Most electronics that emit radio frequency energy (anything with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, NFC, or another radio) must be authorized by the Federal Communications Commission before they can be marketed or imported into the United States. Each authorization is identified by an FCC ID, such as BCGA2270. An FCC ID is made up of a grantee code that identifies the company holding the authorization (BCG is Apple) and a product code (A2270).
Customs entries, marketplaces, and compliance reviews increasingly ask for an FCC ID. Sellers often don't have one. The IDs they do supply are frequently copied from a similar product, a different size or variant, or a different region. Sometimes they aren't FCC IDs at all: a model number, or "Does Not Apply." A missing or wrong FCC ID can hold up an import, get a listing removed, or leave you selling a device that was never authorized.
Zonos FCC ID helps in two ways:
Infer. You send product details. Zonos returns the FCC equipment authorization(s) that cover the product, or tells you why there isn't one to return.
Validate. You send product details and an FCC ID. Zonos tells you whether the FCC ID is valid, and how likely it is to cover that product.
You submit the product details you have. Zonos compares them against the FCC's equipment authorization records and returns:
A status (for inference) or a verdict (for validation) that tells you which case applies.
The matching FCC equipment authorization(s). Each includes the grantee, model, grant date, and FCC Covered List status.
A probability between 0.0 and 1.0 on every result, so you can set your own thresholds for automation and review.
Statuses and verdicts are advisory: you decide what each one means for your workflow.
Field↕
Required↕
Notes↕
name
Yes
Product name or listing title.
brand
No
The brand the product is sold under. Strongly recommended.
manufacturerProductId
No
The manufacturer's model or part number. Strongly recommended. Many products differ only by model number, such as a Wi-Fi tablet and its cellular version.
Your identifier. Echoed back so you can match results to requests.
fccId
Validation only
The FCC ID to check.
For every type, field, and enum value, see the FCC ID schema.
Note: Zonos FCC ID is currently available via API only. Each request accepts up to 25 products. Results come back in the same order as the input, and each result echoes the input fields you sent (name, brand, description, and so on), so you can store it without joining it back to your request.
The product doesn't require FCC equipment authorization, for example a watch band or a hand tool.
No FCC ID is needed.
INSUFFICIENT_INFORMATION
The product likely requires authorization, but the details provided don't identify a specific product, for example an unbranded listing with no model number.
Add the brand and the manufacturer's model number, then try again.
NO_MATCH
The product likely requires authorization and is identifiable, but no authorization could be identified with confidence.
Review alternates, add more product details, or ask the manufacturer for the FCC ID.
Note:NO_MATCH is not a finding that the product lacks authorization. It means Zonos couldn't confidently identify which authorization applies. If you receive a status your integration doesn't recognize, treat it as NO_MATCH.
Every inference includes a confidenceScore between 0.0 and 1.0. It is the probability that the status is correct and, when authorizations are returned, that they cover the product. Scores are calibrated, so you can read them literally: among results with a confidenceScore of 0.9, about 9 in 10 are correct.
Every inference also includes probabilityOfRegulation, the probability that the product requires FCC equipment authorization at all. It is returned for every status. This lets you tell an unidentified radio product from a product that probably needs no authorization.
When other authorizations came close, they are returned in alternates, each with a probabilityMass: the probability that it covers the product. Use alternates to speed up manual review, but never treat an alternate as the answer.
You can set thresholds that fit your risk tolerance. For example, accept MATCHED results at 0.85 or above automatically and send the rest to review.
Some products are not authorized as a whole. Laptops, for example, rarely have an FCC ID of their own. Instead, each Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or NFC module inside them carries its own authorization, often held by the module maker or under the laptop maker's own grantee code.
For these products, the status is COMPONENTS_MATCHED, and equipmentAuthorizations lists the module authorizations, most likely first. Each one includes a radioType (WIFI_BLUETOOTH, CELLULAR, NFC, or OTHER).
A laptop model is often built in several configurations with different modules, and the same module can be sold under more than one authorization. When that happens, every candidate is listed. For COMPONENTS_MATCHED, confidenceScore is the probability that the product's modules are among those returned.
Use the fccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer mutation with your product details. Only name is required, but the brand and the manufacturer's model number significantly improve results.
The example below sends three real eBay listings in one request: an iPad, a Lenovo laptop, and a smartwatch band.
1mutationFccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer(
2$input: [FccEquipmentAuthorizationInferInput!]!
3){
4 fccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer(input:$input) {
5 alternates {
6 equipmentAuthorization {
7 grantDate
8 id
9 model
10 retailName
11}
12 probabilityMass
13}
14 brand
15 categories
16 confidenceScore
17 description
18 equipmentAuthorizations {
19 coveredList {
20 covered
21}
22 grantDate
23 grantee {
24 code
25 country
26 name
27}
28 id
29 model
30 productDescription
31 radioType
32 retailName
33}
34 globalTradeItemNumber
35 manufacturerProductId
36 material
37 name
38 probabilityOfRegulation
39 productId
40 status
41}
42}
In the example above:
The iPad is MATCHED to FCC ID BCGA2270, Apple's authorization for the iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi model. The two alternates are the Wi-Fi + Cellular models of the same iPad. They received almost no probability because the listing says Wi-Fi.
The ThinkPad L16 Gen 2 is COMPONENTS_MATCHED. The laptop has no FCC ID of its own. Depending on configuration, it ships with an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 or Wi-Fi 7 BE201 module, and it can add a Quectel LTE module and an NFC module. All four authorizations are returned, each with its radioType.
The watch band is NOT_REGULATED. A metal strap has no radio, so no FCC ID is needed, even though it's listed under Smart Watches and names a Samsung watch.
See an INSUFFICIENT_INFORMATION example
This real eBay listing is for a Bluetooth karaoke speaker, so it almost certainly requires authorization. But it's unbranded and has no model number, so there's no way to tell which authorization applies.
1mutationFccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer(
2$input: [FccEquipmentAuthorizationInferInput!]!
3){
4 fccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer(input:$input) {
5 categories
6 confidenceScore
7 description
8 equipmentAuthorizations {
9 grantDate
10 id
11 retailName
12}
13 name
14 probabilityOfRegulation
15 productId
16 status
17}
18}
probabilityOfRegulation is high (0.96), so this isn't a product you can ignore. Ask the seller for the brand and model number, or for the FCC ID printed on the device, and request again.
When someone gives you an FCC ID, the first question is whether it's a real one. Every validation returns an fccIdStatus. The checks run in this order, and the first one that fails is reported:
fccIdStatus↕
What it means↕
Recommended action↕
MALFORMED
The value isn't shaped like an FCC ID, or is a placeholder such as "N/A" or "Does Not Apply."
Ask for the FCC ID printed on the device or its packaging.
UNKNOWN_GRANTEE
It's shaped like an FCC ID, but no company is registered with the FCC under its grantee code.
Treat it as invalid. Check for typos.
NOT_ON_RECORD
The grantee code is registered (grantee tells you to whom), but that company holds no authorization with this product code.
Treat it as invalid. A model number entered in place of an FCC ID often lands here.
ON_RECORD
The FCC has an equipment authorization with this ID.
Check the verdict to see whether it covers your product.
Case, spaces, hyphens, and a leading "FCC ID:" label are ignored, so FCC ID: BCG-A2270 and bcga2270 are checked as the same ID. When an FCC ID isn't ON_RECORD, the verdict is INDETERMINATE. If the product details identify the product, likelier FCC IDs are returned in suggestions.
The example below checks four FCC IDs a seller might supply for the same iPad.
FCC ID: BCG-A2270 is a valid FCC ID held by Apple.
A2270 is Apple's model number, not its FCC ID. Read as an FCC ID, its grantee code A22 belongs to a different company, Lloyds Electronics, which holds no authorization with product code 70.
2ZZZZ0001 uses a grantee code no company is registered under.
Does Not Apply is a placeholder.
In the last three cases, the correct FCC ID is suggested because the product name identifies the iPad.
A valid FCC ID can still belong to a different product. For an ON_RECORD FCC ID, use the verdict and probabilityOfMatch to decide whether it covers yours. probabilityOfMatch is the probability that the FCC ID covers the product, either as the product's own authorization or as a radio module inside it.
Verdict↕
What it means↕
Recommended action↕
DEFINITELY_SAME
The FCC ID covers the product.
Accept.
LIKELY_SAME
The FCC ID probably covers the product.
Accept, or review if your tolerance for error is low.
UNLIKELY_SAME
The FCC ID probably doesn't cover the product.
Review. Check suggestions for a better fit.
DEFINITELY_NOT_SAME
The FCC ID doesn't cover the product.
Reject. Use suggestions, or ask the seller for the correct FCC ID.
INDETERMINATE
No verdict could be reached. Either the FCC ID isn't ON_RECORD, or the product details don't identify a specific product.
Each validation also returns a relationship, which describes how the authorized device relates to your product: SAME_PRODUCT, COMPONENT_OF_PRODUCT, RELATED_PRODUCT (another model, size, or variant in the same family), DIFFERENT_PRODUCT, or UNKNOWN. RELATED_PRODUCT is the most common reason a valid FCC ID turns out to be wrong.
The example below checks two real Apple FCC IDs against the eBay iPad listing from Infer an FCC ID.
In the example above, both FCC IDs are valid Apple authorizations for the 8th-generation iPad:
BCGA2270 is the Wi-Fi model. It matches the listing, so the verdict is LIKELY_SAME with a probabilityOfMatch of 0.90.
BCGA2429 is the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, a RELATED_PRODUCT. Its retailName shows the difference at a glance. The listing says Wi-Fi, so the verdict is DEFINITELY_NOT_SAME, and the correct FCC ID is returned in suggestions.
FCC ID is designed to enhance, not replace, your compliance review. A practical setup:
Automate the clear cases. Accept MATCHED and COMPONENTS_MATCHED results above your confidence threshold, along with DEFINITELY_SAME verdicts. Treat NOT_REGULATED as needing no FCC ID, and reject DEFINITELY_NOT_SAME.
Review the rest. Send NO_MATCH, LIKELY_SAME, UNLIKELY_SAME, and low-confidence results to a reviewer, using alternates or suggestions as a starting point.
Go back to the source. For INSUFFICIENT_INFORMATION, or an FCC ID that isn't ON_RECORD, ask the seller or supplier for the brand and model number, or for the FCC ID printed on the device.
Check the Covered List. Every authorization includes coveredList.covered. It tells you whether the grantee is on the FCC Covered List of communications equipment and services deemed a risk to U.S. national security. The FCC no longer grants new authorizations for covered equipment.
Start with conservative thresholds, and loosen them as you compare results against your reviewers' decisions.
Planned: revocation notifications. The FCC can revoke an equipment authorization after it is granted, and can add a grantee to the Covered List. A future enhancement will let you subscribe to a webhook and be notified when an FCC ID you've received from Zonos is revoked or its grantee becomes covered. Until then, re-validate FCC IDs periodically for products you continue to sell.
Note: This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.
FCC ID
FCC ID
Identify the FCC equipment authorization that covers a product, or check whether a supplied FCC ID is valid and matches it.
Why FCC equipment authorization matters
Most electronics that emit radio frequency energy (anything with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, NFC, or another radio) must be authorized by the Federal Communications Commission before they can be marketed or imported into the United States. Each authorization is identified by an FCC ID, such as
BCGA2270. An FCC ID is made up of a grantee code that identifies the company holding the authorization (BCGis Apple) and a product code (A2270).Customs entries, marketplaces, and compliance reviews increasingly ask for an FCC ID. Sellers often don't have one. The IDs they do supply are frequently copied from a similar product, a different size or variant, or a different region. Sometimes they aren't FCC IDs at all: a model number, or "Does Not Apply." A missing or wrong FCC ID can hold up an import, get a listing removed, or leave you selling a device that was never authorized.
Zonos FCC ID helps in two ways:
How it works
You submit the product details you have. Zonos compares them against the FCC's equipment authorization records and returns:
status(for inference) or averdict(for validation) that tells you which case applies.Statuses and verdicts are advisory: you decide what each one means for your workflow.
namebrandmanufacturerProductIddescriptioncategoriesglobalTradeItemNumbermaterial,imageUrl,amount,currencyCode,shipFromCountryproductIdfccIdFor every type, field, and enum value, see the FCC ID schema.
Inference statuses
Every inference returns exactly one
status. Branch onstatus, not on whetherequipmentAuthorizationsis empty.MATCHEDequipmentAuthorizations.confidenceScoreto review.COMPONENTS_MATCHEDNOT_REGULATEDINSUFFICIENT_INFORMATIONNO_MATCHalternates, add more product details, or ask the manufacturer for the FCC ID.Confidence scores
Every inference includes a
confidenceScorebetween 0.0 and 1.0. It is the probability that thestatusis correct and, when authorizations are returned, that they cover the product. Scores are calibrated, so you can read them literally: among results with aconfidenceScoreof 0.9, about 9 in 10 are correct.Every inference also includes
probabilityOfRegulation, the probability that the product requires FCC equipment authorization at all. It is returned for every status. This lets you tell an unidentified radio product from a product that probably needs no authorization.When other authorizations came close, they are returned in
alternates, each with aprobabilityMass: the probability that it covers the product. Use alternates to speed up manual review, but never treat an alternate as the answer.You can set thresholds that fit your risk tolerance. For example, accept
MATCHEDresults at 0.85 or above automatically and send the rest to review.Products with built-in radio modules
Some products are not authorized as a whole. Laptops, for example, rarely have an FCC ID of their own. Instead, each Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or NFC module inside them carries its own authorization, often held by the module maker or under the laptop maker's own grantee code.
For these products, the status is
COMPONENTS_MATCHED, andequipmentAuthorizationslists the module authorizations, most likely first. Each one includes aradioType(WIFI_BLUETOOTH,CELLULAR,NFC, orOTHER).A laptop model is often built in several configurations with different modules, and the same module can be sold under more than one authorization. When that happens, every candidate is listed. For
COMPONENTS_MATCHED,confidenceScoreis the probability that the product's modules are among those returned.Infer an FCC ID
Use the
fccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfermutation with your product details. Onlynameis required, but the brand and the manufacturer's model number significantly improve results.The example below sends three real eBay listings in one request: an iPad, a Lenovo laptop, and a smartwatch band.
mutation FccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer($input: [FccEquipmentAuthorizationInferInput!]!) {fccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer(input: $input) {alternates {equipmentAuthorization {grantDateidmodelretailName}probabilityMass}brandcategoriesconfidenceScoredescriptionequipmentAuthorizations {coveredList {covered}grantDategrantee {codecountryname}idmodelproductDescriptionradioTyperetailName}globalTradeItemNumbermanufacturerProductIdmaterialnameprobabilityOfRegulationproductIdstatus}}In the example above:
MATCHEDto FCC IDBCGA2270, Apple's authorization for the iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi model. The two alternates are the Wi-Fi + Cellular models of the same iPad. They received almost no probability because the listing says Wi-Fi.COMPONENTS_MATCHED. The laptop has no FCC ID of its own. Depending on configuration, it ships with an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 or Wi-Fi 7 BE201 module, and it can add a Quectel LTE module and an NFC module. All four authorizations are returned, each with itsradioType.NOT_REGULATED. A metal strap has no radio, so no FCC ID is needed, even though it's listed under Smart Watches and names a Samsung watch.See an INSUFFICIENT_INFORMATION example
This real eBay listing is for a Bluetooth karaoke speaker, so it almost certainly requires authorization. But it's unbranded and has no model number, so there's no way to tell which authorization applies.
mutation FccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer($input: [FccEquipmentAuthorizationInferInput!]!) {fccEquipmentAuthorizationsInfer(input: $input) {categoriesconfidenceScoredescriptionequipmentAuthorizations {grantDateidretailName}nameprobabilityOfRegulationproductIdstatus}}probabilityOfRegulationis high (0.96), so this isn't a product you can ignore. Ask the seller for the brand and model number, or for the FCC ID printed on the device, and request again.Check that an FCC ID is valid
When someone gives you an FCC ID, the first question is whether it's a real one. Every validation returns an
fccIdStatus. The checks run in this order, and the first one that fails is reported:fccIdStatus↕MALFORMEDUNKNOWN_GRANTEENOT_ON_RECORDgranteetells you to whom), but that company holds no authorization with this product code.ON_RECORDverdictto see whether it covers your product.Case, spaces, hyphens, and a leading "FCC ID:" label are ignored, so
FCC ID: BCG-A2270andbcga2270are checked as the same ID. When an FCC ID isn'tON_RECORD, theverdictisINDETERMINATE. If the product details identify the product, likelier FCC IDs are returned insuggestions.The example below checks four FCC IDs a seller might supply for the same iPad.
mutation FccEquipmentAuthorizationsValidate($input: [FccEquipmentAuthorizationValidateInput!]!) {fccEquipmentAuthorizationsValidate(input: $input) {brandequipmentAuthorization {grantDateidretailName}fccIdfccIdStatusgrantee {codename}namesuggestions {equipmentAuthorization {grantDateidretailName}}verdict}}In the example above:
FCC ID: BCG-A2270is a valid FCC ID held by Apple.A2270is Apple's model number, not its FCC ID. Read as an FCC ID, its grantee codeA22belongs to a different company, Lloyds Electronics, which holds no authorization with product code70.2ZZZZ0001uses a grantee code no company is registered under.Does Not Applyis a placeholder.In the last three cases, the correct FCC ID is suggested because the product name identifies the iPad.
Validate an FCC ID against a product
A valid FCC ID can still belong to a different product. For an
ON_RECORDFCC ID, use theverdictandprobabilityOfMatchto decide whether it covers yours.probabilityOfMatchis the probability that the FCC ID covers the product, either as the product's own authorization or as a radio module inside it.DEFINITELY_SAMELIKELY_SAMEUNLIKELY_SAMEsuggestionsfor a better fit.DEFINITELY_NOT_SAMEsuggestions, or ask the seller for the correct FCC ID.INDETERMINATEON_RECORD, or the product details don't identify a specific product.Each validation also returns a
relationship, which describes how the authorized device relates to your product:SAME_PRODUCT,COMPONENT_OF_PRODUCT,RELATED_PRODUCT(another model, size, or variant in the same family),DIFFERENT_PRODUCT, orUNKNOWN.RELATED_PRODUCTis the most common reason a valid FCC ID turns out to be wrong.The example below checks two real Apple FCC IDs against the eBay iPad listing from Infer an FCC ID.
mutation FccEquipmentAuthorizationsValidate($input: [FccEquipmentAuthorizationValidateInput!]!) {fccEquipmentAuthorizationsValidate(input: $input) {brandcategoriesequipmentAuthorization {grantDateidmodelretailName}fccIdfccIdStatusnameprobabilityOfMatchproductIdrelationshipsuggestions {equipmentAuthorization {grantDateidmodelretailName}probabilityMass}verdict}}In the example above, both FCC IDs are valid Apple authorizations for the 8th-generation iPad:
BCGA2270is the Wi-Fi model. It matches the listing, so the verdict isLIKELY_SAMEwith aprobabilityOfMatchof 0.90.BCGA2429is the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, aRELATED_PRODUCT. ItsretailNameshows the difference at a glance. The listing says Wi-Fi, so the verdict isDEFINITELY_NOT_SAME, and the correct FCC ID is returned insuggestions.Implementation
FCC ID is designed to enhance, not replace, your compliance review. A practical setup:
MATCHEDandCOMPONENTS_MATCHEDresults above your confidence threshold, along withDEFINITELY_SAMEverdicts. TreatNOT_REGULATEDas needing no FCC ID, and rejectDEFINITELY_NOT_SAME.NO_MATCH,LIKELY_SAME,UNLIKELY_SAME, and low-confidence results to a reviewer, usingalternatesorsuggestionsas a starting point.INSUFFICIENT_INFORMATION, or an FCC ID that isn'tON_RECORD, ask the seller or supplier for the brand and model number, or for the FCC ID printed on the device.coveredList.covered. It tells you whether the grantee is on the FCC Covered List of communications equipment and services deemed a risk to U.S. national security. The FCC no longer grants new authorizations for covered equipment.Start with conservative thresholds, and loosen them as you compare results against your reviewers' decisions.
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