November 17, 2026 at 2:20 p.m. ET 

The FCC and FEMA will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, November 17, 2026, at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time. If conditions require rescheduling, the test will take place on December 3, 2026.
 

The test will be delivered through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message using the NPT (Nationwide Test) event code. The test will be distributed in English and Spanish.
 

 Prepare Now 
 

EAS Participants should:
 

• Review the EAS Operating Handbook and operator procedures.

• Review their State EAS Plan and verify monitoring assignments.

• Confirm EAS equipment is correctly configured to monitor required sources.

• Update EAS equipment software and firmware to the latest versions.

• Verify equipment clocks are accurately synchronized to official NIST time.
   

 ETRS Filing Deadlines 
 

All EAS Participants required to participate in the test must complete the appropriate filings in the FCC's EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS):
 

October 30, 2026
Form One — Annual registration information for 2026.
 

November 19, 2026 by 2:20 p.m. ET
Form Two — Day-of-test information, due within 48 hours of the test.
 

January 4, 2027
Form Three — Detailed post-test information, due within 45 days.
 

If the test is moved to December 3, the Form Two deadline becomes December 5, 2026, and Form Three is due January 18, 2027.
 

 Who Must File? 
 

The FCC states that all EAS Participants, including LPFM stations, Class D non-commercial educational FM stations, and stations operating under certain silent-STAs, must register and file in ETRS unless a specific exception applies. Certain rebroadcast-only LPTV, FM booster/translator, international, and satellite/repeater operations are exempt.
 

 Don't Wait for Test Day 
 

Use the weeks leading up to the test to verify your EAS equipment, monitoring sources, software, firmware, clock synchronization, and ETRS registration. Being prepared can help ensure your facility is ready to receive and process the nationwide alert.