Opposition Letter: Craig Sharrow, K9LEG

Dear Governor Schwartzenegger, Senator Migden and Assemblyman Huffman:

This is to advise you of a situation concerning a completely unexpected change in the California Motor Vehicle Department’s production of license plates with Amateur Radio callsigns. The license plates are now apparently produced with a space between parts of the callsign. I request your support toward restoring the long-standing production of license plates with the callsigns presented in unaltered form.All 50 states and the District of Columbia issue vehicle license plates with Amateur Radio callsigns on them. At times these permit easy identification of participants in emergency communications.The Federal Communications Commission issues callsigns with between four and six characters to holders of Amateur Radio licenses. The callsigns begin with the letter A, K, N, or W. There is a number in the callsign. The number 6 was issued to stations in California, and lately the FCC has permitted people who move from California to retain their 6th district callsigns. In fact, the FCC now allows selection of callsigns with any number from 0 to 9 by license holders anywhere in the USA.The Callsigns have one or two characters, followed by a number, followed by one to three characters. Typical of callsigns are AA6VV, AD6D, K6ABC, KD6XYZ, N6ZZ, N8QXQ, W6AAA, WB6ZYX, WW6CC, and WX6X.In all my years as a licensed amateur, I have never heard of a state issuing license plates with a space between parts of the callsign. It would feel no more appropriate than someone sending you correspondence with a space between parts of a person's name, such as Ar nold Schwa rzenegg er.

On behalf of myself and other licensed Radio Amateurs in California, I request that you take steps to restore the full callsigns, without introduced spaces on the California Amateur Radio license plates.

California Vehicle Code section that applies to amateur radio license plates:
Vehicle Code Section 5005:
5005. (a) Any person holding an unexpired amateur radio stationlicense issued by the Federal Communications Commission may, afterthe requirements for the registration of the motor vehicle have beencomplied with, also apply directly to the department for speciallicense plates, and the department may issue special plates in lieuof the regular license plates. The special license plates shall beaffixed to the motor vehicle for which registration is sought and, inlieu of the numbers otherwise prescribed by law, shall display theofficial amateur radio station call letters of the applicant asassigned by the Federal Communications Commission."
NOTE: The FCC Does not issue Call Signs with spaces in them.

I support the proposed Amateur Radio Callsign License Plate Consistency Act –

“The California Department of Motor Vehicles is required to issue amateur radio callsign license plates so that the callsign appears on the plates exactly as it was issued by the Federal Communications Commission. California Department of Motor Vehicles may not charge a vanity license plate or any other special fees for amateur radio callsign license plates other than a one-time printing fee.” We oppose the Calif. Dept. of Motor Vehicles policy and practice of putting a space in FCC issued callsigns on new and replacement amateur radio callsign license plates (example below) and declaring these plates to be vanity plates and charging yearly vanity plates fees."

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours truly,

K9LEG
FCC Issued Amateur Radio Call Sign

Craig M. Sharrow
xxxxx xxxxxx xxx
San Anselmo, CA