§ 97.19   Application for a vanity call sign.

   (a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a
   club station license grant is eligible to make application for modification
   of the license grant, or the renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected
   by the vanity call sign system. Effective February 14, 2011, the person
   named in a club station license grant that shows on the license a call sign
   that was selected by a trustee is not eligible for an additional vanity call
   sign. (The person named in a club station license grant that shows on the
   license a call sign that was selected by a trustee is eligible for a vanity
   call sign for his or her operator/primary station license grant on the same
   basis as any other person who holds an operator/primary station license
   grant.) 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 grant, or the renewal thereof, to show a call sign selected
   by the vanity call sign system must be filed in accordance with § 1.913 of
   this chapter.

   (c) Unassigned call signs are available to the vanity call sign system with
   the following exceptions:

   (1) A call sign shown on an expired license grant 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 or canceled license grant (except for
   a license grant that is canceled pursuant to § 97.31) is not available to the
   vanity call sign system for 2 years following the date such action is taken.
   (The availability of a call sign shown on a license canceled pursuant to
   § 97.31 is governed by paragraph (c)(3) of this section.)

   (i) This 2-year period does not apply to any license grant pursuant to
   paragraph (c)(3)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section that is surrendered,
   canceled, revoked, voided, or set aside because the grantee acknowledged or
   the  Commission  determined  that the grantee was not eligible for the
   exception. In such a case, the call sign is not available to the vanity call
   sign system for 30 days following the date such action is taken, or for the
   period for which the call sign would not have been available to the vanity
   call sign system pursuant to paragraphs (c)(2) or (3) of this section but
   for the intervening grant to the ineligible applicant, whichever is later.

   (ii) An applicant to whose operator/primary station license grant, or club
   station license grant for which the applicant is the trustee, the call sign
   was  previously assigned is exempt from the 2-year period set forth in
   paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

   (3) A call sign shown on a license canceled pursuant to § 97.31 of this part
   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
   grant, whichever is sooner. If, however, a license is canceled more than 2
   years  after the licensee's death (or within 30 days before the second
   anniversary of the licensee's death), the call sign is not available to the
   vanity call sign system for 30 days following the date such action is taken.
   The following applicants are exempt from this 2-year period:

   (i) An applicant to whose operator/primary station license grant, or club
   station license grant for which the applicant is the trustee, the call sign
   was previously assigned; or

   (ii) An applicant who is the spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent,
   grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt,
   uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law of the person now deceased or of any other
   deceased former holder of the call sign, provided that the vanity call sign
   requested by the applicant is from the group of call signs corresponding to
   the  same  or lower class of operator license held by the applicant as
   designated in the sequential call sign system; or

   (iii) An applicant who is a club station license trustee acting with a
   written statement of consent signed by either the licensee ante mortem but
   who is now deceased, or by at least one relative as listed in paragraph
   (c)(3)(ii) of this section, of the person now deceased or of any other
   deceased former holder of the call sign, provided that the deceased former
   holder was a member of the club during his or her life.

   (d) The vanity call sign requested by an applicant must be selected from the
   group of call signs corresponding to the same or lower class of operator
   license held by the applicant as designated in the sequential call sign
   system.

   (1) The applicant must request that the call sign shown on the license grant
   be vacated and provide a list of up to 25 call signs in order of preference.
   In  the  event  that the Commission receives more than one application
   requesting a vanity call sign from an applicant on the same receipt day, the
   Commission will process only the first such application entered into the
   Universal Licensing System. Subsequent vanity call sign applications from
   that applicant with the same receipt date will not be accepted.

   (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.

   (4) A call sign designated under the sequential call sign system for Alaska,
   Hawaii, Caribbean Insular Areas, and Pacific Insular areas will be assigned
   only to a primary or club station whose licensee's mailing address is in the
   corresponding state, commonwealth, or island. This limitation does not apply
   to  an  applicant  for the call sign as the spouse, child, grandchild,
   stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother,
   stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law, of the former holder now
   deceased.

   [ 60 FR 7460 , Feb. 8, 1995, as amended at  60 FR 50123 , Sept. 28, 1995;  60 FR 53132 , Oct. 12, 1995;  63 FR 68979 , Dec. 14, 1998;  71 FR 66461 , Nov. 15,
   2006;  75 FR 78170 , Dec. 15, 2010]

   return arrow Back to Top