PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 1919 M St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Released: October 30, 1997 AMATEUR STATION VANITY CALL SIGN SYSTEM FILING GATE 4 OPENS DECEMBER 2, 1997 General, Technician Plus, Technician and Novice Class amateur operators may request a vanity call sign on or after December 2, 1997. If your application is received prior to this date or if you do not qualify under the standards detailed below, your application will be dismissed. Amateur Extra and Advanced Class operators continue to be eligible to file for a vanity call sign under filing gates previously opened. File your request on either, but not both, the interactive electronically-filed Forms 610-V and 159 or the document Forms 610-V and 159. Both versions are available from the Internet site . To facilitate the processing of requests for vanity call signs each workday, electronically-filed Forms 610-V for which the filing fee and Form 159 have been received will be processed first followed by document Forms 610-V and 159. The fee is $50. Pay by check (to "FCC"), bank draft, money order or credit card. Do not send cash. USING THE INTERACTIVE ELECTRONICALLY-FILED FORMS 610-V AND 159 - To access instructions, click your mouse button with the pointer on the highlighted portion of the item for which you need assistance. Press your key to submit your application. If you have provided the required information, the screen will prompt you with a Fee Remittance Advice, FCC Form 159, that you must complete, print and mail together with the fee to Federal Communications Commission, POB 358994, Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5994 . The Form 159 and the fee must be received within ten (10) days of electronically filing your Form 610-V or your application will be dismissed. USING THE DOCUMENT FORMS 610-V AND 159 - The document Forms 610-V and 159 are also available from the Fax-on-demand system by calling (202) 418-0177 from the handset of a facsimile machine, or from the FCC's forms contractor by calling (800) 418-FORM (3676). Your application package (completed document Form 610-V with a copy of your license attached, Form 159 and the proper fee in a sealed envelope) must show this mailing address: Federal Communications Commission, Amateur Vanity Call Sign Request, POB 358924, Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5924. If your application package is delivered by hand or courier, it must be prepared as described and sealed in a second, outer envelope showing this courier address: Federal Communications Commission, c/o Mellon Bank, 525 William Penn Way, 27th Floor, Room 153-2713, Pittsburgh, PA 15259, Attn: Wholesale Lockbox Shift Supervisor. [Note: Do not use the courier address as a mailing address and vice-versa.] 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, or if your name or address has changed, you must first request modification of your license grant to show the correct information by filing FCC Form 610 or, in the case of a club station, FCC Form 610-B. Refer to the licensee data base to verify that the call sign you are requesting is not already assigned. The license grant of the former holder now deceased must be deleted from the licensee database. This is accomplished by submitting a signed request for license grant cancellation accompanied by a copy of an obituary or death certificate to the FCC, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245 prior to filing the application for a vanity call sign. The autogrant system does not include review of any document, except a copy of your license, attached to Forms 159 and 610-V. Even where a call sign does not appear on the database, it may not be available for assignment. For additional information on the assignment status of call signs, contact the FCC's copy contractor, International Transcription Services [717-337-1433]. A call sign is normally assignable two years following license expiration, surrender, revocation, set aside, cancellation, void ab initio, or death of the grantee. See Fact Sheet PR5000 Number 206-V AMATEUR STATION VANITY CALL SIGN SYSTEM. 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. For explanations of Groups A, B, C and D and the geographic Regions, see Fact Sheet PR5000 Number 206-S, AMATEUR STATION SEQUENTIAL CALL SIGN SYSTEM. REQUEST BY LIST (PRIMARY OR CLUB STATION) - Provide a list of up to 25 call signs in the order of your preference. The first assignable call sign on your list will be assigned to your station. When so requesting for your primary or club station: The call sign must have been unassigned for at least two years. If you are an Amateur Extra Class operator, each call sign must be in Group A, B, C or D. If you are an Advanced Class operator, each call sign must be in Group B, C or D. If you are a General, Technician Plus, or Technician Class operator, each call sign must be in Group C or D. If you are a Novice Class operator, each call sign must be in Group D. Each call sign must be one designated for the Region of your mailing address as follows (refer to Fact Sheets PR5000 Numbers 206-S and 206-V for additional mailing address requirements): o One of the contiguous 48 states - Regions 1 to 10. o Alaska - Regions 1 to 11. o American Samoa - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 8. o Commonwealth of Northern Marianna Islands - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 0. o Guam - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 2. o Hawaii - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 13 having numeral 6 or 7. o Puerto Rico - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 12 having numeral 3 or 4. o Virgin Islands - Regions 1 to 10, or Region 12 having numeral 2. REQUEST BY FORMER HOLDER (PRIMARY STATION) - For your primary station, you may request a call sign that was previously assigned to your primary, secondary, repeater, auxiliary link, control or space station. When so requesting for your primary station: You may request your former call sign even though it has been unassigned for less than two years. The two year requirement does not apply to an otherwise eligible primary station if the call sign was previously assigned to a station of the requestor. You do not have to hold a class of operator license required for the Group (A, B, C or D) for the call sign requested. A call sign request by a former holder may be from any Group in the sequential system. Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the sequential system for the call sign requested. A call sign requested by former a holder may be in any Region. REQUEST BY CLOSE RELATIVE OF FORMER HOLDER NOW DECEASED (PRIMARY STATION) - For your primary station, you may request a call sign that was previously assigned to the primary, secondary, repeater, auxiliary link, control or space station of your now-deceased spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law. When so requesting for your primary station: You may request the former call sign of a close relative now deceased even though it has been unassigned for less than two years. Upon the death of the holder, a call sign is assignable immediately to an otherwise eligible primary station of a close relative. You must be an Amateur Extra Class operator to request a Group A call sign. You must be an Amateur Extra or Advanced Class operator to request a Group B call sign. You must be an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or Technician Class operator to request a Group C call sign. You must be an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, Technician or Novice class operator to request a Group D call sign. Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the sequential system for the call sign requested. A call sign requested by a close relative of former holder now deceased may be in any Region. You must show your relationship to the deceased person exactly as listed in the instruction, i.e., "child," "niece" or "in-law". REQUEST BY FORMER HOLDER (CLUB STATION) - For the club station for which you are the license trustee, you may request a call sign that was previously assigned to that station. When so requesting for a club station: You may request your club station's former call sign even though it has been unassigned for less than two years. The two year requirement does not apply to an otherwise eligible club station if the call sign was previously assigned to the club station for which the requestor is the license trustee. You do not have to hold a class of operator license required for the Group (A, B, C or D) for the call sign requested. A call sign request by former holder may be from any Group in the sequential system. Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the sequential system for the call sign requested. A call sign requested by a former holder may be in any Region. REQUEST IN MEMORIAM (CLUB STATION) - If you are the license trustee for your club station, you may request in memoriam for your club station the call sign previously shown on the primary, secondary, repeater, auxiliary link, control or space station license of a deceased person who was a member of the club. When so requesting in memoriam for your club station: You may request the call sign even though it has been less than two years following death of the club member. Upon the death of the holder, the call sign is assignable immediately to an otherwise eligible club station. You must have in your station records a written statement (do not send to FCC unless requested) from a spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law of the deceased confirming the deceased person's association with the club and showing consent of the relative to your request. You must be an Amateur Extra Class operator to request a Group A call sign. You must be an Amateur Extra or Advanced Class operator to request a Group B call sign. You must be an Amateur Extra, Advanced, General, Technician Plus, or Technician Class operator to request a Group C or D call sign. Your mailing address does not have to be in the Region designated in the sequential system for the call sign requested. A call sign requested in memoriam may be in any Region. You must enter the relationship to the deceased person giving consent exactly as listed in the instruction, i.e., child, niece or in-law. Access the FCC's web site at for the electronically-filed Forms 610-V and 159, Fact Sheet PR5000 Number 206-V AMATEUR STATION VANITY CALL SIGN SYSTEM, Fact Sheet PR5000 Number 206-S AMATEUR STATION SEQUENTIAL CALL SIGN SYSTEM and answers to frequently asked questions about the vanity call sign system. For general information, contact the FCC's National Call Center at 1-888-225-5322 (CALLFCC). -FCC-