Federal Communications Commission
Wireline Competition Bureau
Common Carrier Services
Fee Filing Guide
	SECTION 8 FEES
	(PROCESSING FEES)
FOR:
· Section 214 Applications (Transfer of Control, STA, and Discontinuance)
· VoIP Numbering Applications
· Tariff Filings
· Accounting
· Universal Service Fund Auctions




This is an unofficial compilation of the requests for FCC actions that are subject to fees.  The public should consult the Commission's Rules as set out in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for application filing requirements.  Further information on fees may be obtained at Part I, Subpart G of the CFR or in the Commission's official decision implementing the Congressional Schedule of Charges.  This decision is published in the FCC Record, see Amendment of Schedule of Application Fees Set Forth in Sections 1.1102 through 1.1109 of the Commission’s Rules, MD Docket No. 20-270, 35 FCC Rcd 15089, 15127-32, paras. 118-35 (2020).


	Effective December 15, 2021


INTRODUCTION


The authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) to impose and collect fees and associated charges is contained in Title III, Section 3001 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-39), Section 8, revising 47 U.S.C. 158, which directs the Commission to prescribe charges for certain types of applications and other filings by communications entities over which it has jurisdiction.  Application processing fees are deposited in the U.S. Treasury.

This Fee Filing Guide is considered a reference guide to identify and describe the filing requirements for the Wireline Competition Bureau.  It is meant to be a handy reference of the services and requests for FCC actions for which the Wireline Competition Bureau has responsibility and that are subject to a fee.  The guide consists of two parts, Parts A and B, as well as a breakdown of the types of applications, form numbers, fee amounts, and payment type codes for each service provided.  

Part A provides instructions on how to pay a fee and identifies other processing services available to the requestor.  Always read Part A before attempting to complete any of the forms required with your submission.  Part B provides specific information pertaining to the Wireline Competition Bureau’s Section 8 (application) fees.  

If further information is required that cannot be answered in this guide, please consult the Commission's Rules as set forth in Title 47, Part 1, Subpart G, Section 1.1105 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).  All fees are subject to modification as required by Congress.  An electronic version of the CFR, including updates, is available at www.ecfr.gov.
PART A

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR APPLICANTS/LICENSEES 
WHO SUBMIT FEEABLE FILINGS

Effective December 3, 2001, the use of the FCC Registration Number (FRN) is mandatory. Failure to register or include an FRN on your FCC Form 159 will result in your application being returned as unprocessable.  If you do not yet have an FRN, you can obtain one through the FCC website listed below, or by filling out the registration form (Form 160) and submitting the registration form to the FCC.  P\please have the FRN available when contacting or submitting documents to the FCC.

Ways to obtain an FCC Form 159:
· Go to http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html.
· Call CORES Financial Helpdesk at 1-877-480-3201, Option 6.

Ways to obtain an FCC Registration Number (FRN):
· Go to www.fcc.gov/cores and click Register link.
· Calling the FCC’s CORES Helpdesk at 1-877-480-3201, Option 1.

DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT

In accordance with the Debt Collection Improvement Act (DCIA), the Commission will begin withholding action on applications and other requests for benefits upon discovery that the entity applying for or seeking benefits is delinquent in its non-tax debts owed to the Commission, and dismiss such applications or requests if the delinquent debt is not resolved.  Our application fee rules have been amended to state that we will withhold action on applications or other requests if payment of the delinquent debt is not made or satisfactory arrangements for payment are not made.  Those rule amendments are effective October 1, 2004.

REMINDER REGARDING LOCKBOX CLOSURES

The Commission has closed P.O. Boxes for the collection of fees and has required the use of electronic payment systems for all application and regulatory fees. The Commission previously revised its payment rules to encourage electronic payment of application processing fees and require electronic payment of regulatory fees.  47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1112 (application fees) and 1.1158 (regulatory fees).  These rules became effective November 30, 2015.  80 FR 66816 (Oct. 30, 2015).  
  The electronic payment of fees for applications, tariffs, and petitions increases the agency’s financial efficiency by reducing expenditures, including the annual fee for utilizing the bank’s services and the cost of processing each transaction manually, with very little or no inconvenience to the regulatees, applicants, and the public. See Treasury Financial Manual, Bulletin No. 2017-12, “Agency No-Cash or No-Check Policies,” released on September 18, 2017 (explaining the circumstances under which agencies may decide not to accept payments made in cash or by check), available at https://tfm.fiscal.treasury.gov/v1/bull/17-12.pdf; see also https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-06-16/pdf/2011-15181.pdf.
  As part of this process, the Commission has closed Lockbox 979091 (used to submit fees and petitions related to services provided by the Wireline Competition Bureau). Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules, Order, MD Docket No. 17-123, 32 FCC Rcd 4203 (2017) (modifying Section 1.1109 of the Commission’s rules to delete reference to P.O. Box 979092 at U.S. Bank in St. Louis, Missouri); Amendment of Parts 0, 1, 51, and 61 of the Commission’s Rules, Order, MD Docket No. 17-357, 32 FCC Rcd 10565 (2017) (modifying Section 1.1105 of the Commission’s rules to delete reference to P.O. Box 979091 at U.S. Bank in St. Louis, Missouri).   
  As a result, applications should be submitted electronically in accordance with the instructions below.  Any applications or petitions filed in hard copy format should be submitted according to the procedures set forth on the web page of the Commission’s Office of the Secretary, https://www.fcc.gov/seretary. 



APPLICATION FILING AND PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Section 214 and VoIP Numbering Authorization Applications  
Applicants must electronically file section 214 transfer of control and special temporary authority (STA) applications, section 214 discontinuance applications, and VoIP numbering authorization applications by accessing the appropriate “Inbox” in the “Submit a Non-Docketed Filing” module of the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) (https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/). The ECFS Inboxes are INBOX-63.04 for section 214 transfer of control applications and related STAs; INBOX- 63.71 for section 214 discontinuance applications; and INBOX-52.15 for VoIP numbering authorization applications.
  At the same time as submitting an application in ECFS, Applicants must separately pay the associated application processing fee through the Commission’s Registration System (CORES) (the Commission’s Management and Financial system), which can be reached either at https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do using an existing FCC Username account, or through the CORES’ FCC Registration Number (FRN) access page at https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/paymentFrnLogin.do.  In addition, starting on December 15, 2021, the URL used to access the Commission’s previous payment system, Fee Filer, https://apps.fcc.gov/FeeFiler/login.cfm, will automatically redirect users to the new payment module in CORES for a temporary period.

Tariff Filings and Accounting Waivers
Applicants must submit standard tariff filings, complex tariff filings (large), complex tariff filings (small), and applications for special permission for waiver of Commission rules by logging into the Commission’s Electronic Tariff Filing System (ETFS) (https://apps.fcc.gov/etfs/etfsHome.action) and accessing the appropriate “Filing Type.”  At the same time as submitting a tariff filing or application on ETFS, Applicants must separately pay the associated processing fee using the CORES payment module.  Finally, Applicants must electronically file applications for waiver of accounting rules by accessing the appropriate “Inbox” in the “Submit a Non-Docketed Filing” module in ECFS (INBOX-1.1105) and using the CORES payment module to pay the associated processing fee.

METHOD OF PAYMENT 

Payment of fees by check or money order are no longer accepted.  The Commission accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards when making payments for online applications.

If paying by wire, applicants located in foreign countries should contact their local bank to determine what U.S. financial institution their bank is affiliated with that will allow a transfer of funds.  Please keep in mind that there may be an additional transfer fee added from your bank for this service.  If an additional cost is required by your bank, and you have not included additional funds to cover this cost, it will be taken out of the funds that will be transferred.  This will result in your remaining transfer amount being insufficient to cover the fee for the filing.  Please check with your bank prior to completing this transaction to determine their policy.  For further instructions in making payment by wire see our website at http://www.fcc.gov/fees/wiretran.html.  

Payment of fees, fines, and other debts may also be made by electronic payment.   This is designed specifically for larger corporations capable of CPU/CPU communication.  To obtain more information about electronic payment and how it works, please contact the Revenue and Receivables Operations Group at (202) 418-1995.  For further information on making payment by electronic transfer see our website at http://www.fcc.gov/fees/electran.html. 

NONFEEABLE APPLICATIONS

All nonfeeable applications filed in Washington, DC must be filed directly with the Secretary's Office, 45 L Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20554 and should be captioned Attention: Wireline Competition Bureau.  


FEE EXEMPT APPLICATIONS

As applicable, provide the proper documentation, as required, to certify that your application is fee exempt.  47 CFR, Part 1, Section 1.1114 of the Commission's rules explains who qualifies as fee exempt.

REQUESTS FOR WAIVER, FEE DETERMINATION, AND DEFERRAL, PETITIONS FOR RECONSIDERATION AND APPLICATIONS FOR REVIEW OF FEE DECISIONS 

Waiver, deferral and fee determination requests, petitions for reconsideration, and applications for review of fee decisions must be filed in accordance with 47 CFR, Part 1, Sections 1.1113 and 1.1119, and will be acted upon by the Managing Director with the concurrence of the General Counsel..  Each such pleading must be filed as a separate pleading.  Requests to defer for financial hardship reasons must include supporting documentation. Each requestor will receive written notification of the Commission’s decision on its request, and all such decisions will be published periodically and placed in FCC Docket [General Docket 86-285].

REFUND PROCESS

The appropriate Bureau/Office handles routine refund requests.  When a Bureau/Office determines that a refund is warranted, it is forwarded to the Office of the Managing Director, Revenue and Receivables Operations Group (RROG) for processing.  The RROG handles all approved refund requests.  Once the refund request is approved, the refund process usually takes 7-10 business days.  Once a request has been reviewed and processed by RROG, it is forwarded to the U.S. Treasury in San Francisco, California where a check is issued to the payer of the remittance.  For further information on return or refund of charges, refer to 47 CFR, Part 1, and Section 1.1115 of the Commission’s Rules.

QUESTIONS

For technical assistance with the new CORES payment module, please submit a help request through https://www.fcc.gov/available-support-services, or call 877-480-3201, or send an email to ARINQUIRIES@fcc.gov.


PART B:  SECTION 8 FEES

I.     WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAUSERVICES



THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) REGULATES INTERSTATE AND  INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS BY RADIO, TELEVISION , WIRELINE, WIRELESS, SATELLITE AND CABLE.  THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT REQUIRES COMMON CARRIERS TO FURNISH THEIR SERVICES ON REQUEST AND AT JUST, REASONABLE AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY RATES.  THE FCC IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMOTE THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN THESE CHARGES AND PRACTICES OF COMMON CARRIERS BY TITLES I THROUGH III OF THE ACT.  IT DOES SO THROUGH TARIFF REVIEW AND PRESCRIPTIONS, FACILITY AUTHORIZATIONS, ACCOUNTING RULES, INVESTIGATIONS AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS.  THE AGENCY ALSO ALLOCATES RADIO SPECTRUM AND ORBITAL SLOTS FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF COMMON CARRIER SERVICES.
	 
	SECTION 214 APPLICATIONS AND VOIP NUMBERING APPLICATIONS

SECTION 214 OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT REQUIRES COMMON CARRIERS TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE THAT THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY REQUIRE OR WILL REQUIRE CONSTRUCTION, ACQUISITION, AND/OR OPERATION OF A LINE OF COMMUNICATION, OR THE DISCONTINUANCE, REDUCTION OR IMPAIRMENT OF SERVICE; PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 1,3,4,201-205, 251, AND 303 OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT, AND PART 52 OF THE COMMISSION’S RULES, THE COMISSION HAS ESTABLISHED AN AUTHORIZATION PROCESS TO ENABLE INTERCONNECTED VOIP PROVIDERS TO OBTAIN NORTH AMERICAN NUMBERING PLAN TELPEHONE NUMBERS DIRECTLY FROM NUMBERING ADMINISTRATORS.  

	TARIFF FILINGS

SECTION 201 OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT DIRECTS THE COMMISSION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CHARGES AND PRACTICES OF COMMON CARRIERS ARE JUST AND REASONABLE.  AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, CERTAIN CARRIERS ARE REQUIRED OR PERMITTED TO SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSION AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC TARIFFS DETAILING THESE CHARGES AND PRACTICES.  THESE TARIFFS CONTAIN SUCH INFORMATION AND ARE FORMATTED IN A MANNER DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION THROUGH REGULATION AND AS SPECIFIED IN APPLICABLE COMMISSION RULES.  SPECIAL PERMISSION APPLICATIONS CONTAIN REQUESTS FOR A WAIVER OF ANY PORTION OF THE TARIFFING RULES (e.g., PARTS 61, 64, 69).

	ACCOUNTING

THE COMMISSION IS CHARGED WITH RECOMMENDING ANNUAL DEPRECIATION RATES APPLICABLE TO ALL CLASSES OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANT OF DOMESTIC AND OVERSEAS COMMON CARRIERS.  VARIOUS FINANCIAL FILINGS ARE REQUIRED OF CARRIERS SO THAT THE COMMISSION CAN MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH ITS RULES AND ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC PAYS JUST AND REASONABLE RATES FOR REGULATED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.

UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND AUCTIONS
PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY IN SECTIONS 4, 214, 254, 303, 403, THE COMMISSION HAS ESTABLISHED AUCTION PROCESSES TO AWARD UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT. 
II.      SECTION 8 FEE SCHEDULE AND FILING GUIDE


                                                

Application
FORMS#
FEE AMOUNT
PAYMENT TYPE CODE
Domestic 214 Applications-Part 63 Transfers of Control
Corres. & 159
$1,230
CDU
Domestic 214 Applications-Special Temporary Authority
Corres. & 159
$675
CDV

Application
FORMS#
FEE AMOUNT
PAYMENT TYPE CODE
Domestic 214 Applications-Part 63 Discontinuances  (Non-Standard Review) (Technology Transition Filings Subject To Section 63.71(f)(2)(i) or Not Subject To Streamlined Automatic Grant, and Filings From Dominant Carriers Subject To 60-Day Automatic Grant)
Corres. & 159
$1,230
CDW
Domestic 214 Applications-Part 63 Discontinuances (Standard Streamlined Review) (All Other Domestic 214 Discontinuance Filings)
Corres. & 159
$335
CDX
VoIP Numbering
Corres. & 159
$1,330
CDY

Application
FORMS#
FEE AMOUNT
PAYMENT TYPE CODE
Standard Tariff Filing
Corres. & 159
$930
CQK
Complex Tariff Filing (annual access charge tariffs, new or restructured rate plans) (Large – all price cap LECs and entities involving more than 100 LECs)

$6,540
CQL
Complex Tariff Filing (annual access charge tariffs, new or restructured rate plans) (Small – other entities)

$3,270
CQM
Application for Special Permission for Waiver of Tariff Rules

$375
CQN
Waiver of Accounting Rules

$4,415
CQP
 
Application
FORMS#
FEE AMOUNT
PAYMENT TYPE CODE
Universal Service Fund Auction (combined long-form and short-form fee, paid only by winning bidder)

$2,965
CQQ

Notes:  
SECTION 214:  WHERE A COMMON CARRIER MUST FILE A DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SECTION 214 TRANSFER OF CONTROL APPLICATION AND/OR ANOTHER APPLICATION FOR A RADIO LICENSE THAT IS ALSO CHARGEABLE UNDER SECTION 8 OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT, SEPARATE FEES WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICATIONS. 

TARIFF FILINGS:  THE REQUIRED FEE MUST EITHER BE PAID ELECTRONICALLY BY CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD FROM A BANK AT THE SAME TIME THE PETITION FOR WAIVER IS FILED ELECTRONICALLY ON THE COMMISSION’S ELECTRONIC TARIFF FILING SYSTEM, OR BY CREDIT CARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 1.1105 OF THE COMMISSION’S RULES. 











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