which is why a phone moved to a new office with a stale location is a genuine hazard.

Your obligations

US law sets specific requirements for multi-line phone systems: direct 911 dialing must work without a prefix (Kari's Law), and dispatchable location information — street address, and where applicable floor or suite — must accompany the call (RAY BAUM's Act). Practically:

• Create a location per physical site, with suite/floor detail for larger buildings.
• Assign every extension and device to the location where it actually sits.
• Update the location when a phone moves. Make it part of the move procedure, not an afterthought.
• Never disable emergency dialing on a phone people could reach in a crisis.

Verifying your setup

• Audit the Devices list by location whenever offices are rearranged.
• After creating or changing locations, use your E911 address-verification procedure to confirm the record — do not place live 911 test calls without prior arrangement with the dispatch center.
• Signal can notify administrators whenever a 911 call is placed from your account, so you know in real time — enable this in notification settings.

Related articles

• Creating extensions
• Adding a phone — location is set per-device
• Go-live checklist