FCC License Search

Search FCC radio licenses and authorizations from the Universal Licensing System (ULS) database. Find amateur radio, commercial, broadcast, and cellular licenses by call sign, licensee name, frequency, or state. The only FCC license search actor on Apify.

Features

• Search by FCC call sign, licensee name, or operating frequency
• Filter by US state (2-letter code)
• Filter by license class (AL, CL, CE, etc.)
• Returns structured data from the FCC ULS database
• Up to 5,000 results per query
• No authentication required — FCC ULS is a public API

Use Cases

• Spectrum Analysis: Map the RF landscape in a geographic area by searching licenses by state and frequency. Useful for interference studies and spectrum planning.
• Tower Operators: Verify nearby licensed frequencies before installing or modifying antenna systems to avoid conflicts.
• M&A Due Diligence: Audit the FCC license portfolio of a telecom acquisition target. Search by licensee name to see all active authorizations.
• Competitive Intelligence: Identify which companies hold licenses in specific frequency bands or geographic markets.
• Compliance Auditing: Verify that operating radio stations have valid, unexpired licenses by cross-referencing call signs.

Input

Field	Type	Description	Default
callSign	string	FCC call sign to search (e.g. WABC, KQED)	—
licenseeName	string	Licensee organization or person name	—
state	string	2-letter US state code (e.g. CA, TX)	—
licenseType	string	License class (AL=Amateur, CL=Commercial, etc.)	—
frequency	string	Operating frequency in MHz	—
limit	number	Maximum results to return	100

Note: At least one search parameter should be provided.

Output

Example result:

{
  "callsign": "KQED",
  "licenseeName": "KQED INC",
  "licenseClass": "CL",
  "serviceDesc": "Commercial Broadcast",
  "frequency": "88.5",
  "status": "Active",
  "frn": "0001234567",
  "expirationDate": "2028-12-01",
  "lastActionDate": "2023-06-15",
  "ulsFileNumber": "0001234567",
  "locationCity": "San Francisco",
  "locationState": "CA"
}

Field	Type	Description
callsign	string	FCC call sign
licenseeName	string	Licensee organization or person
licenseClass	string	License class code
serviceDesc	string	Service type description
frequency	string	Operating frequency (MHz)
status	string	License status (Active, Expired, Terminated)
frn	string	FCC Registration Number
expirationDate	string	License expiration date
lastActionDate	string	Date of last FCC action on the license
ulsFileNumber	string	ULS file number
locationCity	string	City of operation
locationState	string	State of operation

Pricing

$2.00 per 1,000 results ($0.002 per result).

How It Works

This actor queries the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) API via direct HTTP requests. No browser, no scraping, no authentication. The FCC provides this data as a public service covering all FCC-issued licenses: amateur radio, commercial land mobile, broadcast TV/radio, cellular, microwave, and more.

FAQ

What types of licenses can I search? All FCC license types: amateur radio (ham), commercial land mobile, broadcast (TV and FM/AM), cellular/PCS, microwave, maritime, aviation, and more.

Do I need an API key? No. The FCC ULS API is completely open — no registration or authentication required.

What is the maximum number of results? 5,000 per query. For broader searches, use state or license type filters to break results into manageable chunks.

How current is the license data? The FCC ULS database updates daily. New licenses and renewals typically appear within 24-48 hours of FCC action.

Limits & Rate Limits

• Maximum 5,000 results per query
• FCC does not publish official rate limits, but excessive requests may result in temporary throttling
• At least one search parameter is recommended — queries with no filters return too many results to be useful
• Frequency search accepts MHz values; the API matches against the center frequency of the licensed band