Advanced License Search allows you to search for licenses of any radio service code listed based on combinations of general license attributes. The following search attributes are available:

• Call Sign and Radio Service Group
• Licensee Information
  
  • Name
  • FRN
  • City, State, or Zip Code
• License Detail
  • Status
  • Authorization Type
• Dates
  • Grant Date
  • Effective Date
  • Expiration Date
  • Cancellation Date
  • Last Action Date
• Frequencies
• Customize Your Results
• Display
• Sorted By
• Order

Call Sign and Radio Service Group

Call Sign

The combination of letters and numbers that identify an FCC license.

Radio Service Group

Each wireless service licensed within The Universal Licensing System (ULS) is part of a group of services under FCC rules. ULS Advanced License Search allows you to search both by radio service groups and individual radio service.

First, choose one of the following radio service groups from the pull down menu:

• 3650-3700 MHz
• Amateur
• Ship
• Commercial and Restricted
• Aircraft
• GMRS
• Cellular Radiotelephone
• Paging
• SMR
• Coast and Ground - Site-Based
• Part 90 - Land Mobile - Site-Based
• Microwave Site-Based
• Broadcast Auxiliary
• Cellular-Like Service
• Market-Based
• PCS Broadband
• BRS/EBS Services

Note that the individual radio services, designated by a two-letter FCC code, appear in the text menu listing below the radio service groups. To search by radio service groups, do not select specific radio services. To search for one or more radio services, click on the name of the individual radio service, holding down the Control key to make multiple selections. Click here for a complete listing of Radio Services and their two letter codes.

Licensee Information

Licensee Name

The name of the individual or business entity holding the license.

If searching for an individual's full name as the Licensee Name, enter the name in the following order:

Last Name [Space] Suffix [Comma] [Space] First Name [Space] Middle Initial

Here is an example:

Public Jr, Joe D

Note: Spaces between last name and suffix (if there is one), comma and first name, and first name and middle initial (if there is one) are required.

• You must use a suffix if the individual used one when applying for the license.
• Do not use periods after the suffix or middle initial.
• Middle Initial is optional.

  You may search on just the last name by entering the name and using the All Matches search option.

FRN

The Licensee FCC Registration Number (FRN) is a unique 10-digit number that is assigned by the Commission Registration System (CORES) to any entity doing business with the FCC. The FCC will use the FRN to determine if all of an entity's fees have been paid for application filings requiring a fee. To determine if an FRN is associated with an existing call sign, search by call sign in the ULS License Search. The FRN will appear on the Search Results page. If there is no FRN associated with the call sign, select Register CORES / Call Sign on the ULS homepage. Search by FRN in ULS License Search to find all call signs registered to that FRN.

City, State, or Zip Code

This function enables you to narrow your search for licenses or any radio service code by licensee city, state, or zip code. You can narrow your search by zip code; state; city and state; or city, state, and zip code. Input a 5-digit zip code, and/or the city name, and choose the state name from the drop-down menu.

NOTE: Searching by "city" is treated by License Search as a "wildcard" search if the city name is not fully specified. For example, inputting "San" would return San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Fe, etc.

Status

All
Active
Canceled
Expired
Terminated
Termination Pending

NOTE: In ULS License Search, All is selected by default. To narrow your search, clear the All checkbox and select the desired status codes.

Authorization Type

Regular
Select Regular to search for regular authorizations only.

STA
Select STA to search for authorizations that the FCC granted for temporary use (i.e., circumstances requiring immediate or emergency use of facilities, temporary authority to install and/or operate new or modified equipment, etc.).

Developmental
Select Developmental to search for authorizations that the FCC granted for developmental authority to construct and operate transmitters for the purpose of developing a new radio service or a new technology not regularly authorized under specific FCC rules.

Demonstration
Select Demonstration to search for licenses used by licensees involved in the sale and/or marketing of radio equipment. Demonstration licenses may be used for purposes of demonstrating equipment to potential customers at trade shows or at other exhibitions, performing on site coverage studies for potential customers, or other uses as provided for under specific FCC rules.

Date Information

You can search for licenses with a given date range and on specified date information. From the top pull-down menu, select the kind of date information you would like to use in your search. You can choose from the following:

Grant Date
The date on which a license becomes effective, which initiates the license term (usually 10 years) and sets the timetable for any applicable construction or coverage deadlines.

Effective Date
The date on which a license becomes effective. In most cases this is the same as the Grant Date. For modifications, the original Grant Date of the license will remain the same, but the Effective Date will be the day the Modification becomes effective.

Expiration Date
The date after which an FCC-granted license ceases to be valid. For example, a license with a 12/1/2004 expiration is no longer valid at 12:00am on 12/2/2004. In most cases, wireless licenses have a 10-year license term, and the expiration date is the 10-year anniversary date of the original license grant date.

Cancellation Date
The date a call sign became inactive. The licensee may file an application to request cancellation. Licenses can become inactive when the license expires and is auto-deleted via ULS's auto-expiration program. The FCC can also choose to terminate the license in the case where a licensee fails to meet its debt obligations to the U.S. government with respect to an auctioned license or for non-construction or discontinuance of operations.

Last Action Date
Date of the last action performed by the FCC on an application.

Date
From the date pull-down menu you can select Custom and enter a date range in the From and To fields. You can also choose one of the listed fixed date ranges such as “In the last 30 days” or “In the last 60 days,” and the dates will automatically be calculated and displayed in the From and To fields. Both the From and To fields must contain a date. Dates must be entered in MM/DD/YYYY format.

Select All Frequencies, an exact frequency in megahertz, or a range of frequencies in megahertz.

Note: Frequencies in a Terminated status are not retrieved when searching by Frequency.

These options allow you to customize the display format of the resulting Search report. Three display options are customizable:

Display
Allows you to display a number of results on one screen. Available options are:

• 10 matches
• 20 matches
• 50 matches
• 100 matches

Sorted By
Allows you to sort the results by field priority. Available options are:

• Call Sign
• Licensee Name
• FRN
• Radio Service
• Status Code
• Expiration Date

Order
Allows you to specify either ascending or descending order.

• The Submit button activates the database search.
• The Reset button returns all form elements to their default state.
• Select "all matches" to search for all records that contain the entered character string. For example, if you input either "1234" in the FRN field or "Smith" in the Licensee Name field and select "all matches," the search engine would return all records that contain these character strings. Because this kind of search is broad, many records might be returned, which can hinder a quick search.
• Select "exact matches only" to search for only the records that exactly match the character string. For example, if you input either "0123456789" in the FRN box or "Smith, John" in the Licensee Name box and select "exact matches only," then the search engine would return only records that contain these exact character strings. In other words, neither records with just "01234" nor records with just "Smith" would be returned. This search is narrower, returns fewer records, and can speed up a search.