FCC ULS License Holder Scraper

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Extract FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) license-holder contacts from public FCC ZIP archives.

The actor downloads official data.fcc.gov ULS archives, scans the pipe-delimited public files, and returns clean rows with call signs, FRNs, licensee names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, radio service codes, license status, grant dates, and expiration dates.

What does FCC ULS License Holder Scraper do?

It turns FCC ULS download archives into a usable lead and compliance dataset.

• 📡 Reads FCC public ULS ZIP files.
• 🧾 Extracts license holder and contact records from EN.dat.
• ✅ Enriches records with license status and dates from HD.dat.
• 🎯 Filters by state, exact call sign, call sign prefix, status, and radio service code.
• 📦 Exports JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, RSS, or HTML through Apify datasets.

Who is it for?

This scraper is designed for teams that need radio-license contact data without manually downloading and joining FCC files.

Telecom consultants and market researchers

• Build state-specific prospect lists from active license holders.
• Compare local radio-service footprints by call sign, FRN, state, or service code.
• Export repeatable CSV/Excel datasets for client reports and market sizing.

Wireless vendors and tower teams

• Find licensed operators that may need radios, antennas, maintenance, or site services.
• Research tower/site acquisition opportunities with call sign and license-status context.
• Keep sales lists focused with state, status, service-code, and maximum-result filters.

Compliance and data operations teams

• Check license statuses, grant dates, and expiration dates from official FCC archive files.
• Enrich internal FRN, call sign, customer, or asset databases with public ULS contact fields.
• Schedule recurring Apify runs to refresh compliance dashboards and downstream workflows.

Why use this actor?

FCC ULS data is public, but the raw ZIP archives are large and structured for database ingestion rather than spreadsheet users.

This actor gives you a practical API-ready workflow:

• no browser automation,
• no login,
• no FCC website scraping,
• no manual ZIP extraction,
• no local scripts to maintain,
• and no need to parse pipe-delimited records yourself.

What data can you extract?

How much does it cost to extract FCC ULS license holders?

The actor uses pay-per-event pricing.

• A small start fee is charged once per run.
• A per-item event is charged for each license-holder row saved.
• Use maxItems and filters to keep first tests small.
• Larger FCC archives can take longer, so start with the default Paging archive.

Apify shows the exact estimated cost before and after each run.

Quick start

1. Open the actor on Apify.
2. Keep the default l_paging archive for a fast first run.
3. Add a state filter such as CA or TX.
4. Keep maxItems at 100 for the first test.
5. Run the actor.
6. Download the dataset as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML.

Input options

FCC ULS archive

Choose the FCC archive to scan.

The default l_paging archive is small and good for testing. Other options include Amateur, GMRS, Land Mobile, Aircraft, Cellular, Coast, FRC, Market, MDS/ITFS, Microwave, and Ship.

Custom archive URL

Use this only when you have a direct FCC ZIP URL that is not in the dropdown.

Licensee states

Enter two-letter state codes such as CA, TX, or FL.

Leave the list empty to scan all states.

Exact call sign

Use this when you want one known license.

Example: KAA209.

Call sign prefix

Use this for prefix searches.

Example: KN returns call signs that start with KN.

License status codes

Common FCC status codes include:

• A active
• C canceled
• E expired
• T terminated

Leave empty to include all statuses.

Radio service codes

Filter to FCC service codes such as CD, IG, MG, MW, or YG.

Leave empty to include all service codes in the selected archive.

Maximum license holders

Controls the maximum number of dataset rows.

Use a low number for tests and a larger number for production exports.

Example input

{
"archive":"l_paging",
"states":["CA"],
"licenseStatuses":["A"],
"maxItems":100
}

Example output

{
"callsign":"KMA616",
"frn":"",
"licenseeName":"Robert La Rue Properties, LLC",
"radioServiceCode":"CD",
"licenseStatus":"A - Active",
"grantDate":"05/29/2019",
"expirationDate":"04/01/2029",
"city":"Stockton",
"state":"CA",
"email":"robert@telecomtowers.net"
}

Tips for better results

• Start with l_paging to confirm your workflow.
• Add state filters for smaller, faster exports.
• Use licenseStatuses: ["A"] when you only need active licenses.
• Increase candidateBufferMultiplier if a very selective status/service run returns too few rows.
• Use a custom archive URL only for FCC ULS ZIP files with standard EN.dat and HD.dat records.

Integrations

Use this actor in lead-generation and compliance workflows.

• Send active license holders to a CRM.
• Monitor expiring licenses by scheduled runs.
• Join FRNs with your internal customer database.
• Export state-specific contact lists for sales teams.
• Build compliance dashboards from recurring Apify dataset exports.

API usage

Node.js

import{ ApifyClient }from'apify-client';
const client =newApifyClient({token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN});
const run =await client.actor('automation-lab/fcc-uls-license-holder-scraper').call({
archive:'l_paging',
states:['CA'],
licenseStatuses:['A'],
maxItems:100,
});
const{ items }=await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient('YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('automation-lab/fcc-uls-license-holder-scraper').call(run_input={
'archive':'l_paging',
'states':['CA'],
'licenseStatuses':['A'],
'maxItems':100,
})
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)

cURL

curl-X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automation-lab~fcc-uls-license-holder-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN'\
-H'Content-Type: application/json'\
-d'{"archive":"l_paging","states":["CA"],"licenseStatuses":["A"],"maxItems":100}'

MCP usage

Use Apify MCP to run this scraper from Claude Code or Claude Desktop.

MCP endpoint:

https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automation-lab/fcc-uls-license-holder-scraper

Claude Code setup:

$claude mcp add apify-fcc-uls --transport http "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automation-lab/fcc-uls-license-holder-scraper"

Claude Desktop JSON config:

{
"mcpServers":{
"apify-fcc-uls":{
"url":"https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automation-lab/fcc-uls-license-holder-scraper"
}
}
}

Example prompts:

• "Extract 100 active FCC ULS paging license holders in California."
• "Find active FCC GMRS license holders in Texas and return emails when available."
• "Run the FCC ULS License Holder Scraper for call signs starting with KAA."

Scheduling

Schedule the actor to monitor license status changes over time.

A common workflow is:

1. Run weekly for one state.
2. Export to a dataset or webhook.
3. Compare FRN and call sign values with the prior run.
4. Flag new, canceled, or expiring licenses.

Data source

The actor uses FCC public ULS complete archive downloads from:

https://data.fcc.gov/download/pub/uls/complete/

The actor does not use the interactive FCC License View website.

Limitations

Version 0.1 focuses on license-holder/contact records.

It does not yet join every ULS location, antenna, frequency, or emission file. Those fields are useful for engineering workflows and can be added later as separate output modes.

Troubleshooting

Why did my run return fewer rows than maxItems?

Your filters may be too selective, or the candidate buffer may have stopped before enough status/service matches were found. Try removing status/service filters or increasing candidateBufferMultiplier.

Why are some emails or FRNs blank?

The FCC public record may not include those values for every entity. The actor preserves blank fields instead of inventing data.

Why does a large archive take longer?

Some FCC archives are hundreds of megabytes. The actor streams the ZIP file, but the source still has to be downloaded and scanned.

Legality

The actor downloads public FCC ULS files from the official FCC data host. You are responsible for using the data lawfully, respecting privacy and communications rules, and complying with any applicable lead-generation regulations.

Is it legal to scrape FCC ULS data?

Yes, this actor uses public FCC data downloads rather than private accounts or login-only pages. You should still review your intended downstream use with your legal or compliance team.

Related scrapers

Explore other automation-lab actors for lead generation and public-record workflows:

• https://apify.com/automation-lab/website-contact-finder
• https://apify.com/automation-lab/google-maps-business-scraper
• https://apify.com/automation-lab/yelp-business-scraper
• https://apify.com/automation-lab/linkedin-company-url-finder

Changelog

0.1

Initial private build.

Support

If you need additional ULS joins such as frequency, antenna, coordinates, or location records, open an Apify issue with the exact FCC service code and fields you need.

FAQ

Can I filter by licensee name?

Not in v0.1. Use state, call sign, status, and radio service filters. Licensee-name filtering is planned for a future version.

Can I export to Excel?

Yes. Apify datasets can be downloaded as Excel, CSV, JSON, XML, RSS, and HTML.

Does this need proxies?

No. The actor reads public FCC downloads directly.

Does this use a browser?

No. It is an HTTP-only actor.

Can I use my own FCC ZIP URL?

Yes, if it contains standard ULS EN.dat and HD.dat files.

What is the best first run?

Use l_paging, one state such as CA, active status A, and maxItems set to 100.