A Telecommunication Certification Body, recognized by the FCC under 47 CFR 2.960 and accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 for the equipment it certifies. Every application for equipment authorization is submitted to a TCB (2.911(a)). The grant takes effect when the FCC publishes it, and the TCB or the FCC can set it aside within 30 days (2.962(f)).

The display of the FCC ID and other label information on the device screen, allowed by 47 CFR 2.935 since November 2, 2017, only for a device with an integrated display or one that works only with such a device. Access needs no special code and at most three steps from the settings menu. The device or its packaging must still carry the FCC ID or other identifying information such as a model number and web page.

FCC FAQ: 19 questions answered from 47 CFR

Q: What is the difference between SDoC and Certification?

SDoC (2.906) is a declaration by a responsible party located in the United States: it tests, keeps records and supplies a compliance information statement with the product, files nothing, and gets no FCC ID. Certification (2.907) is a grant issued by a TCB on the test data, with an FCC ID published in the FCC database. Intentional radiators generally need Certification (15.201(b)); most digital devices may use either (15.101).

Q: Does my product need a US agent for service of process?

Every applicant for Certification designates an agent located in the United States, whatever its own location; a US applicant may designate itself (2.911(d)(7), in force since February 6, 2023). The agent is kept for at least one year after marketing and importation end, or after any related FCC proceeding. For SDoC, the responsible party itself must be located in the United States (2.909(b)).

Q: Can I reuse an FCC-certified Wi-Fi module in my final product?

Yes, within the conditions of its modular grant (15.212). If the module FCC ID is not visible once installed, the host carries "Contains FCC ID:" followed by the module FCC ID. The host still needs its own Part 15 Subpart B authorization for its digital circuitry unless that circuitry only enables the radio (15.3(k)), and RF exposure must hold in the final configuration.

Q: What happens if I change the antenna on my certified product?

An antenna of the same type and of equal or lower directional gain than an antenna authorized with the radio may be used without retesting (15.204(c)(4)). An antenna of a different type, or with higher gain, may only be used after the 2.1043 procedures: a permissive change if the change qualifies, otherwise a new grant.

Q: What are the three classes of permissive change?

Class I: changes that do not degrade the characteristics reported at grant, no filing. Class II: changes that degrade them while still meeting the rules, filed with test results. Class III: software changes to a software defined radio that move frequency range, modulation or maximum power outside the approved parameters (2.1043(b)). Only the grant holder makes Class I and II changes, and no class changes the FCC ID.

Q: What are the FCC rules for online marketplaces?

FCC 26-50 takes effect on October 13, 2026: listing a device on a marketplace combined with fulfilment, warehousing or similar services counts as marketing (2.803(a)(1)). Marketplaces must display a valid FCC ID at the point of sale from March 1, 2027 if they sell or hold the device, and from June 1, 2027 otherwise, with verification against the FCC database (2.803(c)).

Q: What are the sanctions for selling without an FCC ID?

Marketing or importing a device that needs Certification without a grant violates 2.803 and the import conditions of 2.1203. The forfeiture guideline for importation or marketing of unauthorized equipment is $7,000 (1.80(b)(11)), and the current ceiling is $25,132 per violation or per day of continuing violation, at most $188,491 for a single act (1.80(b)(10), 2025 inflation adjustment).

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 14 min read

Nineteen questions that come up in FCC projects, each answered from the section of 47 CFR that settles it, read from the eCFR on October 7, 2026. They are grouped in seven themes: conformity procedures, modules and antennas, changes after the grant, marketplaces and sanctions, costs and lead times, comparison with other regimes, and post-market. Where an answer used to circulate with a number no FCC text contains (a fee range, a week count, a "three steps from the main menu"), the table at the end says what the text actually says.

Which section answers which question

Question	Section that settles it
SDoC or Certification	2.906, 2.907, 15.101, 15.201
TCB	2.911(a), 2.960, 2.962
Grantee Code and FCC ID	2.926, 1.1103
US agent, US responsible party	2.911(d)(7), 2.909(b)
Modules	15.212, 15.3(k)
Antenna change	15.204(c), 2.1043
Permissive changes	2.1043
Marketing and marketplaces	2.803 (as amended by FCC 26-50)
Sanctions	1.80, 2.939, 2.945
Fees	1.1103, 2.962(e)
MRA labs and TCBs	2.948(f), 2.960(d)
Records	2.938
Labels and e-label	2.925, 2.935, 15.19

Conformity procedures

What is the difference between SDoC and Certification?

SDoC (Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, 2.906) is a declaration by a responsible party located in the United States: the manufacturer or assembler, or the importer for imported equipment (2.909(b)). It tests the product, keeps the records and supplies a compliance information statement with the product, in the manual or on a separate sheet (2.1077). Nothing is filed unless the FCC asks for a sample or the records (2.945), and there is no FCC ID: the product carries an identification that must not resemble one (2.1074).

Certification (2.907) is a grant issued by a TCB on the submitted test data, with an FCC ID, published in the EAS database (2.915). Intentional radiators (Wi-Fi, BLE, cellular) generally need Certification (15.201(b)); most digital devices may use either procedure (15.101). Any device eligible for SDoC may be certified instead (2.906(c)). Details on FCC scope and FCC procedure.

What is a TCB?

A Telecommunication Certification Body is recognized by the FCC under 2.960 and accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 for the scope of equipment it certifies. Since 2015, every request for equipment authorization is submitted to a TCB (2.911(a)). The TCB grants or dismisses; the grant takes effect when the FCC publishes it (2.915(d)), and the TCB or the FCC can set it aside within 30 days (2.962(f)). For devices on the Pre-approval Guidance list, KDB 388624, the TCB must obtain FCC concurrence before granting (2.964). Since FCC 25-27 (effective September 8, 2025), a TCB in which a prohibited entity holds 10% or more of the equity or votes loses recognition (2.960(b)). The current list and scopes are in the FCC TCB Search.

How do I obtain a Grantee Code?

Through the FCC Equipment Authorization System, after registering in CORES for an FRN. The fee is $35 (1.1103, payment type code EAG). It must be paid and validated within 30 days of issuance, or the code is removed and a new one must be requested (2.926(c)). Once validated, the code is assigned permanently and reused for every later application (2.926(b)).

Grantee Code	Format	Text
Five characters	Issued since May 1, 2013: a digit from 2 to 9, then four capital letters or digits from 2 to 9	DA 13-669
Three characters	No longer issued; codes already issued and paid remain valid	DA 13-669

The FCC ID is the Grantee Code followed by a product code of up to 14 characters, never used before with that Grantee Code (2.926(d)).

Does my product need a US agent for service of process?

Every applicant for Certification designates an agent located in the United States, wherever the applicant is established; a US applicant may designate itself (2.911(d)(7)). The agent is kept for at least one year after marketing and importation end, or after any related FCC proceeding ends, whichever is later. The requirement came with FCC 22-84, effective February 6, 2023, together with the signed Covered List statements (2.911(d)(5), (6)), and applies to permissive changes too (2.932(e)). For SDoC there is no agent: the responsible party itself must be located in the United States (2.909(b)).

Modules and antennas

Can I reuse an FCC-certified Wi-Fi module in my final product?

Yes, within the conditions of its modular grant (15.212, guidance in KDB 996369). A single modular approval requires the module to have its own RF shielding, buffered inputs, power supply regulation, a permanently attached antenna or unique coupler, stand-alone testing, a label, integration instructions and an RF exposure statement (15.212(a)(1)). A limited modular approval (15.212(b)) restricts the module to the host conditions stated in the grant.

For the host:

if the module FCC ID is not visible once installed, the host carries "Contains FCC ID:" followed by the module FCC ID, or similar wording (15.212(a)(1)(vi));
the host digital circuitry still needs its own Part 15 Subpart B authorization unless it only enables the radio (15.3(k));
RF exposure must hold in the final configuration (15.212(a)(1)(viii));
since FCC 25-71 (effective December 26, 2025), a covered modular transmitter, and any host incorporating one, cannot be authorized (2.903).

What happens if I change the antenna on my certified product?

15.204(c) answers it directly. An intentional radiator may only be operated with an antenna authorized with it, and compliance testing uses the highest gain antenna of each type (15.204(c)(2)). Then:

an antenna of the same type and of equal or lower directional gain may be marketed and used with the radio, with no retesting (15.204(c)(4)); "type" means similar in-band and out-of-band radiation patterns (15.204(c)(1));
an antenna of a different type, or of higher gain, may only be used after the procedures of 2.1043: a permissive change where it qualifies, otherwise a new grant.

A permissive change keeps the FCC ID (2.1043(b)); a new grant needs a product code not used before (2.926(d)).

Changes after the grant

What are the three classes of permissive change?

Class	2.1043(b)	Filing
Class I	Changes that do not degrade the characteristics reported and accepted at grant	None
Class II	Changes that degrade the performance characteristics reported at initial certification, while still meeting the rules	Test results for the affected characteristics, Covered List statements and US agent details; no marketing under the grant before acknowledgement
Class III	Software changes to a software defined radio that move frequency range, modulation type or maximum output power outside the approved parameters, or change the circumstances of operation	Description and test results with the new software, including RF exposure

Changes to the frequency determining and stabilizing circuitry (including clock or data rates), frequency multiplication, the basic modulator or the maximum power or field strength ratings need a new grant, except Class III changes (2.1043(a)). Class I and Class II changes are made only by the grant holder (2.1043(b)(4)), and no class may change the FCC ID. Software changes that do not affect RF emissions need no filing and may be made by anyone (2.1043(a)). From October 13, 2026, FCC 26-50 adds that any change made by a Covered List entity needs a new grant. Workflow in the Class II permissive change guide.

What should I do if non-compliance is discovered after market placement?

The equipment authorization rules describe no recall procedure, and no FCC text quantifies what a late fix costs. What the rules do provide:

Tool	Text
Fix the design under a permissive change, or apply for a new grant	2.1043
Send records within 21 days of an FCC request; samples also within 21 days	2.945(b), (c)
Revocation of the grant for non-conformity with the application or unauthorized changes	2.939(a)
TCB post-market surveillance samples	2.945(b)(2)
Forfeitures	1.80

A fix plan starts from the records 2.938 already requires: the design changes and the test results that showed compliance.

Marketplaces and sanctions

What are the FCC rules for online marketplaces?

FCC 26-50 (Third Report and Order, published at 91 FR 57798 on September 11, 2026) takes effect on October 13, 2026 and amends 2.803:

Rule	Applies from	Text
Listing regulated equipment on an online marketplace, combined with consignment, warehousing, order processing, packaging, billing or fulfilment, counts as marketing even when a third-party seller makes the sale	October 13, 2026	2.803(a)(1)
A marketplace that sells the device, or has physical access to or title over it, displays a valid and accurate FCC ID at the point of sale	March 1, 2027	2.803(c)(1)
A marketplace without physical access or title displays a valid FCC ID, verifies it against the Equipment Authorization System and requires the seller to certify it	June 1, 2027	2.803(c)(2)
Excluded: listings published before October 13, 2026 and not updated, sellers that are not "high-volume third-party sellers" under the INFORM Consumers Act, used devices		2.803(c)(3)

Read with FCC scope and the news item FCC 26-50 in force, but marketplaces wait until 2027.

What are the sanctions for selling without an FCC ID?

A device that needs Certification may not be marketed before its grant, apart from the display, conditional sales and pre-sale cases 2.803 lists, and may not be imported unless it meets an import condition of 2.1204, which the importer must document on request (2.1203). This is a violation of 47 CFR; the penalties are set in 1.80:

Measure	Amount or effect	Text
Forfeiture guideline, importation or marketing of unauthorized equipment	$7,000 base amount	1.80(b)(11), table 1
Forfeiture guideline, failure to maintain required records	$1,000 base amount	1.80(b)(11), table 1
Forfeiture ceiling (2025 inflation adjustment, current eCFR)	$25,132 per violation or per day of continuing violation, $188,491 for any single act	1.80(b)(10)
Revocation of an existing grant	False statements, non-conformity, unauthorized changes	2.939(a)

The base amounts are guidelines the FCC can adjust up or down, and the ceilings are adjusted for inflation each year.

Costs and lead times

How much does FCC certification cost?

The FCC fee schedule, 1.1103, lists two equipment approval fees: $35 for a Grantee Code and $50 for a confidentiality request. Lab testing and TCB review are priced by each lab and TCB (2.962(e)); no FCC text sets them, and this page does not quote a range. The certification costs guide keeps only published fees for the same reason.

How long does FCC certification take?

No FCC text sets a test duration or a TCB review time. The rules only fix the milestones that bound the calendar:

Milestone	Text
Grantee Code fee paid within 30 days of issuance	2.926(c)
PAG devices: the TCB waits for FCC concurrence, and the FCC may ask to test a sample	2.964(b)
The grant takes effect on publication by the FCC	2.915(d)
The TCB or the FCC may set the grant aside within 30 days	2.962(f)
Pre-sale import of up to 12,000 units per FCC ID after testing and TCB submission	2.1204(a)(11)

Comparison with other regimes

Can my CE-marked product be sold in the United States?

Not on the strength of the CE marking. The product needs its own FCC authorization, and the limits differ: in the 2.4 GHz band, 15.247(b)(3) allows 1 W peak conducted output with antennas up to 6 dBi, while EN 300 328 caps radiated power at 100 mW (20 dBm) e.i.r.p. in the EU. See FCC Parts, FCC tests and CE vs FCC for EMC.

Does the FCC accept European test reports?

Through the US-EU mutual recognition agreement, a lab outside the United States is accepted when designated under a government-to-government MRA, or, where no MRA exists, when accredited by a body recognized under 2.949 (2.948(f)); EU-designated TCBs can certify (2.960(d)). Those labs test to the FCC rules, with the ANSI C63 methods named in 15.31 and 15.38 (ANSI C63.10-2020 for Part 15 intentional radiators since October 30, 2025). The MRA puts both campaigns in one lab; it does not turn an EN test report into an FCC one.

Do I need an FCC ID if I only sell in Canada?

No. FCC rules govern the US market. Canada has its own regime, run by ISED (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, formerly Industry Canada), with RSS standards, an ISED certification number shown with the "IC:" prefix and a Radio Equipment List entry before sale. Under the Canada-US mutual recognition arrangement, ISED recognizes labs and certification bodies designated by the US side, so one campaign can feed both files, but each authority issues its own certification. See ISED Canada radio certification and ISED vs FCC.

How are cellular modules certified?

Under the licensed-service Part for each band they transmit in, for example 22 (824-849 MHz), 24 (broadband PCS) and 27 (600 MHz, 700 MHz, AWS and others), with the measurements of Part 2 Subpart J (2.1046 to 2.1057); ANSI C63.26-2015 is an accepted procedure (2.1041(b)). Part 2 does not ask for 3GPP conformance suites: those, and PTCRB, are industry certification requested by operators, outside the FCC grant. See FCC tests and PTCRB vs GCF.

Post-market and cybersecurity

What cybersecurity does the FCC require?

None is mandatory for equipment authorization. The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark is a voluntary label:

Date	Event
August 29, 2024	FCC 24-26 rules in effect (89 FR 61242)
December 19, 2025	UL Solutions withdraws as Lead Administrator
April 13, 2026	ioXt Alliance selected as Lead Administrator

The security rules that do bind equipment protect RF parameters, not data: a software defined radio must prevent unauthorized software from moving it outside its approved parameters (2.944), and every U-NII device needs security features against unauthorized software changes (15.407(i)). The EU counterpart, RED Article 3(3)(d)(e)(f), has been mandatory since August 1, 2025. See NISTIR 8425.

How long must I keep the FCC records?

2.938(f): for certification, one year after marketing of the equipment is permanently discontinued, or until the end of an investigation or proceeding the responsible party has been notified of; for all other records, including SDoC, a two-year period. What is kept:

Record	Text
Original design drawings and specifications, and all changes that may affect compliance	2.938(a)(1)
Production inspection and testing procedures	2.938(a)(2)
Test results that demonstrate compliance	2.938(a)(3)
SDoC test record (dates, lab, procedure, set-up photos, modifications made to pass, signatures, 2.1077 statement) and the signed Covered List statement	2.938(b)

Records must reach the FCC within 21 days of a request (2.945(c)). The FCC technical file page lists the application exhibits.

What is an e-label?

The display of the FCC ID, warning statements and other label information on the device screen instead of a physical label. The rule is 47 CFR 2.935, in force since November 2, 2017 (82 FR 50827, the SDoC order); the E-LABEL Act of November 2014 only directed the FCC to allow it. Guidance is in KDB 784748.

Condition	2.935
The device has an integrated display, or works only with a device that has one	(a)
Access instructions in the manual, a packaging insert or another format at purchase	(b)
No special codes, accessories or permissions; at most three steps from the device settings menu, screen locks not counted	(c)
Legible without magnification	(d)
Programmed by the responsible party and secured against third-party modification	(e)
The device or its packaging carries the FCC ID, or other information such as a model number and a web page, so it can be identified at importation, marketing and sale	(f)

A device without a display cannot use an e-label; a very small one follows 2.925(f) instead.

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim (most made by this page before October 2026)	What the text says
A Wi-Fi or BLE product costs "$10,000 to $30,000", with "$3,000 to $8,000" in TCB fees	The FCC fixes only $35 (Grantee Code) and $50 (confidentiality) in 1.1103; TCB fees are set by each TCB (2.962(e))
Certification takes "3 to 4 months", and cellular adds "4 to 8 weeks"	No FCC text sets a test or review time; the rules fix the 30-day Grantee Code payment, PAG concurrence, publication and the 30-day set-aside
The e-label has been allowed "since 2014"	2.935 has applied since November 2, 2017; 2014 is the E-LABEL Act
The e-label must be reachable in three steps "from the main menu", and a physical label stays mandatory on the packaging	Three steps from the settings menu (2.935(c)); the device or packaging carries the FCC ID or other identifying information (2.935(f))
An antenna with equal or lower gain needs a Class II permissive change	Same type and equal or lower gain: no retesting (15.204(c)(4)); a different type or higher gain goes through 2.1043
A Class II change costs "$2,000 to $6,000"	No FCC text prices a permissive change
Only non-US manufacturers need a US agent, since 2023 "without one the FCC ID is no longer assigned"	2.911(d)(7) applies to every Certification applicant; a US applicant may designate itself
A Grantee Code is "valid for life" as soon as it is requested	It is removed if the $35 fee is not paid and validated within 30 days (2.926(c))
The records include "test reports, even intermediate"	2.938(a) asks for design records and changes, production test procedures and test results that demonstrate compliance
A late fix costs "5 to 10 times" more, through an FCC voluntary recall procedure	No FCC text sets a ratio or a recall procedure; the rules provide 2.1043 changes, 2.945 requests, 2.939 revocation and 1.80 forfeitures
Enforcement "removed millions of listings"	Not an FCC rule; the marketplace rules are FCC 26-50 (2.803), effective October 13, 2026 with display duties from 2027
SDoC is an internal file	The compliance information statement travels with the product (2.1077)
MRA labs produce reports that must "often be redone" with ANSI methods	MRA-designated labs test to the FCC rules and ANSI C63 methods in the first place (2.948(f))