FCC Amateur Application Fee

Effective Date will be April 19

The FCC released a Public Notice stating that the amateur radio application fees, including those associated with Form 605 application filings, would become effective on April 19, 2022.

The $35 application fee will apply only to applications for a new license, renewal, rule waiver, or a new vanity call sign. The fee will be per application. Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, will be exempt from fees.

Once the FCC application fee takes effect, new and upgrade applicants will pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual and pay the $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES - Login). The best will be to pay online by a credit card.

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate. The candidate will have 10 calendar days, from the date of the application file number being issued, to pay. After the fee is paid, and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license. The link will be good for 30 days.

Per usual procedures, examinees that pass multiple exams at one session, will have one application transmitted to the FCC reflecting the highest level license class earned. The candidates will have an extra step before the license is issued. VE teams can point candidates to our FCC Application Fee webpage www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee.

Additionally, the FCC stated that applications processed and dismissed will not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. However, returned applications that are missing information will not require an additional fee, if the missing information is given to the FCC within the proper amount of time.

Some applicants are reporting that they are not receiving the FCC payment email. Applicants do not have to wait for the FCC email to pay the fee. As soon as the application is in the FCC system, the applicant can log into the FCC’s CORES system (https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do) and pay the fee.