Registering for an International MMSI!
First off, let me explain what an MMSI is. On board Liahona, we have a VHF radio for contacting other boats, or even the Coast Guard should we need assistance. You can also contact marinas and bridge operators with a VHF radio. Some VHF's come with something called DSC, or Digital Selective Calling. You can read more about DSC here.
To use DSC for emergencies, or to just let people call you specifically over VHF, you need an MMSI. If you're planning on staying in the USA, you can get one of these numbers for free through a few companies set up for it, like BoatUS, or SeaTow. However, if you plan on cruising in international waters, you must obtain your MMSI through the FCC. Being a government entity, it can get a little hairy trying to apply for everything you need through them. Here's what happened when we applied.
I searched around the FCC website for a while looking for the first steps in applying for an international MMSI. Finally, I figured out how to apply for what the FCC calls and FRN. To apply for an FRN, go here. Keep it somewhere safe, along with the password you chose to go with it. You'll need it later.
Now that we had our FRN, I logged into the FCC's ULS website here. From there, on the left side of the page, I clicked "Apply for a New License". Here is where I got confused. They need you to select from a long list in a drop down menu but I had no idea what to select. I was instructed by their help desk to select "SA or SB - Ship" and click continue.
From there it was pretty self-explanatory and tailored to our individual situation and vessel. They calculated our fees for us ($220 for one MMSI, ouch!) and we paid via credit card. Once they grant our license, we will go here and use our FRN and password to log in. Then we're supposed to click the "Download Electronic Authorizations" link on the left to download our license.
More information on ship station licenses is here, or you can contact the FCC help desk here or by calling 877-480-3201. Hope this helps!
Edit 5/11/17 - We got our MMSI in an email from the FCC with an easy to follow link to the PDF that was our license. So excited! Now the fun part, programming it into our VHF's without typos!
To use DSC for emergencies, or to just let people call you specifically over VHF, you need an MMSI. If you're planning on staying in the USA, you can get one of these numbers for free through a few companies set up for it, like BoatUS, or SeaTow. However, if you plan on cruising in international waters, you must obtain your MMSI through the FCC. Being a government entity, it can get a little hairy trying to apply for everything you need through them. Here's what happened when we applied.
I searched around the FCC website for a while looking for the first steps in applying for an international MMSI. Finally, I figured out how to apply for what the FCC calls and FRN. To apply for an FRN, go here. Keep it somewhere safe, along with the password you chose to go with it. You'll need it later.
Now that we had our FRN, I logged into the FCC's ULS website here. From there, on the left side of the page, I clicked "Apply for a New License". Here is where I got confused. They need you to select from a long list in a drop down menu but I had no idea what to select. I was instructed by their help desk to select "SA or SB - Ship" and click continue.
From there it was pretty self-explanatory and tailored to our individual situation and vessel. They calculated our fees for us ($220 for one MMSI, ouch!) and we paid via credit card. Once they grant our license, we will go here and use our FRN and password to log in. Then we're supposed to click the "Download Electronic Authorizations" link on the left to download our license.
More information on ship station licenses is here, or you can contact the FCC help desk here or by calling 877-480-3201. Hope this helps!
Edit 5/11/17 - We got our MMSI in an email from the FCC with an easy to follow link to the PDF that was our license. So excited! Now the fun part, programming it into our VHF's without typos!
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