FCC: Wireless Services: Amateur Radio Service: Call Sign Systems: Vanity

Call Sign Systems

Vanity

The FCC offers amateur licensees the opportunity to request a specific call sign for a primary station and for a club station. A call sign is selected by the FCC from a list of call signs requested by the station licensee or license trustee. RACES and military recreation stations are not eligible for a vanity call sign.

Also refer to the many frequently asked questions about vanity call signs.

Obtaining Vanity Call Signs

You can obtain a vanity call sign using either the Universal Licensing System or the document Forms 605 Schedule D and 159. The fee for a vanity call sign is reviewed annually as part of the Commission's regulatory fee structure. For the current fee amount, please refer to the Wireless Fee Filing Guide, FCC Form 1070Y, or phone the FCC's Consumer Center toll free 1-888-225-5322. Payment is accepted by check (payable to "FCC"), bank draft, money order or credit card. DO NOT SEND CASH.

There are up to three different request types for requesting vanity call signs, depending on whether the call sign is to apply to a primary or club station. The requestor may list up to twenty-five call signs in order of preference. The exact prefix, numeral, and suffix must be given for each call sign. Requests stated in general terms such as, "Any call sign with my initials" or "Any call sign having the prefix (or suffix)______" will be dismissed. The first assignable call sign on the list for which the requestor is eligible will be shown on the license grant for the requestor's station and the original call sign will be vacated.

Objections to the assignment of requested call signs will not be entertained at the FCC. However, this does not hamper any party from asserting such rights as it may have under private law in some other forum. The FCC does not consider an individual to be a former holder where the call sign was originally obtained through bribery, fraud, favoritism or other improper means.

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Call Sign Availability

A call sign is normally assignable two years following license expiration, surrender, revocation, set aside, cancellation, void ab initio, or death of the grantee. Where a vanity call sign for which the most recent recipient was ineligible is surrendered, cancelled, revoked or voided, the two-year requirement does not apply. Refer to the Sequential Call Sign System for how call signs are sequentially assigned and the grouping and geographic region attributes of each call sign.

The following call signs are not available for assignment:

KA2AA-KA9ZZ, KC4AAA-KC4AAF, KC4USA-KC4USZ, KG4AA-KG4ZZ, KC6AA-KC6ZZ, KL9KAA- KL9KHZ, KX6AA-KX6ZZ;
Any call sign having the letters SOS or QRA-QUZ as the suffix;
Any call sign having the letters AM-AZ as the prefix (these prefixes are assigned to other countries by the ITU);
Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letter X as the first letter of the suffix;
Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters AF, KF, NF, or WF as the prefix and the letters EMA as the suffix (U.S Government FEMA stations);
Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters AA-AL as the prefix;
Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters NA-NZ as the prefix;
Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters WC, WK, WM, WR, or WT as the prefix (Group X call signs);
Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters KP, NP or WP as the prefix and the numeral 0, 6, 7, 8 or 9;
Any 2-by-2 format call sign having the letters KP, NP or WP as the prefix and the numeral 0, 6, 7, 8 or 9;
Any 2-by-1 format call sign having the letters KP, NP or WP as the prefix and the numeral 0, 6, 7, 8 or 9;
Call signs having the single letter prefix (K, N or W), a single digit numeral 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and a single letter suffix are reserved for the special event call sign system.

For additional information on the availability of call signs, contact the FCC's duplicating contractor:

Best Copy and Printing, Inc.

Portals II

445 12th St. S.W., Room CY-B402

Washington, DC 20554

P: 202-488-5300

P: 800-378-3160

F: 202-488-5563

E: fcc@bcpiweb.com

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General Rules

You must hold an unexpired amateur operator/primary station license grant of the proper operator class, as described below, to request a vanity call sign for your primary station.
To request a vanity call sign for a club station, you must also hold an unexpired club station license grant listing you as the license trustee.
Your name and mailing address as shown on your current license grant must be correct.
If your license grant has expired you must first renew the license. After the grant, you may file a vanity call sign request. You can change your name or address at the time of your vanity call sign request, by filing FCC Form 605.
The call sign you are requesting may not already be assigned. Refer to the Universal Licensing System License Search for verification.
The license of the former holder now deceased must show a status of expired or cancelled in the licensee database. This is accomplished by submitting a signed request for license grant cancellation accompanied by a copy of an obituary or data from the Social Security Death Index that shows the date of death, or a death certificate, to:
FCC
1270 Fairfield Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245

The information for cancellation of a call sign must be submitted prior to filing the vanity application.

The autogrant system does not include review of any document, except a copy of your license, attached to Forms 159 and 605. Even where a call sign does not appear on the database, it may not be available for assignment.