FCC License Assignment and Transfer of Control Applications Migrate to LMS

Several years ago, the FCC began transitioning various FCC application and reporting forms from the old Consolidated Database System (CDBS) to the new Licensing Management System (LMS).  However, the FCC’s license assignment and transfer of control applications had not made the transition, remaining some of the oldest forms still filed in CDBS.  That ended on November 18, 2020 with this public notice announcing the move of those forms to LMS.

The former FCC Form 314 license assignment application is now available in station LMS accounts as “Assignment of Authorization, non-pro forma” and the former FCC Form 315 transfer of control application and Form 316 assignment or transfer of control application are available in “pro forma” or “non-pro forma” options.  Generally speaking, a pro-forma application involves a transfer of control of an existing licensee or an assignment to an individual or entity that is controlled by the existing licensee, and a non-pro forma application involves a transfer or assignment to a new entity.

For assignment applications to a new or third-party entity, the licensee will load the application and complete the initial or “assignor” section, finishing by entering the FCC Registration Number (FRN) of the proposed assignee.  Once that is saved into the form, the proposed assignee will be able to separately log in to LMS using its own FRN to complete the “assignee” portion of the form.  Previously, the parties had to use a single CDBS account in order to complete and file an assignment application.  Under the new method, a proposed assignee will have to obtain an FRN from the beginning of the license assignment process, as opposed to only after the FCC has approved the license assignment and the transaction is closed.