Whoa FCC ? Can't finish

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MOAK

Rank V
Launch Member

Off-Road Ranger I

2,865
Wernersville Public Library, North Reber Street, Wernersville, PA, USA
First Name
Donald
Last Name
Diehl
Member #

0745

Ham/GMRS Callsign
WRPN 506
OK guys I need some help here as I'm ready to pull my hair out. The FCC site is anything but easy to navigate, however, they have my 70 bucks for my GMRS license. Once I paid I wrongfully assumed I would be assigned a call number and a link to print out my license. WRONG. They keep asking me to link my registration # with my call sign to access my license. WTF? I've been on here for over an hour trying to navigate this. Even went back through everything I printed out to no avail.... It is Saturday, must I wait until Monday to retrieve my license? Thanks for any feedback. Oh, BTW, after a lot of research and some prodding by the club I'll be leading a tour for I broke the bank and purchased a 15 watt GMRS that will be mounted in my vehicle. Thanks again.
 
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North American Sojourner

Rank VI
Member

Influencer I

3,240
Mid-Missouri, MO, USA
First Name
Dave
Last Name
Zimmer
Member #

30139

Service Branch
USN (ret)
OK guys I need some help here as I'm ready to pull my hair out. The FCC site is anything but easy to navigate, however, they have my 70 bucks for my GMRS license. Once I paid I wrongfully assumed I would be assigned a call number and a link to print out my license. WRONG. They keep asking me to link my registration # with my call sign to access my license. WTF? I've been on here for over an hour trying to navigate this. Even went back through everything I printed out to no avail.... It is Saturday, must I wait until Monday to retrieve my license? Thanks for any feedback. Oh, BTW, after a lot of research and some prodding by the club I'll be leading a tour for I broke the bank and purchased a 15 watt GMRS that will be mounted in my vehicle. Thanks again.
If I remember right you're just going to wait. I think mine took a few days for sure. I don't think the GMRS police will get you tho. They're busy fighting Putin.
LOL
Zim
 

K12

Rank VII
Member

Endurance III

5,786
Idaho, United States
First Name
Beau
Last Name
K12
Member #

28559

Service Branch
Air Force
OK guys I need some help here as I'm ready to pull my hair out. The FCC site is anything but easy to navigate, however, they have my 70 bucks for my GMRS license. Once I paid I wrongfully assumed I would be assigned a call number and a link to print out my license. WRONG. They keep asking me to link my registration # with my call sign to access my license. WTF? I've been on here for over an hour trying to navigate this. Even went back through everything I printed out to no avail.... It is Saturday, must I wait until Monday to retrieve my license? Thanks for any feedback. Oh, BTW, after a lot of research and some prodding by the club I'll be leading a tour for I broke the bank and purchased a 15 watt GMRS that will be mounted in my vehicle. Thanks again.
When I did mine about a year ago it took less than a week to get the paper in the mail. I never got anything online or an Email.
 

M Rose

Local Expert
Mod Team
Member

Advocate III

5,584
Northeast Oregon, United States
First Name
Michael
Last Name
Rose
Member #

20990

Ham/GMRS Callsign
W7FSB
Service Branch
US ARMY Retired
When I did mine about a year ago it took less than a week to get the paper in the mail. I never got anything online or an Email.
FCC stopped sending mail for licenses in July of 2022 (or there abouts)

@MOAK, if you have a call sign you are good to transmit. And as others have said, you probably won’t get into any trouble over the weekend…. As long as you have your call sign. I wouldn’t stress over it to much since with 15 watts you aren’t going to be breaking any pile ups or walking over anyone. Just use the radio respectfully and all will be well.
 
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M Rose

Local Expert
Mod Team
Member

Advocate III

5,584
Northeast Oregon, United States
First Name
Michael
Last Name
Rose
Member #

20990

Ham/GMRS Callsign
W7FSB
Service Branch
US ARMY Retired
Ok thanks guys... Oh about the call letters, I can’t find them anywhere-?
No call letters means your license isn’t processed yet. It takes 1-7 business days to get it. I am an online VE for amateur radio licensing. We aren’t seeing any call signs come back for tests we administer on Friday Nights, weekends, or federal holidays, they are always available first thing Monday morning (or the next business day).
 

ThundahBeagle

Rank V

Advocate I

1,548
Massachusetts
First Name
Andrew
Last Name
Beagle
Member #

0

FCC stopped sending mail for licenses in July of 2022 (or there abouts)

@MOAK, if you have a call sign you are good to transmit. And as others have said, you probably won’t get into any trouble over the weekend…. As long as you have your call sign. I wouldn’t stress over it to much since with 15 watts you aren’t going to be breaking any pile ups or walking over anyone. Just use the radio respectfully and all will be well.
Is that, they WILL stop in July 2022. Or that they DID already stop last July? Want to go through this process soon

Thanks
 

CMac

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,202
Ashburn, VA, USA
First Name
Chris
Last Name
McIntyre
Member #

20074

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KN4UNO
Service Branch
USN
OK guys I need some help here as I'm ready to pull my hair out. The FCC site is anything but easy to navigate, however, they have my 70 bucks for my GMRS license. Once I paid I wrongfully assumed I would be assigned a call number and a link to print out my license. WRONG. They keep asking me to link my registration # with my call sign to access my license. WTF? I've been on here for over an hour trying to navigate this. Even went back through everything I printed out to no avail.... It is Saturday, must I wait until Monday to retrieve my license? Thanks for any feedback. Oh, BTW, after a lot of research and some prodding by the club I'll be leading a tour for I broke the bank and purchased a 15 watt GMRS that will be mounted in my vehicle. Thanks again.
Ya, the FCC's website is the absolute worst thing to ever exist on the internet.

You should be able to look up everything issued to you by your FRN. It's a complete pain in the prostate, but it is possible... don't quit.
 

ThundahBeagle

Rank V

Advocate I

1,548
Massachusetts
First Name
Andrew
Last Name
Beagle
Member #

0

I dont get why we need an FRN in order to purchase a GMRS license from the Federal government. It's not as if we dont pay the feds $ all the time for services and documents without an FRN. They take our tax money without an FRN (for individuals of course).

Anyone know why? Do you have to do the same to get your HAM?
 
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CMac

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,202
Ashburn, VA, USA
First Name
Chris
Last Name
McIntyre
Member #

20074

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KN4UNO
Service Branch
USN
I dont get why we need an FRN in order to purchase a GMRS license from the Federal government. It's not as if we dont pay the feds $ all the time for services and documents without an FRN. They take our tax money without an FRN (for individuals of course).

Anyone know why? Do you have to do the same to get your HAM?
Well everything the FCC issues is associated with an FRN.... so we pretty much have to play the game their way. If you want to download "official" copies, versus "reference" copies, then that's how you access them: via FRN. If there's another way, I'm not privy to it. Others may have gone in some different direction. I have a ham license and an unrestricted radiotelephone operator's license.

Let me also add that I'd rather light myself on fire than do business on the FCC's website.
 
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Downs

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,827
Hunt County Texas
First Name
Joshua
Last Name
Downs
Member #

20468

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KK6RBI / WQYH678
Service Branch
USMC 03-16, FIRE/EMS
It's a pretty awful website. I had my GMRS callsign in less than 48 hours after submitting my online request back in 2015 but I had already dealt with the HAM side of things so had practice dealing with it.
 

Dlnuckolls

Rank V
Member

Off-Road Ranger I

1,503
Shepherdsville, KY, USA
First Name
David
Last Name
Nuckolls
Member #

27074

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KO4WHV
If you have your FRN, then for the GMRS license, you can get it online. I had mine issued back in 2020, and i got my call sign issued in a couple hours. It did take several more hours to dig around the FCC site to find out where to download my “Official” copy to print.

Now with my ham license, it took almost a full day to have that issued. But since i had previously registered a login with my FRN, it was much easier to find and download.
 

Downs

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,827
Hunt County Texas
First Name
Joshua
Last Name
Downs
Member #

20468

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KK6RBI / WQYH678
Service Branch
USMC 03-16, FIRE/EMS
If you have your FRN, then for the GMRS license, you can get it online. I had mine issued back in 2020, and i got my call sign issued in a couple hours. It did take several more hours to dig around the FCC site to find out where to download my “Official” copy to print.

Now with my ham license, it took almost a full day to have that issued. But since i had previously registered a login with my FRN, it was much easier to find and download.
If you dont want to carry around a piece of paper you don't have to. Just being in the database counts as your license.
 
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MidOH

Rank IV

Off-Road Ranger I

1,298
Mid Ohio
First Name
John
Last Name
Clark
Ham/GMRS Callsign
YourHighness
Do you need anything for gmrs to work?

I seriously doubt my fellow overlanders have any license at all, for any radio.

Give or take a valid driver's license for some of them.
 

Dlnuckolls

Rank V
Member

Off-Road Ranger I

1,503
Shepherdsville, KY, USA
First Name
David
Last Name
Nuckolls
Member #

27074

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KO4WHV
To work, no, to work legally, yes. While you may be correct in assuming many folks operate without the proper licensing, the real question would be why?

It is not difficult, or complicated to run legal, so why not take a minute or two and comply? Following the rules may seem trivial, but it make things better for all those who follow in our footsteps.

Do you need anything for gmrs to work?

I seriously doubt my fellow overlanders have any license at all, for any radio.

Give or take a valid driver's license for some of them.