FCC Application Fee Instructions

          FCC $35 Amateur Application Fee Effective Date Announced

The new Amateur Radio license application fees will take effect on April 19, 2022. The Federal Communications Commission’s authority to impose and collect fees is mandated by Congress.

The $35 application fee, when it becomes effective on April 19, will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. The fee will be per application.

Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, will be exempt from fees.

VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not have to collect the $35 fee at exam sessions.  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).

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have
10 calendar days from the date of the email 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.

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.

The FCC published the notice in the Federal Register on March 23, 2022, stating that the amateur radio application fees, including those associated with Form 605 application filings, would become effective on April 19, 2022.

Further news and instructions will follow as the FCC releases them.
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FCC Instructions (not applicable until fees take effect on April 19):
If paying fees for an application filed via the Universal Licensing System, please use the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES – Login).

FEE SCHEDULE (not applicable until fees take effect on April 19):

INDIVIDUALS
$35 FEE: New, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application.
NO FEE: Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, or license cancellation.

AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS
$35 FEE: New, renewal, trustee change, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application.
NO FEE: Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, or license cancellation.

ARRL News Story about the FCC Application Fees:
FCC Application Fees Unlikely to Go into Effect Until 2022

FCC Registration Help:
https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/publicHome.do?help=true

To access CORES with a (Payer) FRN:
https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/paymentFrnLogin.do