I just started getting my comms set up and started looking into an itinerant license.  I have seen some of the past archived posts.  Just looking to see if any individuals were able to get an FCC license recently?  Say in the last 6 months.  It almost sounds like I waited too long and missed the window of opportunity on getting a license.

Correct me if I am wrong but it sounds like I would need to create a business to even get a chance at a license?

Has anything else changed or is the FCC getting stricter and denying more applicants?

Back in October of 21, I received both my GMRS and Amateur Radio, Technician license....

What are you looking to do???

He wants an itinerant business radio license. Yes, you will need a business license TIN or a 501C3 organization TIN for the eligibility section. Good thing about it is you can put multiple modes on it like DMR, NFM, or P25 etc. Unlike GMRS which is only FM or NFM. Any chance you are active in your church?

Active but not connected enough to call in any favors like that.

Radioshooter, were you the one who wrote the guide in the past?

Wasn't me. I've applied for and gotten four LMR licenses over the last 40 years. Three were public safety PG and one was business IG. I'm far from an expert on the matter.

I got a GMRS license last month (December 2021), and a regular ham license in March of 2021, so the FCC appears to be operational.

Thanks for the info but just mainly concerned with getting an itinerant license.

I think this is where you start: https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/industrial-business/industrial-business-licensing

What does an itinerant license allow me to do? I am a licensed Technician and have control of a 501c3. Is this like a business license where other members of the 501 can communicate on a assigned freq? What about encryption?

Is there a thread somewhere?

Sorry to be so needy and the FCC link did not help me understand.

Itinerant licenses are for intermittent comms on whatever UHF or VHF frequencies you get licensed for that are allocated to the business band.  You used to be able to get licensed for freqs for use throughout the U.S., digital and encrypted, and even repeater use as an individual and did not need to provide a business license.  But I am hearing the FCC has changed the operating rules and there are more requirements.

There was a member on here who previously wrote a guide on helping other members get licensed but I do not know who it is because the threads are archived.  But he came out and gave an update last year that the FCC was getting stricter and denying more applicants.

link to old post: https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/FCC-Part-90-guide-a-caution-for-new-applicants/22-699709/

So essentially it is like a business license then? On a specific assigned frequency? Does everyone in the organization have to be licensed?

Most of the guys in my organization have access to a radio, even if it is only a baofeng. Lazy fuckers won't all test into Technician.

Yes, and you only need the one license and then you can give permission to whomever you want to operate under your license.

For what its worth I did not need to show a business license. I applied as a property developer, I have rental houses, you don't need a business license to rent out houses. On the tax forms its personal income not a business. I got the itinerate license without showing anything.

Yes you can do encryption legally. You pick the modes and frequencies for the application.
I have 16 frequencies.

Thanks for the info, do you mind sharing when you got your license?

I filed mine a year or two ago. The pain with licensing itinerants is you have to apply for each frequency you are using and each mode you are using. For example, I am licensed for 10 frequencies but according to my license I have 14 frequencies.


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 

Frequency	Station Class	Max Power Output	Max ERP (not EIRP)
151.505	MO (Mobile)	35W	35W
151.505	FB2I (Repeater)	20W	35W
151.5125	MO (Mobile)	35W	35W
151.5125	FB2I (Repeater)	20W	35W
151.700	MO (Mobile)	35W	35W
154.5275	MO (Mobile)	35W	35W
158.400	MO (Mobile)	35W	35W
154.4075	MO (Mobile)	35W	35W
451.800	MO (Mobile)	25W	35W
451.800	FB2I (Repeater)	35W	35W
456.800	MO (Mobile)	25W	35W
464.500	MO (Moible)	35W	35W
464.500	FB2I (Repeater)	35W	35W
469.500	MO (Mobile)	25W	35W

On the VHF stuff I am licensed for the emissions designation for narrowband analog voice and P25. On the UHF side, licensed for narrowband analog voice and DMR. The FB2I's are repeater outputs. I'm licensed for up to two repeaters per output and 60 "mobiles" (which can be base stations, mobiles or portables just nothing that is permanently fixed since it's for itinerant use) for the lower 48. I tried to apply for US and territories but since I didn't have a true need for Hawaii, Alaska and territories...my application got returned the first go around.

Interesting side note, in Part 90 co-channel licenees (i.e. groups who are licensed on the same frequency under different licenses) are actually allowed to intercommunicate.

I know what your talking about OP. Can't remember the guys name. He had a tutorial on how to fill out the forms for the fcc. I did it, was denied. The fcc never refunded my $175.00. My fcc account doesn't show a credit either.
The guy that wrote the tutorial pulled it and seemed kinda vague as to why. I thought it was great. I'm a building contractor so I thought I'd be a shoo in. I was going to revisit it when I noticed he pulled the guide. I think he said the fcc was cracking down on licensing itinerant licenses due to Jan. 6 nonsense.

I do some consulting on church security, and one church that I consulted with got two frequencies as fixed and three itinerants.  It took about three weeks to get their license in December.

Since I don't do licensing, just recommendations, they used a service for assistance listed on the FCC website.  IM me if you want more information, and I can ask the fella who got the license for more information.

I hadn't thought of it being related to Jan 6 - mostly because there's a couple month delay between when people apply and when they get it granted (or returned or denied) and the reasons I pulled it all started months prior to that farce.

What happened is that I walked a couple people through their return letters - a handful because they were especially bad at filling out forms - and was concerned that people would get return letters and just let it drop, and it would cost them money.
I didn't want to be involved in losing people money, especially as it was becoming clear people weren't necessarily asking for help (like you!) when they ran into trouble.

As for the FCC, they started being a little bit stricter - rules they hadn't been applying to itinerant users were now being applied anyway (such as justifying asking for more than one frequency).
Previously that justification wasn't necessary for itinerant users on the basis that an itinerant user is effectively guaranteed to deal with other users on the same frequency and multiple frequencies allows for some flexibility to avoid it when it happens.

I discovered that writing a guide general enough to work for everyone and specific enough to be guaranteed an approval was unlikely, and pulled it because it had served its purpose in getting arfcommers familiar with the process.

@ApacheScout PM or email me details. I don't think you can get refunds, but while i'm not sure you can salvage the application I promise I'll do everything I can to do so.

As a general rule, FCC doesn't seem to give out denials as long as you show some semblance of understanding what's going on and act in good faith.

I have seen people misunderstand a return letter as being a denial.
Return letters aren't good, but they do ask questions like "Are you really a business? What kind of business are you?" and more formal phrasings of "Why do you have 128 radios over 16 channels at 50W each across every state in the union when you wrote that you're a sole proprietor doing software development work? Also that frequency has a 35W limit. Please don't.".

Yeah, that kind of thing.
FCC just really really likes their forms. Fill it out right and you'll get the license.
Fill it out inconsistently or wrongly and you'll have someone telling you exactly what you did wrong in formal language, which i suppose can be intimidating if you're not used to it.


Another thing was everyone wants all 50 states but probably doesn't actually need 50 states.
FCC put together a group to figure out why the hell everyone wants 64 radios and 50 state itinerant usage and to try and limit it a bit more geographically (like the three local states).
FCC doesn't understand the concept of trying to avoid future paperwork because paperwork is love, paperwork is life.


Edit: If ApacheScout got a denial, he'd be the only one I've ever even heard of when applying for itinerant part 90s (which doesn't preclude people here getting one and not telling me).

Thanks Mike.
i stand corrected. I didn't get a denial. It was a " we need more info/ correct info" plus, I did the 50 states plus multi frequency route which didn't help I'm sure.
I forgot how the fcc loves their forms and all Ts crossed and Is dotted. Lol.
Your tutorial was very well written and extremely helpful even though I didn't follow through.
Sorry if I caused any confusion, it was a year ago and sometimes I don't remember why I went into a room.
Edit:  @Mike327

@Powerplay1088

That's good news, maybe there's a chance we can continue your application!

OP this is what I have done.

https://quality2wayradios.com/store/fcc-licensing-services


I did one for my personal business.

I have also licensed and built out a second group for a local elementary school.

Both took 4-6months to get the approval.

Anyone have any success with their licenses recently?

I have done 2 over 3 years.

My first one in 2019 was a 2-3mo turn around. My last one in 2021 was about 6mo.

OP, in my state, filing for a LLC was very easy.  The only pain in the rear is filing sales tax reports every 3 months.