Data / Federal rules / 2025-04126
Wireless Emergency Alerts; Emergency Alert System
The Federal Communications Commission published this final rule in the Federal Register on March 18, 2025. It took effect on September 15, 2025.
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What the agency says
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) revises the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) rules to allow alert originators the option to send "silent alerts" that do not trigger WEA's common audio attention signal or vibration cadence. This action grants alert originators greater flexibility in tailoring how WEA messages are presented. Further, to make as clear as possible to the public that any device marketed as a "WEA-capable mobile device" adheres to the full suite of WEA capabilities, the Commission also adopts its proposals to define a "WEA-capable mobile device," for the purpose of compliance with the Commission's WEA requirements.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2025-04126
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Federal Communications Commission
- Published
- March 18, 2025
- Takes effect
- September 15, 2025
- Dates
- The definitions of a WEA-capable mobile device and a mobile device for the purpose of WEA (section 10.10(j) through (m)), along with conforming edits (to the introductory text of section 10.500, section 10.500(i) through (j), the introductory text of section 10.520, and the introductory text of section 10.530), will become effective September 15, 2025. The silent alert rules adopted herein (sections 10.490 and 10.530(d)) will become effective March 18, 2028.
- Docket
- PS Docket Nos. 15-91 and 15-94; FCC 25-14; FR ID 284585
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 47 CFR 10
- Topics
- Communications; Communications equipment; Electronic products; Individuals with disabilities; Telecommunications
- Pages
- 7
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Everything from the Federal Communications Commission · Rules on communications · Rules on communications equipment · Rules on electronic products · Published in March 2025
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.