How to Get Your FCC Registration Number (FRN)

What an FRN Is

An FCC Registration Number (FRN) is a 10-digit number the FCC uses to identify you. Every license, application and payment you have with the FCC hangs off it.

If you're taking the exam for the Marine Radio Operator Permit (MROP), the General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL) or any other commercial license, get your FRN before exam day. The examiner needs it to send your results to the FCC, and the FCC needs it to issue your license.

It also keeps your Social Security number off the exam paperwork. You give the FCC your SSN once, when you register, and use the FRN everywhere after that.

Why You Need It Before the Exam

Commercial exams are run by Commercial Operator License Examination Managers (COLEMs), private organizations the FCC authorizes to test applicants. When you pass, the COLEM files your application with the FCC under your FRN.

Show up without one and the COLEM can't file anything for you. At best you'll be chasing paperwork after the exam. At worst you'll have to come back another day.

Getting an FRN is free, and the online form takes about ten minutes.

Step by Step

You register through the FCC's CORES (Commission Registration System) website.

1. Create a CORES Username

1. 1.
   Go to the FCC CORES login page.
2. 2.
   Choose the option to register a new username account.
3. 3.
   Enter your name and email, and set a password and security questions.
4. 4.
   Open the activation email the FCC sends and click the link. Do it soon, because the link expires.

2. Register a New FRN

1. 1.
   Log back in to CORES with your new username.
2. 2.
   Choose Register New FRN.
3. 3.
   Say you're registering as an individual, not a business.
4. 4.
   Tell it whether your contact address is in the United States.

3. Fill In Your Details

1. 1.
   Enter your legal name, mailing address and Social Security number.
2. 2.
   Check that your name matches your government ID exactly. The examiner will compare the two.
3. 3.
   Submit.

4. Write Down Your FRN

Your 10-digit FRN appears on screen as soon as you submit, and the FCC emails you a confirmation as well.

Common Questions

Does it cost anything?

No. Registering in CORES is free. If a website wants to charge you for an FRN, it isn't the FCC.

I already have an FRN from my ham license. Do I need another?

No. Use the one you have. The FCC expects one FRN per person across all its services, so give your examiner the same number.

I had an FRN once but can't remember it

Log in to CORES and look under your registered FRNs. If you hold a license, you can also find the FRN with the FCC ULS License Search. Search your name and open the license record.

Next Steps

With an FRN in hand, you're ready to book an exam with a COLEM.

If you're still studying, Hangar Academy's MROP course is free with an account. It covers the full Element 1 question pool, with study chapters and timed mock exams.