FCC application pulse
Nearly five decades of FCC ID activity
Explore application volume by year or week, then compare the shape of the record with federal shutdown periods. The markers provide context—not proof that a shutdown caused a change.
Database current through .
What is counted: One row per FCC ID application, grouped by the FCC record's final action date. This is not the date an applicant first submitted paperwork.
Yearly application count
The long view makes growth, plateaus, and unusual years easy to spot.
View yearly data table
| Year | Applications | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 31 | +3000.0% |
| 1982 | 5,299 | +16993.5% |
| 1983 | 6,662 | +25.7% |
| 1984 | 4,629 | -30.5% |
| 1985 | 4,221 | -8.8% |
| 1986 | 5,568 | +31.9% |
| 1987 | 5,302 | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 4,566 | -13.9% |
| 1989 | 4,094 | -10.3% |
| 1990 | 4,343 | +6.1% |
| 1991 | 5,854 | +34.8% |
| 1992 | 6,497 | +11.0% |
| 1993 | 6,168 | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 6,532 | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 6,119 | -6.3% |
| 1996 | 6,153 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 4,607 | -25.1% |
| 1998 | 4,040 | -12.3% |
| 1999 | 3,265 | -19.2% |
| 2000 | 3,449 | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 3,876 | +12.4% |
| 2002 | 4,785 | +23.5% |
| 2003 | 5,741 | +20.0% |
| 2004 | 6,950 | +21.1% |
| 2005 | 7,831 | +12.7% |
| 2006 | 8,461 | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 9,361 | +10.6% |
| 2008 | 10,575 | +13.0% |
| 2009 | 11,054 | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 11,767 | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 13,601 | +15.6% |
| 2012 | 15,930 | +17.1% |
| 2013 | 17,590 | +10.4% |
| 2014 | 21,133 | +20.1% |
| 2015 | 23,007 | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 24,645 | +7.1% |
| 2017 | 25,544 | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 26,533 | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 27,876 | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 27,979 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 32,188 | +15.0% |
| 2022 | 39,643 | +23.2% |
| 2023 | 33,970 | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 43,354 | +27.6% |
| 2025 | 46,473 | +7.2% |
| 2026 | 36,315 | -21.9% |
Weekly application count
Use the range controls to zoom from the full record into recent filing behavior.
NationwidePartial governmentAgency-only
View the latest 12 weeks
| Week beginning | Applications |
|---|---|
| 122 | |
| 1,017 | |
| 562 | |
| 690 | |
| 899 | |
| 1,085 | |
| 1,052 | |
| 829 | |
| 995 | |
| 881 | |
| 831 | |
| 834 |
Federal shutdown marker database
Only funding lapses that produced employee furloughs are included. Brief technical gaps without operational shutdowns are excluded.
| Period | Duration | Scope | Agencies affected | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTC shutdown |
1 day | Agency-only | Federal Trade Commission | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| November 1981 shutdown |
1 day | Nationwide | All executive agencies; Legislative Branch excluded | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| October 1984 shutdown |
1 day | Partial | Several federal agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| October 1986 shutdown |
1 day | Nationwide | All federal agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| October 1990 shutdown – |
3 days | Nationwide | All federal agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| November 1995 shutdown – |
6 days | Partial | Several federal departments and agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| 1995–1996 shutdown – |
21 days | Partial | Several federal departments and agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| October 2013 shutdown – |
16 days | Nationwide | All federal departments and agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| January 2018 shutdown – |
3 days | Nationwide | All federal departments and agencies | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| 2018–2019 shutdown – |
35 days | Partial | Departments and agencies without enacted FY2019 appropriations, including the FCC | Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources |
| 2025 shutdown – |
43 days | Nationwide | All federal departments and agencies | H.R. 5371 — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 |
| January–February 2026 shutdown – |
4 days | Partial | Several departments and independent agencies; some departments were already funded | H.R. 7148 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 |
| 2026 DHS shutdown – |
76 days | Agency-only | Department of Homeland Security only | H.R. 7147 — Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 |
Method and provenance
Shutdown terminology follows the U.S. Government Accountability Office's guidance on lapses in appropriations. Historic episode selection follows the Congressional Research Service's Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources.
The 2025–2026 end dates are tied to the enacted funding measures linked in the table. A marker identifies a federal shutdown window; it does not mean the FCC was closed for that entire interval.