W5PRO TOOLS / RENEW LICENSE

License paperwork

Renew your ham license

A US amateur license is normally granted for ten years (47 CFR §97.25). Renewing is done online in the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS), takes a few minutes, and costs $35. Here's when you can do it and exactly how.

Check your dates

License data from callook.info, a daily mirror of the FCC's ULS. Always confirm in ULS itself before filing.

When you can renew

  • Window opens 90 days before your expiration date. ULS only shows the Renew option from then on (47 CFR §1.949(a)).
  • File by the expiration date and you can keep operating while the FCC processes it, even if it isn't granted until after the date has passed (FCC renewal guide, citing §1.62).
  • Missed it? You have a 2-year grace period to renew and keep your callsign (§97.21(b)), but you may not operate until the renewal is granted.
  • After the grace period the FCC can't grant a renewal at all (FCC renewal guide).

You may get renewal reminders from companies offering to file for you. The FCC notes you don't have to use them; filing yourself is straightforward.

Get a reminder before your license expires. W5PRO License Alerts emails you 90 and 30 days before your expiration date, and again the day the FCC grants your renewal. Free, and one click to unsubscribe.

What you need

  • Your FRN (FCC Registration Number) and its ULS password. The checker above shows your FRN.
  • A CORES username account linked to that FRN, to pay the fee. If you don't have one, create it at apps.fcc.gov/cores first.
  • $35, the FCC application fee for an amateur renewal, the same for vanity and sequential calls (47 CFR §1.1102). Pay within 10 days of filing.

Step by step: file the renewal

  1. Go to ULS, choose Online Filing, and log in with your FRN and password.
  2. On your License At A Glance page, click Renew in the Work on this License menu on the right. No Renew link means you're outside the window.
  3. On Select Updates, look over your name, mailing address and email below the license table. If anything is wrong or missing, tick the box next to Licensee Information so you can fix it. Click Continue.
  4. Answer the Applicant Questions and click Continue.
  5. Check and correct your Licensee Information.
  6. Review the Summary. Use Edit to fix any section, then Return to Summary.
  7. Click Continue to Certify, read the certification, and type your first and last name. The application isn't signed until you do. Click Submit Application.
  8. Print or save the confirmation page; it has your file number.

Step by step: pay the $35

  1. Log in to CORES with your FCC username and password.
  2. Choose Manage Existing FRNs | FRN Financial | Bills and Fees, then FRN Financial.
  3. Click View/Make Payments, open the Awaiting Payment Completion tab, and click Make Payment.
  4. Pick your FRN as the payer and pay by bank account (ACH), credit or debit card, or wire.

Pay within 10 days of filing.

Club and military recreation stations

Club licenses (radio service code HA) are renewed through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator, not directly in ULS. A club vanity call can be renewed in ULS if nothing else is changing.

Help and related

FCC Licensing Support Center: (877) 480-3201, 8 AM–6 PM Eastern, Monday to Friday, or fcc.gov/wtbhelp.

Moved, or changed your email? Update your FCC address (free). Look up any license: Callsign lookup.

Sources

  • 47 CFR §97.25, 10-year license term: eCFR.
  • 47 CFR §1.949(a), renewal filing window: eCFR.
  • 47 CFR §97.21, modification and renewal, 2-year grace period: eCFR.
  • 47 CFR §1.1102, application fees (Amateur Radio Service renewal $35): eCFR.
  • FCC Report and Order FCC 20-184 (2020), ¶42: the $35 personal-license fee: PDF.
  • FCC, "Common Amateur Filing Task: Renewing A License" (updated 5 Oct 2022): fcc.gov.
  • FCC Wireless Licensing Knowledge Base KB0017028, "Payment Process – Individual Filers".