A Vanity call sign is a special Amateur Radio call sign specifically chosen by a person or club who is currently an Amateur Radio licensee (similar in purpose to Vanity license plates on cars). Vanity call signs usually include alphabetical characters of personal significance (e.g., licensees initials, parts of names, hobbies, etc), or sometimes are simply chosen because they are shorter calls, or sometimes they have double or triple duplicate characters (e.g., W1WWW).

A Vanity call sign is a call sign that the licensee wants assigned by the FCC for use in place of an existing call sign (or for an Amateur Radio club, it is a call sign assigned to replace the existing FCC-assigned club license call sign).

Newly licensed individuals and newly licensed clubs cannot get a Vanity call sign as their first call sign. A Vanity call sign can only be obtained in exchange (traded in) for an existing call.

There is a two year waiting period after the cancellation of a call sign before it is available to be applied for as a vanity call sign. However, there are exceptions to this two year waiting period. Please see "FCC Rules" section below.

The FCC charges an application fee for certain filings including vanity call sign requests. View the application fee filing guide and instructions on the FCC Application Fee webpage.  After completing the vanity application, the system will automatically open a page asking how the applicant wants to pay and will walk the applicant through the payment process.  Additionally, organizations may charge a processing fee for filing a vanity application to FCC on your behalf.

For persons who have no interest in a special call sign, the FCC will issue a systematically assigned call sign (next one up in their computer system, with the type {group} of call sign and call area number determined by the FCC computer based on the applicant's license class and license address). Systematic call sign requests are not subjected to the FCC application fees.
 

Whether you are applying as an individual or a club trustee, there will be some limits on the types of vacant Vanity call signs that may be available to you, depending on your license class or mailing address.

First, the FCC does not limit the Vanity call sign choice numeral (0-9). For example, you can be a W1-land addressee, and have a W6 (California) type call if you so desire.

Also, aside from a very few FCC-limited choices, Extra class licensees can choose virtually any vacant but valid US call sign -- FCC call sign Groups A, B, C or D. Although Advanced class licensees cannot seek the special 1x2, 2x1 or 2x2 (beginning with letter "A") Extra class type call signs, they can seek a 2x2 or 1x3 call sign (beginning with prefix N, K or W), or a 2x3 call sign (beginning with prefix letter K or W) -- FCC call sign Groups B, C or D. General or Technician class licensees can seek a 1x3 call sign (beginning with prefix N, K or W), or 2x3 call sign (beginning with prefix letter K or W) -- FCC call sign Groups C or D. Novice licensees also have access to the Vanity program. Novices can seek a 2x3 call sign (beginning with prefix letter K or W) of their choice -- FCC call sign Group D.

Unless you have a mailing address specific to Alaskan, Pacific or Caribbean areas, you would not be able to obtain certain call signs where the second prefix letter is an L, H or P in conjunction with certain call area numbers (e.g., KL7??? is limited to Alaskan addressees only, KH6??? to Pacific Island addressees only, KP4??? to Caribbean addressees only, etc).

Club call signs are limited per above and also are limited based on the class of license held by the trustee at the time of application. Should the club trustee change and the trustees license class is of a different qualifying class, the clubs’ call sign will not change.

Even when a call sign does not appear on the FCC database, it may not be available for assignment.
 

According to the FCC's Vanity web page on Call Sign Availability, a call sign is normally assignable two years following license expiration, surrender, revocation, set aside, cancellation, void ab initio, or death of the grantee.  However, there are exceptions to this two year waiting period. Please see "FCC Rules" section below.

Where a vanity call sign for which the most recent recipient was ineligible is surrendered, cancelled, revoked or voided, the two-year requirement does not apply.

Refer to the Sequential Call Sign System for how call signs are sequentially assigned and the grouping and geographic region attributes of each call sign.

The following call signs are not available for assignment:

     1.  KA2AA-KA9ZZ, KC4AAA-KC4AAF, KC4USA-KC4USZ, KG4AA-KG4ZZ,
          KC6AA-KC6ZZ, KL9KAA- KL9KHZ, KX6AA-KX6ZZ;
     2.  Any call sign having the letters SOS or QRA-QUZ as the suffix;
     3.  Any call sign having the letters AM-AZ as the prefix (these prefixes
          are assigned to other countries by the ITU);
     4.  Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letter X as the first letter of the suffix;
     5.  Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters AF, KF, NF, or WF as the prefix
          and the letters EMA as the suffix (U.S Government FEMA stations);
     6.  Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters AA-AL as the prefix;
     7.  Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters NA-NZ as the prefix;
     8.  Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters WC, WK, WM, WR, or WT
          as the prefix (Group X call signs);
     9.  Any 2-by-3 format call sign having the letters KP, NP or WP as the prefix
          and the numeral 0, 6, 7, 8 or 9;
   10.  Any 2-by-2 format call sign having the letters KP, NP or WP as the prefix
          and the numeral 0, 6, 7, 8 or 9;
   11.  Any 2-by-1 format call sign having the letters KP, NP or WP as the prefix
          and the numeral 0, 6, 7, 8 or 9;
   12.  Call signs having the single letter prefix (K, N or W), a single digit numeral
          0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and a single letter suffix are reserved for the
          special event call sign system. 

Even when a call sign does not appear on the FCC database, it may not be available for assignment.
 

For Extra class licensees seeking the rare 1x2 or 2x1 Extra class type call signs, some online databases exist that attempt to list the potentially vacant calls. These web sites are of great service to Extra class hams.

For Advanced, General, Technician or Novice class amateurs, the number of possible choices (in the tens of thousands) is so great that it has been impractical for a database to attempt to provide all of the possibly vacant call signs available to these amateurs.
         ____________________________________________________________

Websites that offer information and help with locating available call signs: 

          AE7Q  
          RadioQTH  

FCC instructions:  Applicants applying for a specific (vanity) call sign will need to independently research the FCC license and application databases before deciding to file an application. The FCC Licensing and Support staff cannot provide assistance or guidance in determining the availability of amateur call signs.

The FCC has Amateur Call Sign Availability instructions on their Wireless Knowledge Base website. These instructions provide guidance on call sign availability, call sign assignment, searching a callsign, as well as the relevant websites that are necessary to search before beginning the process of requesting a specific call sign. FCC has supplied these instructions hoping it will help the Amateur community file their applications and minimize application dismissals due to a call sign not being available. Even when a call sign does not appear in the FCC database, it may not be available for assignment.
The FCC’s Knowledge Base website has other available resources and instructions to help the Amateur community.

          ____________________________________________________________

For individuals looking to develop their list of possible choices,
we recommend the following approach:

     1.  Write down the types of suffixes, the call area number(s) and the
          prefix types you may desire;
     2.  Assemble some call signs using your desired components and
          then check online databases to determine if your choices have
          already been assigned;
     3.  For those choices that are not apparently assigned (FCC accepts
          up to 25 call sign choices), arrange them in your desired order
          from most desired (#1) to your last choice (#25).
 

The complete list of FCC Part 97 Amateur Radio Services Rules and Regulations may be viewed here on the ARRL website.

Exceptions to the Two Year Waiting Period

• Former Holders of the Call Sign: A former holder of the call sign is exempt
  from the general rule that a call sign shown on an expired, surrendered,
  revoked, set aside, canceled or voided license is unavailable to the vanity
  call sign system for two years.
• “Close Relatives” of the Licensee: The term “in-law” includes “only a parent,
  step-parent, sibling, or step-sibling of a licensee’s spouse; and the spouse
  of a licensee’s sibling, step-sibling, child, or stepchild; or the spouse of a
  licensee’s spouse’s sibling or step-sibling.” The other “close relatives” are
  the deceased former holder’s spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren,
  parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters,
  aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. A close relative of the licensee is exempt
  from the general rule that a call sign shown on an expired, surrendered,
  revoked, set aside, canceled or voided license is unavailable to the vanity
  call sign system for two years.
• “In Memoriam” Call Signs: One exception to the two year waiting period
  applies to licenses for club stations who request the call sign of a deceased
  licensee when the club station trustee has the written consent of a close relative
  of the deceased. The FCC codified that the decedent’s club membership need
  not be current at the time of his or her death, as long as the decedent was a
  bona fide member of the club at some time during his or her life.

Availability of Call Signs Assigned to Stations of Deceased Licensees

• The FCC has codified that a signed request for license cancellation
  accompanied by a copy of a death certificate, an obituary or data
  from the Social Security Death Index [SSDI] that shows the date of
  death is necessary to cancel the license of a deceased amateur.
• The FCC clarified the rules to provide that the two year waiting period
  starts on the licensee’s date of death.
• A call sign that is canceled due to the death of a licensee more than
  two years earlier, or within 30 days before the second anniversary of
  the licensee’s death, will remain unavailable to the vanity call sign
  system for 30 days following the date the staff takes action to cancel
  the license.

Ineligible Applicants

• When a vanity call sign for which the most recent recipient was ineligible
  is surrendered, cancelled, revoked or voided, the two year requirement
  does not apply; however, the call sign will not be made available to the
  vanity call sign system for 30 days after information regarding the
  acknowledgement or determination of ineligibility is posted to the license
  in the Commission’s licensing system.
  

View the filing information and instructions on the Club Call Signs page.
 

View the filing information and instructions on the applying for a vanity call sign page.

The FCC stated that although the application fees for applications processed and dismissed may not be refunded, it is within a licensee's rights to request a refund.
The FCC cannot predict the amount of the refund, nor if the refund will be issued. Refunds are reviewed by the Commission on a case-by-case basis in accordance with Rule Sections 1.1113 and 1.1160. This includes vanity requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign.
Follow the FCC’s how to get a refund for a dismissed/withdrawn/deleted application instructions found on their FAQ page.