FCC ID and equipment authorization: do you need one?

Worked example

A seller wants to list a Bluetooth earbud made by a contract factory. It transmits intentionally, so 47 CFR 15.201 requires certification by a TCB before marketing, and the product must be traceable to an FCC ID. A USB desk lamp with a microcontroller that never transmits is an unintentional radiator under 47 CFR 15.101 and normally follows the SDoC route with no FCC ID.

Before you start

The checker asks: Will you market it in the United States; Does it transmit radio signals on purpose (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, Zigbee); Does it contain digital circuits (microcontroller, display, USB); Is it produced by an entity on the FCC Covered List. Have your supplier paperwork, specification sheet and draft listing copy open, because each answer maps to a specific rule quoted below.

The result gives a verdict, the reasons behind it with the rule text it relied on, and next steps. Where your answers leave a real gap, it says "check" instead of guessing. Nothing you type leaves your browser, so you can try different answers to see how the verdict changes.

What the official source says

• No marketing without authorization: 47 CFR 2.803(b) says no person may market a radio frequency device unless it is authorized and meets the requirements for its authorization type. Source: 47 CFR 2.803.
• Two procedures: 47 CFR 2.901 says equipment is authorized by a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or by a grant of certification from a Telecommunication Certification Body.
• Intentional radiators: 47 CFR 15.201(b) says intentional radiators under Part 15 shall be certified before marketing, with limited exceptions in paragraph (a) for an SDoC. Source: 47 CFR 15.201.
• Unintentional radiators: 47 CFR 15.101 lists which digital device types may use an SDoC or certification, and a few (scanning receivers, radar detectors) require certification. Under an SDoC the importing or marketing party identifies each unit and keeps records (47 CFR 2.1074).
• Covered List: 47 CFR 2.906(d) bars equipment produced by an entity on the Covered List from obtaining authorization through the SDoC process. To check a grant, search the FCC ID in the FCC Equipment Authorization System.

All sources retrieved October 2026. Not covered: does not test emissions, read your FCC grant, judge modular approvals, or look up FCC IDs for you; the FCC search linked above is the authoritative record. Radio rules outside the US are separate. Rules change; the linked page governs.