Every applicant must have an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before taking an exam. Volunteer Examiners will not process your paperwork without one, and the FCC will not issue a call sign.
How to get one
- Go to the FCC CORES system at fcc.gov and choose to register.
- Create a username (an email address) and password.
- Register as an individual, not a business.
- Provide your Social Security number, which the FCC requires for identification, along with your
- The FRN — a ten-digit number — is issued immediately. Write it down and bring it to the exam.
legal name and mailing address.
For applicants without an SSN
Foreign nationals and others without a Social Security number can request an FCC-issued identification number using CORES' alternative registration path. Start this well before your exam date; it is not instant.
For minors
A parent may register on behalf of a child, but the FRN and licence belong to the child. Use the child's own legal name.
Keep the login
Your CORES username and password are how you later pay the application fee, change your address, renew your licence and apply for a vanity call sign. Losing them is the single most common administrative headache in the hobby.
Keep your address current
The FCC requires a working mailing address on file. Mail returned as undeliverable is grounds for licence revocation, and your address is public in the licence database.