Part of our Clubs and Nets guide.
Every state or region has a frequency coordination council, usually a volunteer organization, quietly doing the unglamorous work that keeps repeaters across a whole region from stepping on each other.
What They Actually Do
A coordination council maintains a database of repeater frequency pairs, locations, and technical parameters across their coverage area, and when someone applies for a new repeater, they check that application against every existing coordinated system to prevent interference based on distance, terrain, and power levels. It is essentially spectrum management done by volunteers instead of the FCC directly.
Why It Is Not Legally Required
Nothing in Part 97 requires coordination. You can technically put a repeater on the air on an uncoordinated pair. But FCC rules give priority to the coordinated user in an interference dispute, meaning an uncoordinated repeater has essentially no standing if a coordinated system later causes or receives interference on the same pair. In practice, this makes coordination close to mandatory if you want a repeater that survives its first real conflict.
How the Process Works
You submit an application with your proposed site, height, power, and antenna details, and the council checks it against their database, often taking weeks to months depending on how contested the area is. Coastal and metro areas tend to have far less open spectrum than rural regions, so expect a longer wait and more back-and-forth if you are trying to coordinate in a crowded band plan.
Related reading: Repeaters: How They Work, Why They’re Great, and Why They’re Not a SHTF Plan · How to Read a Repeater Directory Listing · Repeater Offsets and Duplex, Explained Simply