FCC $35 Amateur Application Fees Effective April 19, 2022

The FCC released a Public Notice on March 23, 2022, stating that the amateur radio application fees, including those associated with Form 605 application filings, are effective April 19, 2022. The Federal Communications Commission's authority to impose and collect fees is mandated by Congress.

The $35 application fee applies to new, renewal, rule waiver, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee is per application.

Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, and modification applications to upgrade an amateur radio licensee’s operator class or to request a sequentially issued call sign, are exempt from fees.

Filing Online with the FCC:  For license applicants filing online directly with the FCC in the ULS License Manager System, if a payment is required, the system will automatically direct you to the CORES system. Log in and pay the fee. CORES payment instructions. 

Filing with a VEC:  If paying a fee for an application filed by a VEC organization, please use the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES - Login).  The candidate will have 10 calendar days, from the date of the application file number being issued, to pay.  Login and pay as soon as the application is in the FCC system. CORES payment instructions.  

Vanity Call Signs:  The FCC staff has suggested that applicants for vanity call signs should first ensure the call signs requested are available and eligible for their operator class and area, and then request as many call signs as the form allows to maximize their chances of receiving a call sign. Applicants applying for a specific (vanity) call sign will need to independently research the FCC license and application databases before deciding to file an application. There are some suggestions on “Locating Available Call Signs” on the ARRL website.

Refund Requests:  The FCC stated that although the application fees for applications processed and dismissed may not be refunded, it is within a licensee's rights to request a refund. The FCC cannot predict the amount of the refund, nor if the refund will be issued. Refunds are reviewed by the Commission on a case-by-case basis in accordance with Rule Sections 1.1113 and 1.1160. This includes vanity requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. Follow the FCC’s how to get a refund for a dismissed/withdrawn/deleted application instructions found on their FAQ page.  
Returned applications that are missing information will not require an additional fee if the missing information is submitted to the FCC within the proper amount of time.

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VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams should not collect the $35 fee at exam sessions.  The FCC fee must be paid online directly to the FCC not to the VE team or organization processing the application form. VEC and VE team licensing procedures are unchanged. New 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).  CORES payment instructions.  
 
When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each qualifying 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 or, in very rare instances, an explanation for why the application was dismissed or denied. The link will be valid for 30 days.

** Applicants do not have to wait for the FCC email to pay the fee. They can look up their application in the FCC application search system using their FRN:  https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/ApplicationSearch/searchAppl.jsp   
If the applicant has a pending application in the system, that means the VEC has submitted the application to the FCC, and the fee can be paid by logging into the CORES system. **

If an applicant fails to pay within the 10-day window, the application will be dismissed by the FCC. The application will have to be refiled to the FCC which will restart the 10-day window.
Exam candidates do not have to retest if the 10-day payment window is missed. An application can be refiled to the FCC, by the coordinating VEC, at any time before the CSCE expires. Contact the VEC listed on your CSCE to have the application refiled to the FCC.

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. Again, our VEC procedures have not changed. The new license candidates have an extra step before the license is issued. VE teams can point candidates to our FCC Application Fee webpage. Our new ARRL VEC CSCEs also include information about the application fee and points candidates to the webpage. The FCC rule pertaining to CSCEs will not change. CSCE credit will continue to be valid for 365 days, starting from the date of issuance.
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Fees effective April 19, 2022
The FCC fee must be paid online directly to the FCC not to the VE team or organization processing the application form.

FEE FILING GUIDE:

INDIVIDUALS
$35 FEE: new, renewal, rule waiver, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee is per application.
NO FEE: administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, modification applications to upgrade an amateur radio licensee’s operator class or to request a sequentially issued call sign and license cancellation.

AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS
$35 FEE: new, renewal, rule waiver, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee is per application.
NO FEE: administrative updates, such as a change of name, change of trustee, mailing or email address, modification applications to request a sequentially issued call sign and license cancellation.


Español - Instrucciones de la tarifa de solicitud de la FCC  - updated April 25


For assistance, call the FCC Licensing Support Center at 877-480-3201 (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET), or submit a help request on the FCC’s Wireless Licensing Help Center website. 

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

Personal Service and Amateur Application Fees - Fee Filing Guide:
https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/systems-utilities/universal-licensing-system/wireless-fees/personal-service-and-amateur     

CORES payment system information: 
https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fees/cores-payment-system 

CORES payment instructions: 
https://www.fcc.gov/payment-process-uls-individual-filers 

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

FCC CORES Video Tutorials:  
https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fcc-registration-system-cores/commission-registration-system-video-tutorials