ARRL VEC Announces Vanity Call Sign License Renewal Program

NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 12, 2006--The ARRL VEC has announced that it now can process license renewals for vanity call sign holders for a modest fee (see "Processing Fee Schedule"). The service is available to ARRL members and nonmembers, although League members will pay less. Routine, non-vanity renewals continue to be free for ARRL members. In addition, ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, points out that trustees of club stations with vanity call signs may renew either via the Universal Licensing System (ULS) or through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator, such as ARRL VEC.

"2006 is an appropriate year for the ARRL VEC to implement this service, since the licenses of the many radio amateurs who obtained their vanity call signs as a result of the FCC program that went into effect in 1996 will expire this year," Somma said. The first of those licenses are due to expire in June.

"As the FCC has already noted, licensees who want to keep their vanity call signs must pay the regulatory fee, currently $21.90 for the 10-year license term, when renewing their licenses," Somma noted. "Licensees who don't want to pay the mandatory regulatory fee to retain a vanity call sign may request a sequentially issued call sign at the time of renewal."

The FCC has proposed to reduce the vanity call sign regulatory fee to $20.10 for the 10-year license term. The new fee, if adopted, would go into effect in August or September.

Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90 days of their license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before filing any application with the Commission. Applicants can obtain an FRN by going to the ULS and clicking on the "New Users Register" link. You must supply your Social Security Number to obtain an FRN.

Those holding vanity call signs issued prior to 1996 are exempt from the vanity call sign regulatory fee. That's because Congress did not authorize the FCC to collect regulatory fees until 1993. Such heritage vanity call sign holders do not appear as vanity licensees in the ULS Amateur Radio database.

Somma says the ARRL's new license renewal/modification Web pages contain complete information on license-filing procedures, including step-by-step instructions on how to renew or update a license using the FCC's ULS site.

League members should visit the "ARRL Member Instructions for License Renewals or Changes" page, while the "Instructions for License Renewals or Changes" page covers general renewal procedures for nonmembers. There's additional information on the ARRL VEC's "FCC License Renewals and ARRL License Expiration Notices" page.

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