The gold sticker program sunsetted a long time ago. More than 10 years. It was intended to be an easy way, during the transition period, to know whether or not a radio was narrow-band. Older radios could be upgraded, and it was a way to show fellow club members that your equipment was in compliance.

A few years ago someone came out to our field with an old Gold-series Futaba that didn't have a sticker. It was sort of one of those scary moments, because you could tell that not only was the radio around twenty years old, but the rest of the equipment was, too. Batteries included... Anyways, I fly at a public field, and there's really no mechanism in place to tell someone they can't fly. We asked if he needed help. He hadn't flown since his gear was last used, and never flew enough to get much experience. He wasn't interested in any assistance. He didn't get too terribly far, as he blew a fuse in the TX before getting to taxi. I seem to remember that happening more than once.

Point is, it's only the very old pre-1991 gear that needs a sticker. Most manufacturers were in compliance well before the deadline, so it's 1980s gear for the most part that might not be kosher.