VoIP Costs
E911 Fees Explained
Every VoIP bill carries an emergency-service charge, and almost nobody can explain it. The e911 fee funds the system that routes a 911 call to the right public safety answering point (PSAP) with the caller's location attached — and because 911 in the US is funded locally, the fee is set locally, which is why it differs between two offices in different counties.
This guide explains who sets e911 fees, the ranges they fall in, how providers calculate them per line or per number, and the business obligations (Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'S Act) that sit behind the line item.
Who sets the fee, and what it pays for
911 funding comes from a patchwork of state statutes and county or district boards. The fee pays for PSAP staffing and technology, the selective routers and location databases (ALI) that deliver your address with the call, and increasingly, next-generation 911 upgrades. States charge it per line, per number, or per account in amounts that commonly land between $0.50 and $2.00 per line per month in published provider fee schedules, with some jurisdictions above that range. Your provider collects and remits it; the provider does not set it and cannot waive it, though providers may add their own separate 'e911 service fee' for the cost of compliance — a provider charge, not a tax, and worth distinguishing on the bill.
- Government 911 fee/surcharge — set by state/county; remitted by the provider; not negotiable.
- Provider e911 service fee — set by the provider to recover compliance costs; varies by provider for identical service.
- Registered location duty — for nomadic VoIP, the customer must keep each number's service address current; that address is what responders receive.
The business rules behind the fee: Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'S Act
Two US laws shape what multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) — business phone systems — must do. Kari's Law requires direct 911 dialing (no prefix like 9 first) and notification to a central point (such as a front desk or security) when 911 is dialed from an MLTS. RAY BAUM'S Act requires a dispatchable location — street address plus room, floor or suite — to be delivered with 911 calls, including from softphones and remote users. Compliance is a configuration and process obligation on the business, not just the provider; hosted providers supply the tooling, but keeping locations accurate for remote and hybrid staff is the customer's recurring job.
Keep your e911 position clean
- Inventory every number and line that can dial 911, including softphones, fax ATAs and courtesy phones; confirm each has a registered service address.
- Assign an owner for location updates: every office move, new remote hire or floor change triggers an address update in the provider portal.
- Verify Kari's Law settings: direct-dial 911 without prefix, and a notification path (email/front desk) configured and tested after any system change.
- Read the fee lines on your bill and separate government surcharges from the provider's own e911 service fee; challenge only the second one in negotiations.
- Test after changes: coordinate any test 911 call with your local PSAP's non-emergency line first — never surprise a dispatch center.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my home-state office pay more e911 fee than our other office?
- Because the fee is set by the state or county where the service address sits, and schedules differ widely. Two identical lines in different counties legitimately carry different 911 surcharges.
- Can we opt out of e911 on VoIP lines that are never used for calls?
- Outbound-capable lines generally must support 911 and carry its fees. Pure inbound or intercom-only configurations differ; confirm with the provider in writing rather than assuming.
- Who is responsible if a remote worker's 911 location is wrong?
- Primarily the business operating the MLTS, with provider duties around supplying update mechanisms. Keeping dispatchable locations current is an operational process, not a one-time setup — see the steps above.