CheckAero reads the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public files: the weekly full amateur license file plus the daily transaction files. There are about 822,407 active amateur licenses in it.
What a call sign lookup shows
- Licensee name, city and state (never the street address, ZIP code or FCC registration number)
- Operator class: Technician, General or Amateur Extra, plus older classes still on record
- Grant, effective and expiration dates and the FCC license status
- Where the license stands: active, open for renewal, in the 2-year grace period or expired
- Earlier licenses with the same call sign and the previous call sign of the licensee
Renewal rules
An amateur license runs for 10 years. It can be renewed in the 90 days before it expires and during the 2-year grace period after it, through the FCC ULS, with the $35 application fee. During the grace period the license is expired and you may not transmit until it is renewed. Read the ham license renewal guide for the steps.
US call sign format
A US amateur call sign is a prefix of one or two letters starting with K, N or W (or AA to AL), then one digit, then one to three letters: for example W1AW, KD2ABC or N0X. The digit originally showed the call district where the license was issued; licensees keep their call sign when they move, so it no longer has to match where they live.