                                 Before the 
                       Federal Communications Commission 
                            Washington, D.C. 20554 


PR Docket No. 93-305

In the Matter of

Amendment of the Amateur 
Service Rules to Implement 
a Vanity Call Sign System.

REPORT AND ORDER

Adopted: December 23, 1994;  Released: February 1, 1995

By the Commission:

I. INTRODUCTION

	1. On December 13, 1993, we adopted a Notice of Proposed Rule 
Making (Notice)[1] in the above-captioned proceeding. In the Notice, we 
proposed to amend our rules to provide a system for the assignment of 
vanity call signs to amateur stations. This item adopts final rules 
implementing a vanity call sign system.
	2. Each new amateur station licensed by the Commission is assigned 
a unique call sign.[2] An automated process selects the call sign 
according to our sequential call sign system.[3] Until recently, we have 
been unable to accommodate the many thousands of requests that we 
receive for call signs of the licensee's choice. One of our many steps 
in reinventing Government is to implement new licensing processing 
capabilities that make it practicable to grant such requests. To this 
end, we proposed a vanity call sign system, and asked for public comment 
on our proposal. We further proposed to use our increased capabilities 
to resume issuing new club and military recreation station licenses. We 
received one hundred and five timely comments and four timely reply 
comments. All of the comments have been carefully considered. 
	3. The comments confirm the ardent desire of many amateur 
operators to select the call signs for their stations and their 
willingness to pay a fee for this service. There were, moreover, several 
excellent improvements to the proposed system suggested. We hereby adopt 
rules for a vanity call sign system, incorporating several suggestions 
from the commenters as discussed below.

II. DISCUSSION

	Fairness

	4. A major concern of the amateur service community is that the 
system adopted for allocation of vanity call signs be fair and 
equitable. Specifically, many commenters suggest using a method of 
priority with respect to filing applications for vanity call signs.[4] 
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) states that, in the interest of 
fairness and efficiency, the timing and priority in the filing of 
applications should be important facets of the system that we adopt.[5] 
The ARRL favors giving the first priority in applying for a call sign to 
the former holder or, where the holder is deceased, to a close 
relative.[6] Several commenters favor giving high priority to those who 
hold the higher classes of operator license.[7] Other commenters favor 
giving priority to those who have held their licenses the longest.[8]
	5. The ARRL's suggested method is to open the system gradually 
through four "starting gates."[9] Gate One would allow a previous holder 
to apply for that call sign[10] or, where the holder is deceased, a 
close relative could apply. Gate Two would allow the 66,000 Amateur 
Extra Class operators, who have passed the most difficult license 
examinations, to apply. Gate Three would allow the 112,000 Advanced 
Class operators, who have passed the second most difficult license 
examinations, to apply. Gate Four would open the system to any 
licensee.[11] A club station license trustee would also be allowed to 
apply for the call sign of a deceased former holder.[12]
	6. The suggestions regarding filing priority and fairness are 
persuasive. Given the strong interest in vanity call signs shown in the 
comments, it is obvious that the number of applications filed initially 
could be very large. We agree that a filing priority schedule would be 
helpful in maintaining fairness and efficiency during the initial 
implementation of the system, as well as ease administrative burdens on 
the Commission. The suggestions concerning giving the highest filing 
priority to former holders and close relatives of deceased holders 
appear to be perceived as fair by the amateur service community 
generally, as does the giving of high priority to those who hold the 
higher classes of operator license.[13] Information on the class of 
operator license held by each amateur operator, moreover, resides in our 
licensee data base and lends itself to an automated process. Information 
on the length of time a person has been an amateur operator is not 
readily available, thus making that criterion impracticable to use as 
the basis of a filing priority schedule. Thus, after all amateur 
operators have been given an opportunity to obtain call signs that they, 
or deceased close relatives, formerly held, we will use operator license 
class as the basis for the filing priority schedule. In this regard, we 
are adopting the ARRL's suggested starting gates.
	7. We will announce the opening of each gate by a Public Notice. 
The first gate will open as soon as our new FCC Form 610-V is available 
and our licensing facility is prepared to begin processing the 
applications. Gate One will open the system to the smallest group, i.e., 
a few thousand prior holders and close relatives[14] of deceased prior 
holders. This phase will provide validation of our system procedures and 
alert us to any adjustments needed. We will then open the subsequent 
gates at such times as it is clear that the system is ready to 
accommodate more applications. We will also continue our sequential call 
sign system for new licensees and for those who do not want vanity call 
signs.

Assignable call signs

	8. In the Notice, the system we proposed would require applicants 
to file a form, together with the required fee with our fee collection 
contractor.[15] The applicants would request that their station licenses 
be modified to show vanity call signs. We further proposed that the 
applicant would list on the form a maximum of ten call signs in order of 
personal preference. After receiving the forms from our contractor, we 
would use an automated process to compare each applicant's list of 
preferred call signs with the list of call signs that are assignable at 
that time. The forms would be processed in the order they are received 
at the processor's work station. The first assignable call sign from the 
applicant's list would then he assigned to the station. 
	9. We requested comments on how the call signs that are already 
assigned could be made known to applicants so as to allow them to make 
prudent requests and thereby increase the probability that their 
requests can be granted. The ARRL states that private sector entities 
can easily provide applicants with lists of assignable call signs, but 
only after the initial surge of applications is completely processed. 
Until such time, even with starting gates, it foresees a very heavy 
demand for certain specific call signs so as to make it difficult for 
the applicant to determine which call signs are assignable. The ARRL 
suggests, therefore, that an applicant be permitted to submit a 
preferential list of twenty-five call signs, thus increasing the chances 
of requesting an assignable call sign.[16] We agree with ARRL that 
increasing the number of call signs that may be requested will reduce 
the number of unsuccessful applicants. We will allow, therefore, 
applicants to list up to twenty-five call signs in order of preference.
	10. The ARRL prefers that an applicant be permitted to request 
only those call signs that are assignable to stations in the call sign 
region where the licensee resides.[17] We have carefully considered this 
suggestion. We have decided, however, not to impose that limitation. 
Otherwise, the applicant's choice of vanity call signs would be reduced 
to ten percent or less of the call signs that would otherwise be 
assignable to the station. A limitation based upon the person's place of 
residence, moreover, could easily be circumvented by using a mailing 
address in another call sign region.
	11. We proposed that a call sign vacated by a licensee be made 
assignable immediately under the vanity call sign system. Several 
commenters, however, believe that a two-year period is necessary before 
a call sign again becomes assignable in order to avoid confusion in 
over-the-air station identification, to maintain accuracy in the 
licensee data base, and to accommodate QSL bureaus.[18] Further, they 
believe that it would preclude "trafficking in licenses" where a 
licensee, in exchange for some type of consideration, vacates a 
desirable call sign so that another licensee could immediately apply for 
it before its assignability becomes known generally. A two-year interval 
would, moreover, make the assignability of vacated call signs consistent 
with the assignability of a deceased person's station call sign, or a 
licensee's expired station call sign.[19] The comments are persuasive on 
this point. Therefore, the rules will reflect that a vacated call sign 
will not be assignable for a two-year waiting period.

Club stations

	12. There was support in the comments for resumption of the 
issuance of new club station licenses.[20] In the Notice, we proposed 
that an applicant for a vanity call sign must be a current holder of a 
station license. The Hill Country Radio Club (Hill) suggests that 
applicants for new club station licenses be able to request a vanity 
call sign immediately, rather than having to wait and apply after they 
receive licenses. Hill considers a two-step procedure ponderous and 
unfair to new clubs that have been precluded from obtaining club 
licenses for many years.[21] The two-step process, however, is an 
administrative necessity because of the fee required for a vanity call 
sign. The application for a vanity call sign is the only amateur service 
application that must be filed with our fee collection contractor.[22] 
Persons not already holding a club station license, therefore, must 
first apply for and receive a license before they can file an 
application with the fee collection contractor requesting that the 
license be modified to show a vanity call sign. However, we will begin 
accepting applications[23] for club and military recreation station 
licenses on the date this Report and Order becomes effective. In many 
cases, therefore, the license trustee will be able to obtain a license 
document and thus will be eligible to apply for a vanity call sign for 
the club station when the starting gate for his or her class of operator 
license opens. The final gate will also allow a club station licensee 
trustee to apply for the call sign of a deceased former holder. The 
license trustee must obtain a written consent from a close relative of 
the deceased.

Special event stations

	13. The ARRL requests that specific call signs in a unique call 
sign block be made assignable only to certain special event 
stations,[24] and suggests the one-by-one call sign block for this 
purpose.[25] The ARRL states that such specific call signs should be 
reserved for assignment to stations operating in conjunction with short 
term special events of national significance.[26] A special event vanity 
call sign system may meet the needs of amateur operators for temporary 
operation of their stations during events that are of special 
significance to the amateur service community. We will, therefore, set 
aside the one-by-one call sign block until the matter can be addressed 
in a separate proceeding.

Filing procedures

	14. In our Notice, we asked for comments concerning alternative 
ways, such as magnetic computer disks, that applicants could use to 
apply directly to the Commission for a vanity call sign. Several ways 
were suggested.[27] One commenter suggests a procedure where applicants 
would file the application form by facsimile and provide a credit card 
number. His second suggestion is an electronic on-line filing procedure 
where the applicant answers a series of questions to search the 
Commission's data base for an assignable call sign. If the call sign is 
assignable, the applicant would file an application form after paying 
the fee by credit card. The Commission's printed acknowledgment of the 
transaction would constitute a temporary license.[28] These suggestions 
were helpful and we will investigate these ideas for possible future 
use.
	15. Some commenters believe that the fee charged for a vanity call 
sign should be charged on a one-time basis only, and that no fee should 
be required when the license is renewed.[29] The ARRL believes that a 
one-time fee is more appropriate because the Commission's additional 
workload occurs at the time of the initial processing of the vanity call 
sign.[30] Section 9(g) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
currently provides for the payment of an annual fee of $7.00 for an 
amateur station vanity call sign. Because the normal term of an amateur 
station license is ten years, a fee of $70.00 will have to be paid when 
requesting a new or renewed vanity call sign. At this time, under the 
Communications Act, we cannot provide a one-time fee for processing 
vanity call sign applications.

III. CONCLUSION

	16. We have decided to offer a vanity call sign system to the 
amateur service community, in recognition of the strong sense of 
identity among amateur operators that is grounded in the call signs of 
their stations. We have also decided to resume issuing new club and 
military recreation station licenses. We see these actions as 
fundamental to our commitment to put the needs of people first in 
providing the services that they want. We are pleased to be able make 
this new system available to the amateur community. Therefore, we amend 
the amateur service rules to implement a vanity call sign system as set 
forth in the attached Appendix.

IV. ORDERING CLAUSES

	17. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that effective March 24, 1995, Part 
97 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. Part 97, IS AMENDED as set forth 
in the Appendix hereto. Authority for this action is found in Section 
4(i) and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 
154(i) and 303(r).
	18. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this proceeding IS TERMINATED.
	19. For further information, contact Maurice J. DePont, Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau, 202-418-0690.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

William F. Caton Acting Secretary

 APPENDIX
	Part 97 of Chapter I of Title 47 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations is amended as follows:

	Part 97 - Amateur Radio Service
	1. The authority citation for Part 97 continues to read as 
follows:

	Authority citation: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 
154, 303. Interpret or apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068, 1081-1105, as amended; 
47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.

	2. Section 97.3 is amended by redesignating paragraphs (a)(11) 
through (a)(45) as paragraphs (a)(12) through (a)(46) and adding new 
paragraph (a)(11) to read as follows:

	97.3 Definitions
	(a) ***
	(11) Call sign system. The method used to select a call sign for 
amateur station over-the-air identification purposes. The call sign 
systems are:
	(i) Sequential call sign system. The call sign is selected by the 
FCC from an alphabetized list corresponding to the geographic region of 
the licensee's mailing address and operator class. The call sign is 
shown on the license. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing 
the procedures of the sequential call sign system.
	(ii) Vanity call sign system. The call sign is selected by the FCC 
from a list of call signs requested by the licensee. The call sign is 
shown on the license. The FCC will issue public announcements detailing 
the procedures of the vanity call sign system.

                                 * * * * *

	3. Section 97.17(f) is amended by revising paragraph (f) and 
adding paragraph (h) to read as follows:
	97.17 Application for new license or reciprocal permit for alien 
amateur licensee.

                                 * * * * *

	(f) One unique call sign will be shown on the license of each new 
primary, club, and military recreation station. The call sign will be 
selected by the sequential call sign system. 

                                 * * * * *

	(h) Each application for a new club or military recreation station 
license must be submitted to the FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, 
PA 17325-7245. No new license for a RACES station will be issued. 

	4. Section 97.19 is added to read as follows:

	97.19 Application for a vanity call sign.

	(a) A person who has been granted an operator/primary station 
license or a license trustee who has been granted a club station license 
is eligible to make application for modification of the license, or the 
renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected by the vanity call sign 
system. RACES and military recreation stations are not eligible for a 
vanity call sign.

	(b) Each application for a modification of an operator/primary or 
club station license, or the renewal thereof, to show a call sign 
selected by the vanity call sign system must be made on FCC Form 610-V. 
The form must be submitted with the proper fee to the address specified 
in the Private Radio Services Fee Filing Guide.

	(c) Only unassigned call signs that are available to the 
sequential call sign system are available to the vanity call sign system 
with the following exceptions: 
	(1) A call sign shown on an expired license is not available to 
the vanity call sign system for 2 years following the expiration of the 
license.
	(2) A call sign shown on a surrendered, revoked, set aside, 
cancelled, or voided license is not available to the vanity call sign 
system for 2 years following the date such action is taken.
	(3) Except for an applicant who is the spouse, child, grandchild, 
stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, 
stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law, and 
except for an applicant who is a club station license trustee acting 
with the written consent of at least one relative, as listed above, of a 
person now deceased, the call sign shown on the license of a person now 
deceased is not available to the vanity call sign-system for 2 years 
following the person's death, or for 2 years following the expiration of 
the license, whichever is sooner.

	(d) Except for an applicant who is the spouse, child, grandchild, 
stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, 
stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law, and 
except for an applicant who is a club station license trustee acting 
with the written consent of at least one relative, as listed above, of a 
person now deceased who had been granted the license showing the call 
sign requested, the vanity call sign requested by an applicant must be 
selected from the groups of call signs designated under the sequential 
call sign system for the class of operator license held by the applicant 
or for a lower class.
	(1) The applicant must request that the call sign shown on the 
current license be vacated and provide a list of up to 25 call signs in 
order of preference.
	(2) The first assignable call sign from the applicant's list will 
be shown on the license grant. When none of those call signs are 
assignable, the call sign vacated by the applicant will be shown on the 
license grant.
	(3) Vanity call signs will be selected from those call signs 
assignable at the time the application is processed by the FCC.

	5. Section 97.21(a)(3) is revised to read as follows:

	97.21 Application for a modified or renewed license.

	(a) ***
	(3) May apply for renewal of the license for another term. (The 
FCC may mail to the licensee an FCC Form 610-R that may be used for this 
purpose.)
	(i) When the license does not show a call sign selected by the 
vanity call sign system, the application may be made on FCC Form 610-R 
if it is received from the FCC. If the Form 610-R is not received from 
the FCC within 30 days of the expiration date of the license for an 
operator/primary station license, the application may be made on FCC 
Form 610. For a club, military recreation, or RACES station license, the 
application may be made on FCC Form 610-B. The application may be 
submitted no more than 90 days before its expiration to: FCC, 1270 
Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245. When the application for 
renewal of the license has been received by the FCC at 1270 Fairfield 
Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245 prior to the license expiration date, 
the license operating authority is continued until the final disposition 
of the application.
	(ii) When the license shows a call sign selected by the vanity 
call sign system, the application must be filed as specified in Section 
97.19(b).

                               * * * * *

_____

1 9 FCC Rcd 105 (1993) 

2 Section 97.119(a), 17 C.F.R. 97.119(a), requires an amateur station to 
transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel periodically 
for the purpose of making known, clearly, the source of the 
transmissions from the station to those receiving the transmissions. 

3 Our sequential call sign system is described in the FACT SHEET PR-5000 
#206 Amateur Station Call Sign Assignment System dated June, 1991. A new 
call sign is sequentially selected from alphabetized regional-group 
listings for the licensee's operator class and mailing address. Each 
call sign has a one or two letter prefix and a one, two, or three letter 
suffix separated by a number indicating the geographic region. Some 
examples are: W1AA, N3AAA, AA5A, AB7AA, and KA9AAA. There are almost 15 
million possible combinations of letters and numbers for amateur station 
call signs. 

4 For example. see comment of John Ward at 1, Dale Jones at 1 and 2, and 
Richard Bean at 1. 

5 Comments of ARRL at 4. 

6 Comments of ARRL at 7. 

7 There are six classes of amateur operator license. In order of 
examination difficulty they are, lowest to highest Novice, Technician, 
Technician Plus, General, Advanced, and Amateur Extra. Comments of 
Michael C. and Nancy E. Bartlett at 1, Jim Monahan at 1, Ed Worst at 1, 
and Willard W. Wehe at 1. 

8 Dale Jones at 1, Michael Dinkelman at 1, and R. W. Le Massena at 1. 

9 Comments of ARRL at 6. 

10 Previous holder priority was also recommended by other commenters. 
Comments of Dale Jones at 1, Robert Philbrook at 1, Kirby Brown at 1, 
and Donald Murray at 1. 

11 As of May 31, 1994, there were 631,399 amateur stations licensed by 
the Commission. 

12 Reply comments of ARRL at 5. 

13 Comments of ARRL at 7, Michael C. and Nancy E. Bartlett at 1, Jim 
Monahan at 1, Ed Worst at 1, and Willard W. Wehe at 1. 

14 We define close relatives as the spouse, child, grandchild, 
stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, 
stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law of the 
deceased. 

15 The current contractor is the Mellon Bank. It accepts applications in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

16 Comments of ARRL at 3 and 4. 

17 Comments of ARRL at 10. 

18 A QSL bureau is an organization that facilitates the exchange of 
confirmation cards between amateur operators whose stations have 
communicated with each other. 

19 Comments of Thomas Johnston at 1, ARRL at 9, Stephan Sacco, Jr. at 2, 
and James Price at 2. 

20 Comments of Metropolitan Amateur Radio Club at 1 and Portland Amateur 
Radio Club at 3. 

21 Comments of The Hill Country Amateur Radio Club at 1 and 2. 

22 Applications for licenses involving examinations are filed with the 
local volunteer examiners who forward them through a coordinator to the 
Commission. All other amateur service license applications are filed 
directly with the Commission. 

23 FCC Form 610-B must be used when applying for a club or military 
recreation station license. 

24  Comments of ARRL at 11 and 12. 

25 A one-by-one call sign consists of a single prefix letter (K, N, or 
W), the region number (0 to 9), and a single suffix letter (A to Z). 
There are 780 such call signs. They are not assigned under the 
sequential call sign system. 

26 Comment of ARRL at 12. 

27 See, for example, the comments of Ed Worst at 1. 

28 Comments of Steven R. Kelly at 1 and 2. 

29 Comments of Francis Vangeli at 1, John Chandler at 1, Ross Patterson 
at 1, and ARRL at 11. 

30 Comments of ARRL at 11.

