Getting an FRN
An FCC Registration Number (FRN) is a 10-digit number the FCC uses to identify everyone who does business with it. Every amateur license applicant needs one before their application can be processed, and the FRN is what the FCC ties the $35 application fee to.
SANDARC Policy
Applicants should arrive at the session already holding an FRN. HamStudy asks for it during registration, and ExamTools needs it to generate a valid Form NCVEC 605.
Helping an applicant register for an FRN on session day is allowed, but it slows the session down considerably. Direct applicants to this page when they register.
Who Already Has One
- Anyone who already holds an FCC license — amateur or otherwise — already has an FRN. It is printed on the license and is searchable in ULS.
- Upgrading applicants always have one. They should not create a second FRN; a duplicate FRN splits their license record and creates work for the VEC and the FCC to unwind.
Never create a second FRN
If an applicant cannot remember their FRN, recover it rather than registering again. Use the "Forgot FRN" recovery on the CORES sign-in page, or look the licensee up by call sign in ULS.
Individual FRN
An applicant registers for their own FRN directly with the FCC. It is free and takes a few minutes.
- Go to FCC CORES and create a CORES account (an email address and password). The account is the login; it is not itself the FRN.
- Sign in, then choose to register a new FRN.
- Select the Individual registration type.
- Provide the required identifying information:
- Full legal name
- Social Security Number (see below if the applicant does not have one)
- Date of birth
- Mailing address, email address, and phone number
- Submit. The FRN is issued immediately and displayed on screen.
- Have the applicant record the FRN and their CORES password. They will need both again to pay the FCC application fee and to renew the license in ten years.
The address becomes public
The mailing address attached to the FRN appears in the public ULS database once a license is granted. Applicants who do not want a home address published should register with a P.O. box or other valid mailing address they can receive mail at. The FCC requires a working mailing address; a license can be revoked for undeliverable mail.
Applicants Without a Social Security Number
The FCC normally requires an SSN or other Taxpayer Identification Number for an individual FRN. Applicants who do not have one — foreign nationals, for example — cannot complete the standard registration path and must request an alternate registration from the FCC directly.
Do not attempt to work around this at the session, and never register an applicant under someone else's SSN. Refer the applicant to FCC support and reschedule them for a later session if needed.
Club FRN
A club station license needs its own FRN, registered to the club as an organization — not to the trustee personally. The trustee's individual FRN is not a substitute.
Before You Start
Under §97.5, a club station license requires:
- At least four members
- A name, a document of organization, and management
- A primary purpose devoted to amateur service activities
- A trustee who holds a valid FCC amateur operator license
A club does not need an EIN
An Employer Identification Number is not required to register a club FRN. CORES has a registration path built for amateur clubs that have no taxpayer ID.
A club that already has an EIN — typically an incorporated club — can use it. A club that does not simply selects the amateur club option instead. Some unincorporated clubs are asked for the trustee's TIN during registration.
Registering the Club FRN
- Sign in to FCC CORES. The trustee may use their existing CORES account — the account holder and the FRN registrant are separate things.
- Choose to register a new FRN and select these registration options:
- Registration Type: Business
- Business Type: Private Sector
- Business Subtype: Amateur Club
- Provide the club's name, mailing address, and a contact person.
- If the club has no taxpayer ID, select Amateur Club as the reason when CORES asks for one.
- Submit. The club FRN is issued immediately.
Keep the club FRN and the CORES credentials with the club's records, not only with the current trustee. The club will need them again to pay FCC fees and whenever the trustee changes.
Getting the Club Call Sign
Clubs cannot apply to the FCC directly
A club cannot file for a club station call sign with the FCC on its own. Every club license transaction — a new license, a change of trustee, a renewal, or a cancellation — must be filed through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator (CSCSA) on Form NCVEC 605-C.
SANDARC is not a Club Station Call Sign Administrator and cannot process club station applications.
SANDARC Policy
Direct clubs to the Central Alabama VEC (CAVEC), an FCC-authorized CSCSA:
- Website: cavec.us/cscsa
- Email: vec@cavec.us
How the process works:
- The club registers its FRN first — the FRN goes on the 605-C application.
- The club contacts CAVEC to start the application.
- CAVEC sends an electronic Form 605 for signature.
- The form needs two signatures: the named trustee and an authorizing club official. For a new license, change of trustee, or cancellation, the trustee cannot also be the authorizing official — these must be two different people.
- Once the completed form is returned, CAVEC files the application with the FCC.
- The FCC invoices the $35 application fee, paid through the CORES account tied to the club's FRN.
Common Problems at Sessions
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Applicant does not know their FRN | Recover it via "Forgot FRN" in CORES, or look up their call sign in ULS. Do not register a new one. |
| Applicant created a second FRN | Note it on the session paperwork and email vec@sandarc.org. The duplicate must be consolidated by the FCC. |
| Name on FRN does not match photo ID | The FRN record must match the legal name on the ID. The applicant updates it in CORES before the session data is submitted. |
| Applicant forgot their CORES password | They reset it themselves through CORES — the FCC will not release it to a VE. A password reset is free and changes nothing about their application. They will need CORES access later to pay the FCC fee, but forgetting the password does not cost them anything or make them pay the fee twice. |
| Applicant has no SSN | Refer to FCC support; this cannot be resolved at the session. |
After the Session
The FRN is how the FCC contacts the applicant for payment. Once SANDARC submits the session, the FCC emails the applicant a payment link, and the $35 fee must be paid within 10 calendar days or the application is dismissed. See Fees & Expense Reimbursement.
Remind new licensees that they cannot transmit until their license actually appears in ULS.