so i just passed my general last month and ive been using my sequential call which is fine but its kind of a mouthful and im looking at applying for a vanity call through the FCC ULS system. ive read a bunch of stuff online but im getting conflicting info about how the whole thing actually works now.

from what i can tell it used to be this big complicated priority system where like Extra class guys got first dibs, then Advanced, then General etc. and there were application windows and all that. but now i keep reading that its just... first come first served? like whoever submits first gets it?

also does it matter what call district the call is from? like if i live in the 4th district can i grab a 1x2 call from the 2nd district or does the FCC care about that. my elmer says it doesnt matter anymore but he got his license like 20 years ago so im not sure if the rules changed

and one more thing — whats the realistic wait time looking like these days. ive heard anywhere from a couple weeks to like 2 months and i have no idea what to actually expect

yeah the priority system is basically gone now, its pretty much first come first served these days with a few exceptions. the main thing left from the old system is that if a call just became available — like if the previous holder passed away or let their license lapse — there's a 30 day waiting period before anyone can snag it. that window is supposed to give close relatives a chance to apply for it first if they want to keep it in the family. after that 30 days though its open season.

and your elmer is right about the district thing, you can absolutely hold a 1x2 from the 2nd district while living in Florida or wherever. the geographic restriction on call districts hasnt been a thing for a long time. i have a W6 call and i live in the midwest, nobody cares.

timing wise in my experience and from what ive seen on the forums it usually processes within 2-3 weeks if everything is clean on your application. sometimes faster. the ULS can be a little unpredictable but its not the nightmare it used to be. just make sure your mailing address in ULS matches exactly before you apply or it can kick back on you.

oh man i went through this exact thing like 6 months ago, congrats on the General by the way. one thing i wish someone had told me is to check the AE7Q website before you do anything, it basically lets you look up any callsign and see if its available, when it becomes available, whether its in that 30 day hold period, all of it. saved me a ton of time versus trying to decode the FCC site which is honestly kind of a mess to navigate.

my vanity app took like 18 days from submission to showing up in ULS. seemed fast to me but ive heard it can drag out longer sometimes, might depend on how busy they are or something.