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T1F03

COMMISSION'S RULES · Station identification; Repeaters; Third party communications; Club stations; FCC inspection

T1F03§ 97.119(a)T1F →

When are you required to transmit your assigned call sign?

  1. AAt the beginning of each contact, and every 10 minutes thereafter
  2. BAt least once during each transmission
  3. CAt least every 15 minutes during and at the end of a communication
  4. DAt least every 10 minutes during and at the end of a communication
Why FCC 97.119(a) requires each station to transmit its assigned call sign at least once every 10 minutes during a communication and at the end of it. The clock runs from your last identification, so as long as no more than 10 minutes pass without your call sign going out, and you sign at the finish, you are legal. There is no requirement to identify when you start a contact, though most operators do it anyway as good practice.
Watch out The choice requiring identification at the beginning of each contact adds a rule the FCC never wrote; starting ID is a courtesy and common habit, not a legal obligation. The 15 minute option simply uses the wrong interval.
Ten and the end: ID every 10 minutes and when you finish. Nothing required at the start.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
47 CFR 97.119(a) Station identification.

(a) Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station, must transmit its assigned call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least every 10 minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the transmissions from the station known to those receiving the transmissions. No station may transmit unidentified communications or signals, or transmit as the station call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.

(b) The call sign must be transmitted with an emission authorized for the transmitting channel in one of the following ways:

(1) By a CW emission. When keyed by an automatic device used only for identification, the speed must not exceed 20 words per minute;

(2) By a phone emission in the English language. Use of a phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct station identification is encouraged;

(3) By a RTTY emission using a specified digital code when all or part of the communications are transmitted by a RTTY or data emission;

(4) By an image emission conforming to the applicable transmission standards, either color or monochrome, of § 73.682(a) of the FCC Rules when all or part of the communications are transmitted in the same image emission

(c) One or more indicators may be included with the call sign. Each indicator must be separated from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or by any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. If an indicator is self-assigned, it must be included before, after, or both before and after, the call sign. No self-assigned indicator may conflict with any other indicator specified by the FCC Rules or with any prefix assigned to another country.

(d) When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special significance, a station may substitute for its assigned call sign a special event call sign as shown for that station for that period of time on the common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the special event call sign data base coordinators. Additionally, the station must transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour during such transmissions.

(e) When the operator license class held by the control operator exceeds that of the station licensee, an indicator consisting of the call sign assigned to the control operator's station must be included after the call sign.

(f) When the control operator is a person who is exercising the rights and privileges authorized by § 97.9(b) of this part, an indicator must be included after the call sign as follows:

(1) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice Class to Technical Class: KT;

(2) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice or Technician to General Class: AG;

(3) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice, Technician, General, or Advanced Class to Amateur Extra Class: AE.

(g) When the station is transmitting under the authority of § 97.107 of this part, an indicator consisting of the appropriate letter-numeral designating the station location must be included before the call sign that was issued to the station by the country granting the license. For an amateur service license granted by the Government of Canada, however, the indicator must be included after the call sign. At least once during each intercommunication, the identification announcement must include the geographical location as nearly as possible by city and state, commonwealth or possession.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov
← T1F02 All of T1F T1F04 →

The rest of T1F

  1. T1F01 When must the station licensee make the station and the station records available for inspection?
  2. T1F02 How often must you identify with your FCC-assigned call sign when using tactical call signs such as "Race Hea…
  3. T1F03 When are you required to transmit your assigned call sign?
  4. T1F04 What language must you use for identification when using a phone emission?
  5. T1F05 What method of call sign identification is required for a station transmitting phone signals?
  6. T1F06 Which of the following self-assigned indicators are acceptable when using a phone transmission?
  7. T1F07 Which of the following restrictions apply when a non-licensed person speaks to a foreign amateur radio statio…
  8. T1F08 What is the definition of third-party communications?
  9. T1F09 What type of amateur station simultaneously retransmits the signal of another amateur station on a different …
  10. T1F10 Who is accountable if a repeater inadvertently retransmits communications that violate the FCC rules?
  11. T1F11 Which of the following is a requirement for the issuance of a club station license grant?
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