Call sign information in the United States

    There was a conversation on the WIN system with hams talking about call signs with lots of errors. 
    This is provided to clarify understanding of U.S. Call Signs.

    All references of 1 by 2, 2 by 1, 2 by 2, 1 by 3 and 2 by 3 are talking about the letters in the call sign.
    The regional number separates the 2 sets of letters.

 

  Geographical Area for the numbers.
   
 

1 -- CT, ME, MA, NH, RI and VT
2 -- NJ and NY
3 -- DE, DC, MD and PA
4 -- AL, FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN and VA
5 -- AR, LA, MS, NM, OK and TX
6 -- CA
7 -- AZ, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA and WY
8 -- MI, OH and WV
9 -- IL, IN and WI
0 -- CO, IA, KS, MN, NE, MO, ND and SD

 

GROUP LICENSE CLASS CALL SIGN FORMAT
Group A Extra Class
1-by-2 call signs beginning with the prefix letter K, N or W; 2-by-1 call signs beginning with the prefix letters AA to AK, KA to KZ, NA to NZ and WA to WZ ...and 2-by-2 call signs beginning with the prefix letters AA to AK. Certain two letter prefixes are not available to mainland U.S. radioamateurs.
Group B Advanced Class 2-by-2 call signs beginning with the prefix letters KA to KZ, NA to NZ and WA to WZ -- but not AA-AK.
Group C Technician, Tech Plus and General Class
1-by-3 call sign formats beginning with K, N or W -- but not the prefix letter "A".
Group D Novice
2-by-3 call sign formats beginning with KA to KZ and WA to WZ -- but not NA-NZ.

    There are exceptions but this information is for the basic set of call signs.

 

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