California LifeLine Program

California LifeLine provides discounted home phone and cell phone services to qualified households.

A banner will be displayed on the https://www.californialifeline.com/en that will inform visitors that the personal identification numbers (PIN)s are no longer required.

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The federal ACP no longer accepts applications. Effective June 1, 2024, households will no longer receive ACP discount for now.

• If you need more information on the ACP Wind-Down, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/acp-consumer-outreach-toolkit.
• In January 2024, CPUC President Alice Reynolds and California Department of Technology Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins submitted a letter to California’s Congressional Delegation urging Congress to approve additional funding for the ACP. Click here to read the letter.

Overview

The California LifeLine Program provides discounts on home phone and cell phone services to qualified households. The California LifeLine discounts help consumers lower the cost of their phone bills. Only one discount per household is allowed (except for teletypewriter users and for Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program participants). Call a participating phone company and ask for the California LifeLine discounts to start the application process. Go to “Provider Search” at www.californialifeline.com to learn about the approved California LifeLine providers and cell phone plans.

California LifeLine was established by the Commission in compliance with the Moore Universal Telephone Service, Public Utilities Code § 871 providing discounted basic residential (landline) telephone services to low-income households.

California LifeLine is funded by an all-end-user surcharge billed and collected by telecommunications carriers which, in turn, remit the surcharge monies to a financial institution as directed by the Commission or its representatives. Procedures for the administration of LifeLine are outlined in General Order (GO) 153.