FCC Amateur Radio License Renewal


If your amateur radio license renewal is coming up, you can complete the entire process yourself online in about 30 minutes.


The process has three parts:

  • Section 1 — Submit the renewal through the FCC ULS system
  • Section 2 — Pay the $35 fee through CORES
  • Section 3 — Download and print your new license

📅 Renewal Window

You may renew from 90 days before your expiration date until 2 years after it. No matter when you renew within that window, your new license will be valid for 10 years from your previous expiration date — not from the date you renew.

⚠️ Missed the window? If more than 2 years and 1 day have passed since expiration, you must retake and pass the Technician (Element 2) exam. A new license and call sign will be issued. You may then apply for your original call sign through the FCC vanity call sign program if it is still available.

✅ What You’ll Need

  • FRN number — found on your current license. If you can’t find it, look it up by entering your call sign at wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAdvanced.jsp, click your call sign in the results, and your FRN appears just above your address.
  • Personal information — full name, call sign, physical address, valid email address
  • Credit or debit card — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover

🙋 Prefer to Have Someone Else Do It?

Two organizations can handle the renewal submission for you. However, you will still need to create a CORES account and pay the $35 FCC fee yourself regardless of which option you choose.

ARRL

  • Current ARRL members: FREE through a VEC (you still handle payment and printing yourself)
  • Non-members: $25 ARRL fee, plus the $35 FCC fee
  • Must be arranged through a VEC at a test session or by contacting one directly
  • More info: arrl.org/fcc-forms

W5YI

  • $10 for renewal submission only — you still handle payment and printing yourself
  • $80 for full service including a printed hard copy mailed to you
  • Online: w5yi-vec.org/amateur-license-renewals

📋 Section 1 — Submit the Renewal (ULS)

Log in at: wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

  1. Log in using your FRN number and ULS password, then click Submit.
  2. If your license is within the renewal window, a highlighted box will appear reading “This License Is Eligible For Renewal.” Click Begin the renewal process.
  3. Review your licensee information and click Continue. (You can correct errors a couple of pages later.)
  4. On the fee status page, select No for both questions — amateur radio operators are not exempt from FCC application or regulatory fees. Click Continue.
  5. Verify or correct your full name, physical address, and email address (all three are required). If you are fixing a name typo — not a sale or transfer — select No in the transfer box. Click Continue.
  6. Answer the felony conviction question, then click Continue.
  7. Review the summary page. The total fee should show $35.00. Use the Edit buttons to fix anything, then click Continue to Certify.
  8. Read the compliance statement, enter your full name in the signature fields, and click Submit Application.
  9. On the confirmation page, click Print Application to save a copy for your records.
    • At the bottom of the page, click Continue to CORES for Payment Completion. This opens a new browser tab.
    • Switch back to the ULS tab and click Log Out in the upper-left corner.

💡 Tip: Keep your confirmation file number handy in case you need to contact FCC support.

💳 Section 2 — Pay the Fee (CORES)

Important: ULS and CORES are completely separate systems with separate accounts. Your ULS username is your FRN number; your CORES username is your email address.

Already have a CORES account?

Log in with your email and password, then skip ahead to step 19 in the list below.

First time? Create a CORES account

  1. On the CORES login page, click Register.
  2. Fill in your email address (this becomes your username), a password, your name, and a security question. Click Create Account.
  3. Check your email for a verification link and click it. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it within a few minutes.
  4. On the verification page, click Go to CORES.

Associate your FRN with your CORES account

  1. Click Associate Username to FRN.
  2. Enter your FRN and a brief note (e.g., “Renewal of amateur radio license K—“), then click Continue.
  3. Enter your ULS password to confirm, then click Submit.
  4. On the confirmation page, click Continue.

Make the payment

  1. Click Manage Existing FRNs | FRN Financial | Bills and Fees.
  2. Click FRN Financial.
  3. Find your FRN and click View/Make Payments on the right.
  4. Verify the amount shows $35.00 and click Make Payment.
  5. Select the credit/debit card option and click Continue.
  6. Enter your card details and click Continue.
  7. Check the authorization box and click Continue.
  8. On the payment confirmation page, click the Print icon to save a record, then click Log Out.

Now wait 1–4 business days for the FCC to process your payment and issue your new authorization. Most people receive it within 1 day.

🖨️ Section 3 — Download and Print Your License (ULS)

After 1–4 business days, log back into ULS: wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

  1. Log in with your FRN and password.
  2. Near the top of the page, find the green box and click Here at the end of “Download your official electronic authorizations here.”
  3. Highlight your call sign in the left panel, click Add to move it to the right panel, highlight it there, then click Download.
  4. Your license will download as a PDF. If your browser blocks it, look for a prompt just below the address bar and allow it.
  5. Before closing, click Log Out in the upper-left corner of the ULS tab.
  6. Open the PDF and print your new license.

📞 Need Help?

If you run into trouble with the FCC systems, you can reach their support team through any of the following:

Questions about exam sessions or local renewal help? Contact TCARC →