A Consultant Registration Number (CRN) is the identifier USAC assigns to a consulting firm that helps applicants with E-Rate filings. It must be on file whenever a consultant is involved, and applicants link their registered consultant to their own EPC account with specific permission levels rather than creating a separate account for them.
How It Works
If a consulting firm already has a CRN on file and its contact information hasn't changed, USAC will provide the CRN over the phone. If there's no CRN on file, USAC creates a new record; changes to an existing record go through USAC's customer service center or an EPC case.
To add a consultant to an applicant's EPC account:
- Link the consulting firm to your organization through the Manage Organization Relationships link.
- Add the individual consultant, the actual employee of the consulting firm you're working with, as a user through the Add or Remove Users link.
- Assign that person's permissions through the Manage User Permissions link.
There are three permission levels: full rights (complete and certify forms, update profile information, receive all USAC communications for that BEN), partial rights (complete but not certify forms, update profile information), and view-only rights (review but not update forms or profile information). A consultant can never be an applicant's account administrator; that role must be filled by an actual employee of the school or library. Consultants create their own account through their consulting organization's own EPC presence, then get linked to the applicant's organization, rather than the applicant creating an account on their behalf.
Full details are in USAC's guidance (USAC: Consultant Registration Numbers).
What This Means for You
Applicants
Decide permission levels deliberately per consultant relationship. Full rights are convenient but hand over certification authority; partial rights let a consultant do the legwork while your own staff still certifies. Never make a consultant your account administrator.
Service Providers
If you also do E-Rate consulting work, keep your firm's CRN and EPC contact information current, since stale contact details slow down every applicant who needs to confirm your registration.
Districts often give a consultant full rights out of convenience and then lose visibility into what's actually being certified on their behalf. Partial rights keep the district in the certification loop, reviewing and signing off on what the consultant prepares, without meaningfully slowing anything down.
Common Questions About CRNs
What is a CRN used for?
Identifying a consulting firm that assists an applicant with E-Rate filings. It must be on file whenever a consultant is used.
Can a consultant certify my Form 471 for me?
Only if you've assigned them "full rights" permission in EPC. Partial and view-only rights can't certify forms.
Can my consultant be my EPC account administrator?
No. The account administrator must be an actual employee of the school or library, never a consultant.
How does a consultant get added to my account?
You link their consulting firm and individual account to your organization in EPC and assign a permission level. They create their own account through their firm, not through you.
What if my consulting firm doesn't have a CRN yet?
USAC creates a new record once you provide the firm's registration information.
Informational only, not legal advice. E-Rate procedures and forms can change by funding year. Confirm current requirements in the applicable USAC and FCC guidance.