Who Can Legally Originate an EAS Alert? The FCC's Four Codes

Under 47 CFR § 11.31, the federal rule that defines the Emergency Alert System (EAS) protocol, only four originator codes are legally recognized for a message that interrupts broadcast and cable programming: EAS Participant, Civil authorities, National Weather Service, and United States Government. The rule states plainly, “The only originator codes are:” (ecfr.gov), and it fixes those four exact codes with no fifth option.

This original record-reading guide is a general reading aid, not cited evidence. It does not depict a source record; the article text and source links provide the facts.

Key points

• Federal rule 47 CFR § 11.31 defines a closed, four-item list of EAS originator codes — no other originator code is permitted in the broadcast/cable protocol string.
• The four codes are: EAS Participant = EAS; Civil authorities = CIV; National Weather Service = WXR; United States Government = PEP.
• The protocol also splits event codes into two tiers: National Codes are required, while State and Local Codes are optional.
• The entire EAS protocol string, including its codes, cannot be changed without FCC authorization.
• This rule does not say which specific agency in any given state or county actually holds alerting authority, and it does not govern wireless (WEA) cellphone alerts.

EAS originator code

The EAS protocol is a fixed data string with a defined structure. The regulation gives its literal form: “[PREAMBLE]ZCZC-ORG-EEE-PSSCCC + TTTT-JJJHHMM-LLLLLLLL-” (ecfr.gov). The “ORG” segment in that string is the originator code — the field this article is about. Every other segment (event code, location, timing, and station identifier) is a separate part of the same fixed string, not addressed here.

The four legally permitted originator codes

The rule closes off the originator field to exactly four options. As the regulation states, “The only originator codes are:” and lists them as “EAS Participant = EAS; Civil authorities = CIV; National Weather Service = WXR; United States Government = PEP” (ecfr.gov). No agency, broadcaster, or local government can insert an originator code outside this closed set into the protocol string.

FCC alteration authority

This is not a list broadcasters or alerting entities may expand on their own. The regulation is explicit: “The EAS protocol, including any codes, must not be amended, extended or abridged without FCC authorization” (ecfr.gov). That prohibition covers the originator codes described above as well as the event codes discussed next.

National and local event codes

Separate from the originator field, the protocol also carries an event code, and the rule splits event codes into two tiers. It labels one tier “National Codes (Required)” and the other “State and Local Codes (Optional)” (ecfr.gov). In other words, every EAS Participant must be able to handle the National event codes, while support for State and Local event codes is optional. The rule also requires that “the Event codes must be compatible with the codes used by the NWS Weather Radio Specific Area Message Encoder (WRSAME)” (ecfr.gov), tying the EAS event-code set to the National Weather Service’s own encoding system.

What this article does not answer

This article covers only the closed set of originator codes and the National/State-Local event code split fixed by 47 CFR § 11.31 — it does not identify which specific agency in any particular state or county actually holds alerting authority to use the “Civil authorities” (CIV) code; that designation is a separate, jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction question this rule does not settle. It also does not address the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system that sends alerts directly to cellphones, which is governed by a different part of the FCC’s rules than the broadcast and cable EAS protocol described here. And it does not tell readers which alerting authority is authorized in their own jurisdiction or how to respond to an alert once one is received.

Source links

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-11