Notifying the FCC when someone dies
Family member is responsible for notifying the FCC
FCC Consumer Inquiries
Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554
USAC Lifeline Support Center (Universal Service Administrative Company)
FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau — Amateur License Cancellation
FCC, 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1150
The FCC will not act on a license cancellation request during the final 30 days of the post-expiration grace period. Once the license is canceled by staff action, the call sign is held for 30 days before becoming available under the request-by-list provision (for licenses canceled more than two years after death). Under the close-relative and in-memoriam provisions, the call sign becomes assignable as soon as the ULS database shows the license as Cancelled.
When someone dies, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the FCC.
Notification deadline: No federal deadline, but Lifeline subscriptions should be canceled promptly to prevent the provider from continuing to draw the federal subsidy on the account.
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the FCC and applying for survivor benefits:
- •Look up the deceased's license status at the ULS License Search (wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp) using the call sign or name
- •Prepare a signed written request to cancel the license, identifying the licensee by full legal name and call sign
- •Attach a certified copy of the death certificate or a dated obituary that names the deceased
- •Submit electronically as a pleading associated with the license through ULS, or open an eSupport case at fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services
- •Or mail to: FCC, 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1150
- •Confirm in the ULS License Search that the status changed to Cancelled before any family member files for the call sign under the close-relative provision
- •Identify the deceased's Lifeline-participating phone or internet carrier from billing records
- •Contact the carrier directly to cancel the Lifeline-discounted service and remove the subscriber from the program
- •For help locating the provider or general Lifeline questions, call the USAC Lifeline Support Center at 1-800-234-9473 or email LifelineSupport@usac.org
- •Do not allow the service to continue — only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, and continued enrollment of a deceased subscriber can trigger ineligibility findings against the household
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate, or a dated obituary that names the deceased and matches the licensed name
- Deceased's full legal name and FCC-assigned call sign (for amateur license cancellation)
- Signed written request to cancel the license (no specific form required for the cancellation request itself)
- For survivors filing for the vanity call sign: documentation of the close-relative relationship (kept in the applicant's station records, not submitted unless requested)
- For Lifeline cancellation: the deceased's account number with the Lifeline service provider
Timeline
The FCC will not act on a license cancellation request during the final 30 days of the post-expiration grace period. Once the license is canceled by staff action, the call sign is held for 30 days before becoming available under the request-by-list provision (for licenses canceled more than two years after death). Under the close-relative and in-memoriam provisions, the call sign becomes assignable as soon as the ULS database shows the license as Cancelled.
Survivor benefits
Vanity Call Sign Eligibility for Close Relatives
After an amateur radio licensee dies, a close relative who holds the requisite class of operator license can apply for the deceased's call sign as soon as the license status shows Expired or Cancelled in the ULS database — there is no waiting period under the "close relative of former holder now deceased" provision. The FCC rules define "close relative" broadly: spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, sibling, stepsibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law of the deceased.
Eligibility: A close relative of the deceased who holds an amateur radio operator license of the requisite class
How to apply: File a vanity call sign application through the Universal Licensing System (ULS) using FCC Form 605 with Schedule D once the deceased's license status appears Cancelled in the licensee database
Learn more →Club Station "In Memoriam" Call Sign
An amateur radio club may request that the call sign assigned to a deceased former member be reassigned to the club station "in memoriam" once the license status shows Expired or Cancelled. The deceased must have been a member of the club during their lifetime. There is no two-year waiting period under the in-memoriam provision.
Eligibility: An FCC-licensed amateur radio club station; the deceased must have been a club member
How to apply: The club station license trustee files a vanity call sign application via ULS under the in-memoriam provision
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you want the call sign released and the license formally canceled. The FCC does not automatically learn of a licensee's death — the license will remain active in the Universal Licensing System database until it expires (amateur licenses run for 10 years) or someone submits proof of death. Send a signed request with the death certificate or a dated obituary to the FCC Wireless Bureau, either as a pleading through ULS, as an eSupport case at fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services, or by mail to FCC, 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1150.
It depends on the request type. Under the "request-by-list" provision (any qualified amateur applying), the call sign is not assignable for two years following the licensee's death. Under the "close relative of former holder now deceased" provision, a qualifying family member can apply as soon as the ULS database shows the license as Cancelled. A club station may apply "in memoriam" for the call sign of a deceased member on the same timeline. If the license is canceled due to death more than two years after the licensee passed away, the call sign is held for 30 additional days following the cancellation before going to the request-by-list pool.
The FCC's rules define close relative broadly: spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law of the deceased. "In-law" includes the deceased's spouse's parent, stepparent, or sibling, and the spouses of the deceased's siblings, children, or stepchildren. The applicant must hold the requisite class of amateur operator license for the call sign they want.
FCC Form 605 is the Quick-Form Application for Authorization used through the Universal Licensing System for amateur license actions, including cancellation (purpose code CA). However, when canceling a deceased licensee's license, the family files the cancellation request as a pleading attached to the license — not as a self-signed Form 605 — because the licensee cannot sign. Form 605 with Schedule D is then used separately by a qualifying close relative if they want to apply for the deceased's call sign.
Contact the deceased's Lifeline-participating phone or internet provider directly — the FCC does not de-enroll subscribers from Lifeline, the carriers do. For help locating the provider, identifying account details, or general Lifeline questions, call the Universal Service Administrative Company's Lifeline Support Center at 1-800-234-9473 or email LifelineSupport@usac.org. Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, so leaving the deceased enrolled can create problems for other household members who want to apply.
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is the not-for-profit entity the FCC designated to administer the Lifeline program day-to-day, including the National Verifier eligibility system and the annual recertification process. The FCC sets the rules; USAC operates the program. When a Lifeline subscriber dies, the carrier reports the de-enrollment to USAC.
The FCC accepts consumer complaints about robocalls, telemarketing violations, and unwanted communications at fcc.gov/complaints. The FCC uses complaint data to inform enforcement actions against violators but does not resolve individual cases or stop calls to a specific number. To reduce robocalls, the family can also ask the deceased's carrier to disconnect the line or transfer it.
Use the ULS License Search at wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp. Search by the call sign or the licensee's name. The Status field will show Active, Expired, or Cancelled. The FCC will not act on a cancellation request during the final 30 days of the post-expiration grace period, so timing matters if the license is already near expiration.
Report it to the FCC Enforcement Bureau's Lifeline Fraud Tip Line at 1-855-455-8477 (1-855-4LL-TIPS) or email Lifelinetips@fcc.gov. Provide the carrier name, the deceased's account number, dates of service after death, and any documentation showing the family had notified the carrier of the death.
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 2 benefits through the FCC. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the FCC. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
FCC Consumer Inquiries
Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554
USAC Lifeline Support Center (Universal Service Administrative Company)
FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau — Amateur License Cancellation
FCC, 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1150
The FCC will not act on a license cancellation request during the final 30 days of the post-expiration grace period. Once the license is canceled by staff action, the call sign is held for 30 days before becoming available under the request-by-list provision (for licenses canceled more than two years after death). Under the close-relative and in-memoriam provisions, the call sign becomes assignable as soon as the ULS database shows the license as Cancelled.