California Relay Service (CRS) Providers 

 Our CRS providers, AT&T Relay and Hamilton Relay, offer the full range of relay services: TTY, Voice Carry Over (VCO), two-line Voice Carry Over (2LVCO), Hearing Carry Over (HCO), Speech-to-Speech (STS), Visually Assisted Speech-to-Speech (VA STS), ASCII, Voice, and (via Hamilton Relay) Enhanced Voice Carryover (Captioned Telephone or CapTel). Although not provided through CRS, Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay), Video Relay Services (VRS), and Web CapTel are also available as free, federally reimbursed services. 

You can always reach CRS providers toll free. The providers are:

To avoid scrolling, click a topic link below:

• AT&T Relay   
• Hamilton  Relay 
• CRS  Customer Service 
• Long Distance and International Calls  

As of June 2, 2010, AT&T Relay and Hamilton Relay are California’s two CRS providers.
To ensure best customer service, CRS users are encouraged to identify their customer preferences through 711 Choice and their Customer Profile.
711 Choice: Get your CRS calls answered in the language, modality, and/or by the provider of your choice! Once you establish your 711 Choice, your choices are shared with all relay providers to make all of your calls quick and easy.
Set up a Customer Profile with your CRS Provider: You can let your CRS providers know exactly how you want your calls handled. If you alternate between CRS providers, you will need to establish a Customer Profile with each provider.

 
Your options include:
• Gender of Communications Assistant (CA)
• Speed Dial of frequently called numbers
• Long Distance Carrier
• Slow Typing
• Customized Greetings/Messages
Please contact your chosen relay provider(s) if you have any questions as to whether your customer preferences (711 Choice and Customer Profile) are handled according to your preferences including long distance carrier for toll calls.

 
Read the CRS  fact sheet  about how toll call charges are changing.   

CRS Customer Service

If you have a problem with the Communications Assistant (CA) or the services provided by a particular relay service provider, call the Customer Service number for your CRS provider.  

If you are unable to resolve your problem, please contact one of the following numbers:

Contact the DDTP Consumer Affairs Specialist at:

• Voice: 1-877-546-7414
• TTY: 1-800-867-4323
• FAX: 1-510-271-8324
• Email: consumeraffairs@ddtp.org 

If you are still unable to resolve your problem, you can contact the California Public Utilities Commission  (CPUC). 

Contact the CPUC Communications Division at: 

John Birznieks, CPUC Communications Division

• Voice: 1-415-703-2785
• Email:  John.Birznieks@cpuc.ca.gov

 Further appeal may be made to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at their Web site. 

Long Distance and International Calls  

By using the CRS you can receive calls from anywhere in the United States or worldwide. Contact your  relay provider's Customer Service number  for more information.

Beginning June 2, 2010, long distance charges are applicable for CRS calls outside of your local calling area.  CRS operator services remain free via 711 or toll-free 800 numbers.

As of June 2, 2010, users of the California Relay Service can use either Hamilton Relay or AT&T Relay for their service. These companies are responsible for completing your relay calls, and provide the relay operators for these calls. You, the relay user, can choose the long distance company you want to use to complete your call. You just tell the AT&T Relay or Hamilton Relay operator which long distance company you want to use, and your call will be connected through that provider.  You can use any long distance company that provides service in California, like Verizon, Sprint, SureWest, and others.  Whichever long distance company you pick will be the company responsible for billing you for your relay calls.

If you do not choose a long distance company, or tell the relay operator which long distance company you want to use, then your call will go automatically to AT&T Long Distance.  Then AT&T Long Distance will bill you for your relay call.   If this happens, your California long distance relay call will be billed in one of these ways:

1. If you already are a customer of AT&T Communications of California or a customer of AT&T Long Distance, then your call will be billed according to whatever plan you have with these companies. For example, if you have an unlimited calling plan, then your long distance relay call will be part of your unlimited calling plan.

OR

• If you are an AT&T Long Distance customer who has a Direct Dialed Basic Rate Plan or the True Reach Plan, or if you are a customer of SBC Long Distance, then your California Relay toll or in-state long distance call will be billed at $0.03 a minute.

OR

• If you are a customer with AT&T Business, then your California Relay toll or in-state long distance call will be billed at $0.03 a minute.

OR

• If you have any other company for your service but your California Relay call gets billed by AT&T Long Distance, then you will be billed at $0.03 a minute.

If you don’t have an AT&T long distance plan and have not identified another Long Distance carrier in your profile, the relay providers’ default long distance rates apply. (i.e. AT&T’s  Long Distance intrastate charges of $0.03 cents/minute and interstate charges of $0.07 cents/minute will apply).You can register your preference for a Long Distance Provider in your Customer Profile:

• Use the CRS user’s registered long distance carrier
• Use a calling card