Port-Out PINs by Carrier: What the Current Records Say

What is a port-out PIN in the current carrier records?

In the four current carrier records, a port-out PIN is a provider-named credential used when moving a number to another carrier; the names and stated conditions are not uniform.

AT&T currently states that a customer must request a Number Transfer PIN to move a number from AT&T to another service provider: AT&T states that you must request a Number Transfer PIN to move your number from AT&T to another service provider, and that your new provider will ask you for the PIN and any required account info. (source) Spectrum Mobile currently states that moving a number to another carrier requires a Transfer PIN available through the Spectrum online account or My Spectrum App: Spectrum Mobile states that you need a Transfer PIN to move your number from Spectrum Mobile to another carrier, that you can get it through your Spectrum online account or the My Spectrum App, and that a mobile contact number should be listed on your account before you generate it. (source) T-Mobile currently states that a personal-account customer needs a Temporary Port Out PIN and gives it to the new provider: T-Mobile says a personal-account customer needs a Temporary Port Out PIN to move a number from T-Mobile, generates it in T-Life or on T-Mobile.com, and gives it to the new provider. (source) Verizon currently states that a standard monthly account needs a Number Transfer PIN obtained by an authorized account role: Verizon states that moving a Verizon number to another carrier requires a Number Transfer PIN, obtained for a standard monthly account by an Account Owner or Account Manager. (source)

The useful common point is narrow: each named record describes a credential in a number-move context. The records do not establish that every United States carrier or reseller uses a port-out PIN, that providers use the same label, or that one carrier's conditions can be applied to another. This United States comparison is dated October 9, 2026 and is limited to AT&T, Spectrum Mobile, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

The governed lower-tier evidence belongs on the Port-Out Protection tool. This explainer interprets the cited cells; the ordered protection workflow belongs on the tool.

What is the federal authentication and notification baseline?

The current Federal Communications Commission cells state that wireless providers must use secure customer authentication before SIM changes and number ports and must immediately notify customers when either request is made on an account.

The first Federal Communications Commission finding concerns authentication before an action. The current cell states that wireless providers must use secure methods of authenticating customers before performing SIM changes and number ports: Wireless providers must use secure customer-authentication methods before performing SIM changes and number ports. (source)

The second finding concerns notice when a request is made. The current cell states that wireless providers must notify customers immediately whenever a SIM-change or port-out request is made on the account: The order requires wireless providers to notify customers immediately when a SIM-change or port-out request is made on the customer's account. (source) Authentication and notification remain separate duties in this evidence set. Neither cell says that a transfer PIN is the only permissible authentication method, and neither supplies a carrier-specific transfer credential.

These two federal cells do not establish that AT&T, Spectrum Mobile, T-Mobile, Verizon, or any other named provider currently complies with every Federal Communications Commission requirement. The current compliance date is not bound in the source set, and the page makes no provider-compliance conclusion. A provider-specific compliance conclusion would require a current, source-supported compliance-status cell for the exact provider and duty.

How do AT&T, Spectrum Mobile, T-Mobile, and Verizon describe the transfer credential?

AT&T and Verizon use the name Number Transfer PIN, Spectrum Mobile uses Transfer PIN, and T-Mobile uses Temporary Port Out PIN for the personal-account record; each statement keeps its own conditions.

• AT&T — A customer must request a Number Transfer PIN to move a number from AT&T to another service provider: AT&T states that you must request a Number Transfer PIN to move your number from AT&T to another service provider, and that your new provider will ask you for the PIN and any required account info. (source)
• Spectrum Mobile — A Transfer PIN is required to move a number to another carrier and may be obtained through the Spectrum online account or My Spectrum App: Spectrum Mobile states that you need a Transfer PIN to move your number from Spectrum Mobile to another carrier, that you can get it through your Spectrum online account or the My Spectrum App, and that a mobile contact number should be listed on your account before you generate it. (source)
• T-Mobile — A personal-account customer needs a Temporary Port Out PIN and gives it to the new provider: T-Mobile says a personal-account customer needs a Temporary Port Out PIN to move a number from T-Mobile, generates it in T-Life or on T-Mobile.com, and gives it to the new provider. (source)
• Verizon — Moving a Verizon number requires a Number Transfer PIN obtained by an Account Owner or Account Manager for a standard monthly account: Verizon states that moving a Verizon number to another carrier requires a Number Transfer PIN, obtained for a standard monthly account by an Account Owner or Account Manager. (source)

The comparison should be read row by row, not as a universal carrier rule. Spectrum Mobile's online-account and app channels stay attached to Spectrum Mobile. T-Mobile's personal-account scope stays attached to T-Mobile. Verizon's standard-monthly-account and authorized-role conditions stay attached to Verizon. AT&T's request requirement stays attached to AT&T.

The four positive rows are the complete provider scope of this page. The current record does not establish what another carrier or reseller calls its credential, whether it uses one, how long it remains usable, or which account role may obtain it. Adding another provider would require a separately admitted, source-supported row rather than an inference from these four.

Are a transfer PIN, account PIN, passcode, number lock, and port protection interchangeable labels?

No equivalence is established here. The current cells support specific provider terms in specific number-move contexts, not a universal definition that makes every PIN, passcode, lock, or protection control the same mechanism.

The provider terms must remain attached to their rows. AT&T's current row names a Number Transfer PIN: AT&T states that you must request a Number Transfer PIN to move your number from AT&T to another service provider, and that your new provider will ask you for the PIN and any required account info. (source) Spectrum Mobile's row names a Transfer PIN: Spectrum Mobile states that you need a Transfer PIN to move your number from Spectrum Mobile to another carrier, that you can get it through your Spectrum online account or the My Spectrum App, and that a mobile contact number should be listed on your account before you generate it. (source) T-Mobile's personal-account row names a Temporary Port Out PIN: T-Mobile says a personal-account customer needs a Temporary Port Out PIN to move a number from T-Mobile, generates it in T-Life or on T-Mobile.com, and gives it to the new provider. (source) Verizon's standard-monthly-account row names a Number Transfer PIN: Verizon states that moving a Verizon number to another carrier requires a Number Transfer PIN, obtained for a standard monthly account by an Account Owner or Account Manager. (source)

Those four findings do not define every account PIN, passcode, number lock, or port-protection feature. They also do not establish that two controls with similar names have identical prerequisites, account-role rules, usable windows, or effects. A name is not permission to import another provider's conditions.

The federal findings answer different questions again. One requires secure customer authentication before SIM changes and number ports: Wireless providers must use secure customer-authentication methods before performing SIM changes and number ports. (source) The other requires immediate notice when a SIM-change or port-out request is made: The order requires wireless providers to notify customers immediately when a SIM-change or port-out request is made on the customer's account. (source) Neither finding turns a transfer credential into a guaranteed lock, and neither establishes that a PIN or lock prevents account takeover, SIM swap, or every unauthorized port.

For the ordered protection workflow, use the Port-Out Protection tool once that lower-tier surface is live. This reference keeps to comparison and evidence boundaries; the ordered workflow belongs to the lower-tier tool.

What do the current records not establish?

The current records do not establish provider compliance, universal carrier practice, a guaranteed prevention outcome, or permission to release this T2 page before its lower-tier evidence surface is live.

• Provider compliance — The current source set does not bind a present compliance date or a source-supported compliance-status cell for any named provider, so this page does not say that a carrier complies with every Federal Communications Commission requirement.
• Universal carrier practice — The positive provider rows cover only AT&T, Spectrum Mobile, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The records do not establish that every United States carrier or reseller uses a port-out PIN or the same lock vocabulary.
• AT&T account-type exceptions — The current AT&T account_pin record does not establish that AT&T Prepaid, Liberty Wireless, and non-Family FirstNet accounts are exceptions to the Number Transfer PIN requirement.
• Spectrum Mobile PIN length and window — The current Spectrum Mobile account_pin record does not establish that its Transfer PIN is six digits or remains usable for 72 hours.
• Prevention outcome — The cells describe stated credentials and federal duties. They do not establish that a transfer PIN or lock prevents account takeover, SIM swap, or every unauthorized port.
• Release — This page may not release until /tools/port-out-protection/ is live, renders the cited m_carrier cells, and can serve as the T2 page's governed lower-tier evidence link.

These are evidence boundaries, not implied negatives. A missing compliance-status cell does not prove noncompliance. Four admitted provider rows do not prove that other providers lack a transfer control. The absence of an observed prevention outcome does not prove that a control has no effect. Each stronger conclusion requires its own governed evidence.

The release hold is also explicit. The tier rule blocks publication while the lower-tier rendering surface is unavailable. The Port-Out Protection tool must be live, render the six cited m_carrier cells, and be available as this T2 page's governed evidence link before the release condition is cleared. The page promises no earlier release.

For number-type context, see VoIP versus carrier numbers. For the separate account-recovery-channel question, see Why SMS second factors are a weak shared channel. Neither neighboring page expands the four-provider evidence set used here.

Frequently asked questions

Related research

• VoIP versus carrier numbersSeparates number type and portability context from the provider-specific transfer credentials compared here.
• Why SMS second factors are a weak shared channelKeeps account-recovery channel risk separate from carrier transfer controls.