- Action: To Do List item A0003 - Apply for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ships Radio Station Authorization and Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit.
- Completed: 17 March 2015
- Cost: $215.00
One of the requirements of boat ownership is obtaining the proper licenses for radio operation. Indra was equipped with a Very High Frequency (VHF) and Single-Side-Band (SSB) radio, and located in the Philippines. This necessitated a federal license to be incompliance with both US and foreign entities regulations. Additionally, we planned on adding an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder since its use is mandatory in some foreign waters, so we also needed a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. A quick check on the internet revealed the federal organization for this was the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The process is relatively easy by following the instructions at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Universal Licensing System website. Prior to applying you need to know or have two important items. The first is a stable and permanent address and second a USCG Certificate of Documentation (COD) number for your boat. We had previously established residence in Florida and had a permanent legal and mailing address through a very reputable and outstanding mail forwarding service called St. Brendan's Isle. We had not completed USCG registration of Indra, but since she was previously registered and deleted from the USCG register, we knew the USCG COD number would be 600692.
First you register to obtain a FCC Registration Number (FRN) and password. After this you log in, fill out an online electronic form, and make a online electronic payment. The total payment for this, on March 15, 2015, was $215.00. After two days, all was approved, and we received an email that the official versions of our electronic licenses were available for download at their website. A paper copy was also sent through the mail system. The FCC radio station authorization identified our radio call sign for Indra as WDH8795 and our MMSI number as 367661540. This paper was placed in a protective plastic cover and filed in our master ships logbook. Additionally, the license expiration date of 03-17-2025 was added to our master tracking list of Due Dates.
In addition to the FCC radio station authorization, you also get a FCC restricted radiotelephone operator permit. This too was placed in a protective plastic cover and filed in our master ships logbook.
