The FCC's Universal Licensing System was built in the late '90s and looks it. Follow this in order and you'll be done in fifteen minutes. You need to be 18 (or have a family member who is) and not be representing a business.
1. Get an FRN
Everything at the FCC hangs off an FCC Registration Number. Go to apps.fcc.gov/cores, click Register, create a username (your email) and password, then Register New FRN. You'll be asked for a name, address and - this is the part people balk at - a Social Security number or, if you choose, a taxpayer ID. It's required for individuals. Write the FRN down.
2. Start the application
Go to the ULS at wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry, log in with your FRN and password, and click Apply for a New License. In the radio service dropdown pick:
ZA - General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
3. The questions
- Applicant type: Individual.
- Are you requesting a waiver? No.
- Felony questions - answer honestly. A yes doesn't automatically disqualify you, but a lie will.
- Do you want a specific callsign? There's no vanity option for GMRS; skip anything that suggests it.
- Certify and sign by typing your name.
4. Pay
The fee is $35, paid by card through Pay.gov after you submit. The licence isn't processed until the fee clears, so do it right away. You'll get an email with a file number.
5. Wait for the grant
Most grants come through overnight; a few take a couple of days. Your callsign will look like WRXY123 - two letters starting with W, then two more letters, then three digits. Search your name in the ULS if the email hasn't arrived.
Don't know your callsign months later? You don't need to fight the FCC login. ChatterBack keeps a copy of the licence file and can find it from your last name during setup.
Family members
They don't apply for anything. They use your callsign. If you're the licensee, your spouse identifies as WRXY123 too - you can add a unit number ("WRXY123 unit 2") but it isn't required.