The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC" or "Commission") provides the service of certifying all Commission records and documents. The certification of record(s) or document(s) provides the requester with proof of the document's authenticity.
- The Office of the Secretary administers all certification requests for a fee of $10.00 for each document or set of related documents. See 47 CFR Section 0.465.
- Certification requests are made by attorneys, court officials, and other individuals from inside and outside of the FCC. All requests must include a completed Request for Certification of Record Form and a copy of the document(s) to be certified.
- The length of time for completion of a certification request is typically 3 to 5 business days. For more information, contact the Office of the Secretary at (202) (202) 418-0300.
- Copies of materials which are available, or made available, for public inspection may be obtained by visiting the FCC's Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12thStreet, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. Or visit the Commission's website at www.fcc.gov. Documents can be downloaded from the website by using the following databases:
- The Commission's contract duplication firm, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., (BCPI), also provides the public with Commission records and offers them for a fee to the public. In addition to the charge for copying, the contractor may charge a search fee for extracting the requested documents from the Commission's files and for requesting certification. BCPI is located in Portals II, 445 12thStreet SW, Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, 1-800-378-3160 (telephone), Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about BCPI and their fees you may visit their website at www.bcpiweb.com.
- The National Archives & Records Administration (NARA), an independent Federal agency, is America's national recordkeeper which stores retired files. Once files are retired with NARA they are no longer obtainable through the Commission. For location and hours of operation you may visit their website at www.archives.gov.