What Is a Trustee Call Sign? How Clubs Manage Licensed Stations

Every FCC amateur radio club license has a trustee — a specific individual who holds personal legal responsibility for the club station's compliance with FCC rules. The trustee system allows organizations to hold call signs while ensuring that a responsible licensed individual stands behind every club station authorization.

Who Can Be a Trustee?

A trustee must be an individual (not an organization) who holds a current, valid FCC amateur radio license. Any license class — Technician, General, or Extra — qualifies a person to serve as a trustee. The trustee does not need to be the club president or hold any particular office, but they must be an active member of the organization.

What the Trustee Is Responsible For

As the FCC designates the trustee as the responsible party for the club license, the trustee's obligations include:

• Ensuring the club station operates within FCC Part 97 rules at all times
• Maintaining accurate contact information in the FCC ULS
• Filing timely renewal applications (club licenses expire every ten years)
• Reporting changes to the club's address, officers, or operating status
• Being the point of contact for any FCC inquiry or enforcement action regarding the club station

Finding the Trustee in FCC Records

When you look up a club call sign in the FCC ULS or on CallSignLookup, the trustee's name and personal call sign appear in the license record under the "Trustee" or "Attention" field. This makes it easy to identify who is responsible for any given club station and to verify that the trustee holds a current individual license.

Changing Trustees

When a trustee's individual license expires or the person is no longer affiliated with the club, the club must file a modification application through the FCC ULS to designate a new trustee. Failure to maintain an active trustee with a valid license can jeopardize the club's license.