Inheriting a Call Sign from My Living Father

[ckmcdonald]

About 4-5 years ago my father, a ham for years, sadly reached the age he couldn't operate any longer. I recently became licensed and discovered that he'd like me to inherit his call sign. He has what I'd consider a good call sign so I'd like to have it, and the sooner the better, before I get too use to the less-appealing one I was assigned.

In studying this a little it wasn't clear what I'm wanting to do can be done. I see that inheriting my father's call sign if my father passes away is relatively straight forward. My question is, is there a way to inherit it while he is yet living?

 

[N0IU]

To be clear, you can not "inherit" a call sign. Call signs are issued by the FCC and they are the only ones that can assign or re-assign a call sign.

Your father could surrender his license while he is living but it would not go into the vanity pool for 2 years and there is no guarantee you would get it.

§97.19 Application for a vanity call sign.
(2) A call sign shown on a surrendered or canceled license grant (except for a license grant that is canceled pursuant to §97.31) is not available to the vanity call sign system for 2 years following the date such action is taken. (The availability of a call sign shown on a license canceled pursuant to §97.31 is governed by paragraph (c)(3) of this section.)

The exception mentioned above is §97.31 which says that AFTER his death (you have to send in proof to the FCC), his call sign immediately becomes available to family members (spouse, child, grandchild, stepchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or in-law) provided that you already have a valid license of the same or higher class as your father.

IOW, if you father is an Extra, you have to be an Extra to get his call sign. Also, if your father is an Advanced, this also means you have to be an Extra because Advanced licenses are no longer being issued and the Extra is the only license class higher than Advanced.

Confused?

 

[ckmcdonald]

Thanks Scott. That was perfectly clear, just not the answer I wanted to hear. From my researching I was beginning to believe what you said was the case, just wasn't sure and hoping I was wrong. I suppose there's a good reason the FCC doesn't allow the surrendering of a call sign to a close relative but it would seem a fair thing to do in my mind.

Thanks again.

 

[cmdrwill]

Be glad you still have your father living.....

 

[K4EET]

About 4-5 years ago my father, a ham for years, sadly reached the age he couldn't operate any longer. <snip>

Here in Maryland, we have a spunky YL that is 100 years old, born in 1916, and runs a 2 meter net every morning beginning at 6 AM. Her name is Holly Bevan, W3MB, and the net is called the Holly Net. The Capital Gazette ran a story about her at Kathy&apos;s People: Ham radio enthusiast Holly Bevan celebrates 100th birthday - Capital Gazette.

She is an inspiration to all of us old codgers. Tell your dad about Holly and he may just want to become radio-active again!

73, Dave K4EET