What proves that the FCC has issued an operator/primary license grant?

The FCC no longer issues paper licenses by default and relies entirely on its Universal Licensing System (ULS). For an amateur radio license to be considered legally valid and active, the license grant must be visible in this official online database. While volunteer examiners will give you a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) after you pass your test, this document only proves you passed. It does not legally grant you operating privileges until the FCC processes the test results and updates their system. Likewise, while you may receive an email notification or see unofficial updates elsewhere, the ULS database itself remains the sole, definitive legal proof of your license grant.