|
What is a Vanity Call Sign?
A Vanity call sign is a special Amateur Radio call sign specifically chosen by a person or club who is currently an Amateur Radio licensee (similar in purpose to Vanity license plates on cars). Vanity call signs usually include alphabetical characters of personal significance (eg, licensees initials, parts of names, hobbies, etc), or sometimes are simply chosen because they are shorter calls, or sometimes they have double or triple duplicate characters (eg, W1WWW).
A Vanity call sign is a call sign that the licensee wants assigned by the FCC for use in place of an existing call sign (or for an Amateur Radio club, it is a call sign assigned to replace the existing FCC-assigned club license call sign).
A Vanity call sign can only be obtained in exchange (traded in) for an existing call. A new individual licensee or a new club cannot initially get a Vanity call sign as their first call sign.
The FCC charges an annual fee for the Vanity call sign (payable up front for the entire ten-year license term) FCC Regulatory Fee.
For persons who have no interest in a special call sign, the FCC will issue at no charge a systematically assigned call sign (next one up in their computer system, with the type {group} of call sign and call area number determined by the FCC computer based on the applicant's license class and license address).
| | |
