07/07/2022

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will retire the Legacy version[1]
of its COmmission REgistration System (CORES) on July 15, 2022. CORES is the
FCC's public-facing database that enables and tracks certain types of FCC and
FCC applicant actions, including amateur radio applications and licenses. Its
implementation has enabled routine amateur applications and licenses to be
issued overnight instead of over weeks, as was the case with earlier methods.
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio¿ advises the amateur radio
community to transition to the updated version of CORES[2] as soon as possible.

In essence, CORES is designed to identify those who hold certain types of FCC
licenses and FCC authorizations, including amateur licenses, and organize them
in an easily accessible manner under a common FCC Registration Number (FRN)
regardless of whether one holds a single such authority or thousands. The new
CORES, in addition to assigning individual FRNs, allows holders of multiple
FRNs to aggregate them under a single account where the licenses and
authorization, fees and payments, and related actions can be administered from
within the same account.

In effect, new CORES can be conceptualized as an electronic interactive file
folder. The updated version of CORES[3] has been available since 2016, and now
its use will be mandatory for all amateur licensees when submitting
amateur-related applications.

Starting on July 15, 2022, the Legacy CORES website will re-direct users to the
Commission's updated CORES[4] site. Although some functionalities in the old
system will continue to work for a short time, the FCC has urged all users[5]
to transition to the updated CORES system to take advantage of its enhanced
security and functionality.

Register with the FCC

Licensees that do not already have an FCC CORES Username Account must create
one with a unique username (a valid email address) and password. After creating
the account, when logged in, users should associate their existing FRN or FRNs
with this account. Instructions for doing so are on the FCC Registration
Help[6] page. One's FRN is printed on all current amateur applications and
licenses, and will not change. FRNs can also be found by looking up one's call
sign in the Commission's ULS
(https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp[7]) or by using
the FCC's advanced search[8] page.

The FCC has posted Tutorial Videos[9] to assist with the transition. ARRL VEC
Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, recommends viewing the videos "Getting Started With
the New CORES," which explains how to register for a CORES Username Account,
and "Associating an FRN to a Username," which instructs Legacy CORES users on
how to link one or more existing FRNs to a username. FCC CORES Registration
Instructions[10] can also be found on the ARRL website.

Additional information is available on the FCC[11] website or by calling the
FCC Licensing Support Center at (877) 480-3201, Option 4, and on the FCC's
e-support[12] page.

[1] https://apps.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do
[2] https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do
[3] https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do
[4] https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do
[5] https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/commission-registration-system-fcc
[6] https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/publicHome.do?help=true
[7] https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp
[8] https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/advancedSearch.do?csfrToken=
[9] https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fcc-registration-system-cores/commission-registration-system-video-tutorials
[10] https://www.arrl.org/fcc-cores-registration-instructions
[11] https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/commission-registration-system-fcc
[12] https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services

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