Title 47

SECTION 2.303

2.303 Other forms of identification of stations.

§ 2.303 Other forms of identification of stations.

(a) The following table indicates forms of identification which may be used in lieu of call signs by the specified classes of stations. Such recognized means of identification may be one or more of the following: name of station, location of station, operating agency, official registration mark, flight identification number, selective call number or signal, selective call identification number or signal, characteristic signal, characteristic of emission or other clearly distinguishing form of identification readily recognized internationally. Reference should be made to the appropriate part of the rules for complete information on identification procedures for each service.

Class of station Identification, other than assigned call sign
Aircraft (U.S. registry) telephone Registration number preceded by the type of the aircraft, or the radiotelephony designator of the aircraft operating agency followed by the flight identification number.
Aircraft (foreign registry) telephone Foreign registry identification consisting of five characters. This may be preceded by the radiotelephony designator of the aircraft operating agency or it may be preceded by the type of the aircraft.
Aeronautical Name of the city, area, or airdrome served together with such additional identification as may be required.
Aircraft survival craft Appropriate reference to parent aircraft, e.g., the air carrier parent aircraft flight number or identification, the aircraft registration number, the name of the aircraft manufacturer, the name of the aircraft owner, or any other pertinent information.
Ship telegraph When an official call sign is not yet assigned: Complete name of the ship and name of licensee. On 156.65 MHz: Name of ship. Digital selective call.
Ship telegraph Digital selective call.
Public coast (radiotelephone) and Limited Coast (Radiotelephone) The approximate geographic location in a format approved by the Commission.
Coast station identification number.
Public coast (radiotelegraph) Coast station identification number.
Fixed Geographic location. When an approved method of superimposed identification is used, QTT DE (abbreviated name of company or station).
Fixed: Rural subscriber service Assigned telephone number.
Land mobile: Public safety, forestry conservation, highway maintenance, local government, shipyard, land transportation, and aviation services Name of station licensee (in abbreviated form if practicable), or location of station, or name of city, area, or facility served. Individual stations may be identified by additional digits following the more general identification.
Land mobile: Industrial service Mobile unit cochannel with its base station: Unit identifier on file in the base station records. Mobile unit not cochannel with its base station: Unit identifier on file in the base station records and the assigned call sign of either the mobile or base station. Temporary base station: Unit designator in addition to base station identification.
Land mobile: Domestic public and rural radio Special mobile unit designation assigned by licensee or by assigned telephone number.
Land mobile: Railroad radio service Name of railroad, train number, caboose number, engine number, or name of fixed wayside station or such other number or name as may be specified for use of railroad employees to identify a specific fixed point or mobile unit. A railroad's abbreviated name or initial letters may be used where such are in general usage. Unit designators may be used in addition to the station identification to identify an individual unit or transmitter of a base station.
Land mobile: Broadcasting (remote pickup) Identification of associated broadcasting station.
Broadcasting (Emergency Broadcast System) State and operational area identification.
Broadcasting (aural STL and intercity relay) Call sign of the broadcasting station with which it is associated.
Broadcasting (television auxiliary) Call sign of the TV broadcasting station with which it is licensed as an auxiliary, or call sign of the TV broadcasting station whose signals are being relayed, or by network identification.
Broadcasting (television booster). Retransmission of the call sign of the primary station.
Disaster station By radiotelephony: Name, location, or other designation of station when same as that of an associated station in some other service. Two or more separate units of a station operated at different locations are separately identified by the addition of a unit name, number, or other designation at the end of its authorized means of identification.

(b) Digital selective calls will be authorized by the Commission and will be formed by groups of numbers (0 through 9), however, the first digit must be other than 0, as follows:

(1) Coast station identification number: 4 digits.

(2) Ship station selective call number: 5 digits.

(3) Predetermined group of ship stations: 5 digits.

(c) Ship stations operating under a temporary operating authority shall identify by a call sign consisting of the letter “K” followed by the vessel's Federal or State registration number, or a call sign consisting of the letters “KUS” followed by the vessel's documentation number. However, if the vessel has no registration number or documentation number, the call sign shall consist of the name of the vessel and the name of the licensee as they appear on the station application form.

[28 FR 12465, Nov. 22, 1963, as amended at 40 FR 57675, Dec. 11, 1975; 41 FR 44042, Oct. 6, 1976; 42 FR 31008, June 17, 1977; 44 FR 62284, Oct. 30, 1979]