Frequently Asked Questions about EDOCS
What is EDOCS?
The Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS) is one of the Federal Communications Commission’s most heavily used systems. EDOCS is designed to take FCC documents from approval to public release. It expedites publication on FCC.gov, Federal Register, and in the FCC Record. This system is technically supported and controlled by Office of Secretary (OS).
What kind of number is it?
If there is no indication of whether a number is a Docket, Rule Making, DA or FCC number, you may need to try all three types of searches, one at a time before you find the right document. Combining the number with a date range or word in the title or description fields will help make the search more precise.
Why are the documents in so many formats?
Before January 1, 2000, the Commission used WordPerfect 5.1/5.2 (i.e .wpd) as its official word processor. In 2000, the Commission changed to Word 97 (i.e .doc). All documents after March 2000 are offered in the original format of: .doc, .docx, .xlx, .xlsx , .pdf, or .txt. Where possible, multiple file formats are provided to accommodate as many different users as possible.
Are these official versions of the documents?
No, these are the versions of the document as released. The version printed in the FCC Record is the official version. A copy of the FCC Record version giving official pagination is now offered as part of the EDOCS search results, starting toward the end of 2009.
The link suddenly stopped working, what do I do?
Contact EDOCSHelp@fcc.gov with the link you were trying to access and the browser you were using.
I searched with a citation (e.g., 15 FCC Rcd 3696) and was unable to locate the document. How do I locate a copy of the document?
EDOCS is a repository of Commission releases to the public since March 1996. From March 1996 to the present EDOCS contains full records for releases that include documents and associated metadata. EDOCS also contains brief records that may contain documents and associated metadata for releases between 1982 and 1996.
I did a search, but I am not getting the expected results.
EDOCS offers a basic search function and an advanced search function. If you did not receive the expected results using the basic search, we recommend using the advanced search. The advanced search allows you to perform more specific queries and provides filtering options.
If I have a problem searching, who do I contact?
Contact EDOCSHelp@fcc.gov with the query that you were trying to use and the browser version that you were using. If you received any error message, please provide a screenshot of that error message in your email to EDOCSHelp@fcc.gov.