PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
DA 13-669
April 9, 2013
Office of Engineering and Technology to Begin Issuing Five-Character
Grantee Codes for Certified Radiofrequency Equipment
The Commission operates an equipment authorization program for radiofrequency (RF) devices 
under 47 C.F.R. Part 2 Subpart J.  The equipment authorization program is a key component of 
FCC’s spectrum and policy agenda.  It encourages innovation in equipment design, ensures 
efficient use of the radio spectrum, and ensures that RF devices comply with the Commission’s 
rules.
RF devices that are subject to the equipment authorization program’s certification procedure 
must be labeled with an FCC identifier (FCC ID) that is unique to the device.  The FCC ID 
currently consists of a three-character Commission-issued code identifying the grantee of the 
certification (grantee code) and a one- to fourteen-character product code selected by the grantee.  
On June 13, 2012, the Commission adopted an Order, 27 FCC Rcd 6565 (2012), to modify 
Sections 2.925 and 2.926 of the rules to permit the use of five-digit grantee codes, thus greatly 
increasing the supply of available codes
On May 1, 2013, the Office of Engineering and Technology will begin issuing five-character 
grantee codes.  The five-character codes will consist of an Arabic numeral between two and nine 
followed by four alphanumeric characters (capital letters or Arabic numerals between two and 
nine). Thus, the FCC ID for products with a five-character grantee code may be up to nineteen 
characters long if the grantee chooses to use fourteen characters for its product code.
Applicants for equipment authorizations may continue to use three-character grantee codes that 
have previously been issued and paid for. The FCC ID for products with a three-character 
grantee code may be up to seventeen characters when a fourteen-character product code is used.
For more information, contact George Tannahill at (301) 362-3026, george.tannahill@fcc.gov.
-OET-