So I passed my general about 3 weeks ago and got my sequential callsign assigned, which is fine, but I've been looking into applying for a vanity call and honestly the FCC ULS system is kind of a mess to navigate. I put in the application like 8 days ago and it still just says "pending" or whatever. Is that normal? I read somewhere that there's a 18 day window for vanity applications where other people can apply for the same call before it gets assigned to anyone, is that still how it works or did they change it?

Also I was looking at a 1x2 call in my district because I live in the 4 area but the call I want is technically a 4 area suffix so I think I qualify but im not 100% sure. My current call is KO4 something. The whole sequential vs vanity thing is a little confusing to me still. Anyone been through this recently?

Yeah the 18 day waiting period is still a thing, hasnt changed. Basically the FCC opens it up for a window so if multiple people apply for the same vanity call they can all be considered, then after that window closes they do a random selection if there were competing applications. So you're basically in that window right now which is why it still says pending — that's totally normal, don't panic.

For the 1x2 call in your district, as long as the call is in the 4 call district and you're a General class or above you should be eligible. The system is supposed to check that automatically but it's worth double checking the eligibility rules on the FCC site just to be sure. There's also a site called AE7Q that has a really good vanity application tracker and shows you if there are competing apps on the same call. Honestly I use that more than the FCC's own site when I'm checking status.

i went through this last year and it took like 22 days total for mine to finally show up in the system. the waiting is the worst part lol. ae7q dot com is your friend, seriously bookmark it, it shows the application status way clearer than the ULS interface which looks like it was designed in 2003 or something