FCC Covered List FNPRM: Radio Component Ban Proposed (2026)

The FCC has proposed blocking equipment authorization for any radio that contains even one component made by a Covered List company, and the comment window on that proposal closed on September 8, 2026. The proposal sits in a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted July 22, 2026 in ET Docket No. 21-232 (FCC 26-50). It is not law and no rules from it have been adopted. But it is the next step in tightening which imported radio hardware can lawfully be sold in the United States, and it is worth watching if you buy budget handhelds or follow police radio supply news.

What the FCC Proposed in the Third Further Notice

The Third Report and Order and companion Third Further Notice continue the Commission's push to harden the communications supply chain against national security risks. The Further Notice asks for comment on four expansions, according to a client alert from law firm Akin summarizing the item: prohibiting authorization of any device that incorporates any component produced by a Covered List entity even where the host device's own maker is not listed, extending that same reach to software and firmware, requiring every certification applicant to file a Hardware Bill of Materials and Software Bill of Materials naming component producers and countries of origin, and codifying a broad "produced by" test aimed at white-labeled or rebranded covered equipment. A fourth proposal would add a U.S.-based responsible party plus new registration and disclosure duties for devices authorized under the SDoC process (Akin alert).

The Four Proposals at a Glance

• All-components prohibition: block authorization of a device if any single component in it comes from a Covered List company.
• Software and firmware: extend the same treatment to code produced by a listed entity.
• Bills of materials: require applicants to disclose component producers and countries of origin (HBOM and SBOM).
• "Produced by" test and responsible party: catch rebranded or white-labeled covered gear, and require a U.S.-based responsible party with registration and disclosure duties for SDoC devices.

What the FCC Declined to Adopt For Now

The Commission's own summary of the Third Report and Order is blunt about the limits. It confirms the FCC declined for now to adopt the all-components prohibition and the software and firmware extension, and "keeps the record open on those questions" (Federal Register, 91 FR 57798, Sept. 11, 2026). That is the key distinction for buyers: the parts of the companion order that are already final are a different story, and they are covered in our existing article on the FCC Covered List rule taking effect October 13, 2026. The Further Notice items are proposals, still open, still subject to change.

Why Comments Closed September 8, 2026

Comments were due September 8, 2026 and reply comments closed September 21, 2026 (Akin). A closed comment window means the record is complete and the Commission can move to a decision, but it sets no deadline for one. The full text of the item is posted as FCC 26-50A1.pdf for anyone who wants to read the proposals in the Commission's own words. Nothing about the closed window changes current rules on any radio you can buy today.

What It Could Mean for Imported Handhelds

If the all-components and bills-of-materials proposals were adopted in anything like their proposed form, the effect would land on supply chains rather than on listeners. Certification applicants would have to trace and disclose where every component came from, and a single covered component would be enough to sink an authorization. That is compliance cost and supply friction for imported radio hardware, including the low-priced handheld segment that budget scanner listeners shop in. Agencies, dealers, and importers would carry the paperwork; availability and pricing are where listeners would eventually feel it.

This is exactly the kind of friction that argues for buying simple, already-certified, already-working gear instead of gambling on an off-brand import with no traceable parts list. A pre-programmed dual-band handheld like the Baofeng UV-5R Plus is a known quantity shipped from a U.S. store, and it does not depend on a component bill of materials to keep working.

What This Does Not Change for Scanner Listeners

Nothing in the Further Notice restricts what a receiver can hear. It is not an encryption rule, a channel-plan rule, or a listening restriction. If your question is whether you can still hear your county's dispatch, this is not the rule to follow. For that, the encryption and access track is the one that matters, and our coverage of why police radios are going dark under the CJIS 2027 deadline is a better starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the FCC ban on radios with any covered component in effect?

No. It is a proposal in the Third Further Notice. The FCC declined for now to adopt the all-components and software and firmware prohibitions and kept the record open on them.

When did comments close?

Comments closed September 8, 2026 and reply comments closed September 21, 2026.

Does this affect what my scanner can receive?

No. The proposals are about equipment authorization and supply chain disclosure, not about reception, encryption, or channel access.

Which companies are on the Covered List?

The FCC publishes the list and its entries, including the public-safety scope that applies to named radio makers, at fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist.

Could this raise the price of budget handhelds?

Only if adopted, and only indirectly through certification and disclosure costs on importers and dealers. No price change follows from the proposals themselves.

Where can I read the actual proposals?

The item text is posted as FCC 26-50A1.pdf, and the Third Report and Order summary ran in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026 at 91 FR 57798.

Bottom line: the FCC has proposed letting one Covered List component disqualify an entire radio, plus mandatory parts disclosure, but has not adopted it. Comments closed September 8, 2026 and the record stays open. Buyers should treat this as a supply chain story, not a change to what their scanner hears.