FCC Payment and Callsign Issuance Process

When you pass an amateur radio license examination with us, we prepare and submit a file to the FCC with the needed information for them to issue you your initial amateur radio license (callsign) or to upgrade your license. Effective April 19, 2022, the FCC requires a fee of $35 for the issuance of a new license, or for the renewal of an existing license. The fee does not currently apply to license upgrades.  The $35 fee is paid by YOU directly to the FCC, and is in ADDITION to our testing fee.

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU PASS YOUR EXAMINATION

  1. We submit your license application electronically to the FCC. If you tested on the weekend we will not submit your application until Monday morning to the FCC (they don’t process on the weekends).
  2. The FCC sends you an e-mail with a link to the FCC Payment System. BE SURE TO EXPECT THIS E-MAIL AND CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER. See note #1 below.
  3. Within 10 days of the e-mail, follow the link and pay your fee. BETTER TO PAY IT ASAP! Use the username (your e-mail address) and password for your FCC account that you created when you got your FRN. When you get to the page, you want to select “To access CORES with an FCC Username, click here.” Here is the link if you need it: https://apps2.fcc.gov/Batch_Filer/login.cfm See notes #2, #3, and #4 below.
  4. Once your payment is processed by the FCC Payment System, your callsign should be generated and should appear in the ULS. The FCC claims they will email you a link to the official copy of your license at the close of the business day. AT PRESENT WE ARE NOTING THAT IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL DAYS FOR YOUR CALLSIGN TO BE ISSUED.
  5. You can look up your application status on the FCC website. Go here and search for the application with your FRN or your name: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/ApplicationSearch/searchAppl.jsp
    There, you can see your application status. If it says “2-Pending”, click on the “ADMIN” tab on top to see if there is a “Payment Confirmed” entry in the History section. If so, hold tight and wait. If you have indeed paid and it does NOT say “Payment Confirmed”, we recommend you reach out to the FCC. See Note #5 below.

NOTES:

  1. The e-mail you receive from the FCC will look like this:
    From: federalcommunicationscommission@fcc.gov
    Subj: Payment Required for the FCC License Application submitted on your behalf by Anchorage ARC VEC
  2. If you answered “YES” to the Basic Qualification Question (Felony Question) on your application, you are also bound by its requirement to provide the FCC with the necessary explanation within 14 calendar days. See our webpage for information at: https://kl7aa.org/what-if-i-answer-yes-to-the-felony-question/
  3. If the FCC does not receive your payment within 10 days, your application will be “set aside“, which means that it is ignored and will NOT be processed. If this happens, you must contact us to resubmit your application at which time, again, once received by the FCC, the 10-day clock starts. There is a $15 fee for us to resubmit your application.
  4. Please understand that the FCC grants some applications immediately and some that they place in an “offlined” status for further review, likely by a human. Once the FCC resolves any questions, your license will be granted. WE CAN NOT HELP YOU WITH THIS AND WE NEVER KNOW WHY YOUR APPLICATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN OFFLINED…PLEASE DO NOT ASK US.
  5. You can call the ULS Licensing Support Center at 877.480.3201, Option 2. Alternatively, you can open a help ticket (Submit a help request) at their esupport page at https://esupport.fcc.gov/request.htm. Be sure to you your Application File Number handy if you call them or submit the help ticket.

Please understand that aside from submitting your license application to the FCC, there is no way for us to help you with the FCC in their action or inaction to generate your callsign. If there is a problem you must contact the ULS Licensing Support Center as indicated above in Note #5. We can see no more than you can see when it comes to determining the status of your license application on the FCC ULS system.

We need you to understand that this payment process and the subsequent issuance of your callsign is between you and the FCC. There is no way we can help you in this process. If you have confirmed that you indeed have a license application on file with the FCC, there is NOTHING we can help you with, so please do not contact us.

If you do notice that there is no application file pending for you with the FCC, please contact us a vec@kl7aa.org.