Federal Communications Commission
| Federal Communications Commission | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | FCC |
| Created by | Communications Act of 1934 |
| Predecessor | Federal Radio Commission (1927–1934) |
| Type | Independent US government agency, overseen by Congress |
| Structure | |
| Commissioners | Five, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate |
| Headquarters | 45 L Street NE, Washington, D.C. |
| Bureau for amateur licensing and rules | Wireless Telecommunications Bureau |
| Enforcement | Enforcement Bureau |
| For amateurs | |
| Amateur rules | Part 97 of Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations |
| Licensing system | Universal Licensing System (ULS) |
| Application fee | $35 for new, renewal and vanity applications since 2022 |
| Website | fcc.gov |
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the independent US government agency that regulates radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications other than the federal government's own.[1] For amateur radio operators it is the agency that writes the rules, issues every license and call sign, and enforces compliance. It does not give license exams itself; that job is delegated to volunteer hams working within its rules.
History and organization
The FCC was created by the Communications Act of 1934, signed into law in June of that year.[2] It took over the radio duties of the Federal Radio Commission, which had been set up under the Radio Act of 1927, and added authority over telephone and telegraph services. The Communications Act, as amended many times since, remains the law under which the FCC operates.
The commission is led by five commissioners, each appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term.[2] No more than three may belong to the same political party, and the President designates one as chairman.[2] The commissioners vote on major rule changes, and routine work is delegated to the agency's bureaus. Its headquarters has been at 45 L Street NE in Washington, D.C., since 2020.[3]
Two bureaus matter most to hams. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) handles licensing and rules for most radio services other than broadcasting, including the amateur service, which falls within its Mobility Division.[2][4] The Enforcement Bureau investigates and acts on rule violations.[2]
Spectrum used by the federal government itself, such as military radars that share some amateur bands, is managed by a separate agency, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is why some amateur rule changes need coordination between the two.
Rules and licensing
The amateur rules are Part 97 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. They set out license classes and privileges, power limits, identification and what may not be transmitted.
Licenses are issued and kept in the Universal Licensing System (ULS), the FCC's online database. Each applicant first registers for a free FCC Registration Number (FRN). The license record in the ULS is the license; the FCC no longer prints or mails paper copies. Licensees use the ULS to renew, update a mailing or email address, and apply for vanity call signs. See License renewal.
Since 1984 amateur exams have been given by volunteer examiners (VEs), accredited by Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) that have agreements with the FCC.[5] The coordinators file successful candidates' applications electronically and maintain the question pools. See Getting licensed.
Fees
For decades amateur licenses were free. Since April 19, 2022, the FCC has charged a $35 application fee for a new license, a renewal, a vanity call sign request and a request for a rule waiver.[6] Upgrades, address and name changes, requests for a new sequential call sign and license cancellations are free.[6] Any VEC exam session fee is separate.[6] The FCC reviews its fees from time to time, so check the current schedule before filing.
How rules change
Changes to Part 97 follow a public process.
- Petition for rulemaking. Anyone, from the ARRL to an individual ham, may ask the FCC to change a rule. Petitions the FCC accepts are given an RM number and usually put out for public comment.
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). If the FCC decides to act, it publishes a proposal, usually in a numbered docket such as a WT Docket for wireless matters, and sets deadlines for comments and reply comments.
- Comments. Anyone may file through the FCC's online Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).
- Report and Order (R&O). The FCC issues its decision, explains its reasoning and the final rule text. The new rules take effect on a stated date, usually after publication in the Federal Register. Parties may then file petitions for reconsideration.
A proceeding can take years. An example is WT Docket 16-239: in a Report and Order adopted in November 2023, which also closed the ARRL's 2013 petition on the subject (RM-11708), the FCC removed the old symbol rate (baud) limits on data emissions on most HF bands and replaced them with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit, effective January 8, 2024.[4][7]
Enforcement
The Enforcement Bureau handles amateur cases such as deliberate interference, operating without a license and false identification. Its responses range from warning letters to a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL), which proposes a fine, called a forfeiture, and in serious cases license revocation. The FCC has fewer field agents than it once did, and since 2019 the ARRL's Volunteer Monitor program, run under an agreement with the FCC, has documented amateur rule violations and passed serious cases on to the Enforcement Bureau.
See also
References
- ↑ About the FCC, FCC.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Federal Communications Commission: Structure, Operations, and Budget, Congressional Research Service, June 2025.
- ↑ FCC Announces Change in Headquarters Location (DA 20-1223), FCC, October 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Amateur Radio Service Rules To Permit Greater Flexibility in Data Communications (FCC 23-93), 88 FR 85126, Federal Register, December 2023.
- ↑ The ARRL VEC: More than Just Amateur Radio Exams, ARRL, October 2008.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 FCC Application Fee, ARRL.
- ↑ FCC Symbol Rate Limitations Expire January 8th 2024, Ham Weekly, December 2023.
External links
- Federal Communications Commission, official website
- Part 97 in the electronic Code of Federal Regulations