FCC fees for amateur radio - updates on implementation

Damn, I'm old. When you said "except in the distant past" ... which was 1976.

 

You of course didn't understand my post. Go get educated...Nobody said the code wasn't coming back...It wasn't even mention that it will. And if it did I bet it would solve some things because most can't pass it, at least the ones getting their ticket today. The ticket is practically given to them today because the test is so freakin easy...Time for you to GET OVER IT!...I must have hit a nerve!

 

Code is like Latin. Used to be taught everywhere in school and many people learned it. Now, for the vast majority of people, it's nothing more than a novelty. Other things are taught in its place that are more useful in the 21st century.

If you know Latin, that's cool, but just because you do, don't think you are better than someone who instead learned German or French. To do so doesn't make you seem smarter or more skilled, it just makes you come off as smug, egotistical, and elitist.

 

How did we go from a thread about the fee to someone pretending to be better than others because they are an extra class CW operator? Seems off topic.

 

My license is good for two years and a month. After that they can have it back. It is NOT simply a matter of the money. It's the principle of the thing. $35.00 is more than a license is worth. I will refuse to be ransomed for a license that has been free for 116 years.

 

If you don't feel that the privilege of operating on the amateur bands is worth a small license fee, then you should find other pursuits.
And by the way, the FCC did use to charge a fee for application processing. Please see the previous posts regarding that.

 

Repost from almost a year ago from N2EY ...

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/a-short-history-of-us-amateur-radio-license-fees.722442/

The FCC proposal to require license fees has started several threads in various forums, along with the usual lack of historical perspective.

So, here's a short history of US Amateur Radio License fees (not VE test fees). The following is based on QST articles from the time periods listed.

In all cases, the ARRL strongly opposed the fees. Sometimes the opposition was effective, sometimes it wasn't.

In 1933, the FRC (predecessor of the FCC) proposed a fee of $5 ($100.17 in 2019 dollars) for amateur operator licenses. In those days operator license terms were 3 years. This proposal was strongly opposed and was not enacted.

In 1954, the FCC proposed a fee of $3 ($28.93 in 2019 dollars) for amateur licenses. In those days, and until the early 1980s, license terms were 5 years. This proposal was strongly opposed and was not enacted.

In the early 1960s the FCC again proposed fees for amateur licenses, and this time the proposal was enacted despite the opposition. The original effective date of January 1, 1964 was delayed a few months by a legal challenge, but by mid-March, 1964 the following fees were enacted:

New or renewed license: $4 ($33.45 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $2 ($16.72)
Special callsign: $20 ($167.25)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Effective August 1, 1970, the FCC raised the above fees for amateur licenses to the following:

New or renewed license: $9 ($60.09 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $4 ($26.71)
Special callsign: $25 ($166.92)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Effective March 1, 1975, the FCC lowered the above fees for amateur licenses to the following:

New or renewed license: $4 ($19.27 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $3 ($14.46)
Duplicate license: $2 ($9.64)
Special callsign: $25 ($120.46)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Finally, effective January 1, 1977, FCC dropped all fees for amateur licenses. From then until now, all US amateur licenses have been free.

VE testing fees are set by the VECs, and go to pay the costs of conducting the test sessions - space rental, duplication, postage, etc. The FCC sets a maximum fee, but VECs can set the fees lower, or waive them entirely.

Modern vanity-call fees have varied over time - someone else can write their history.

In the above schedule of fees, a "new or renewed license" included the fee for taking the tests, pass or fail, for a new license or a license upgrade. A "modified" license meant a change of address or name, but not a license upgrade.

Special callsigns in those days followed different rules than today, but there were specific cases where an amateur could get a callsign that wasn't sequentially issued. The special-callsign fee was a one-time charge.

All 2019-equivalent prices are from the Westegg Inflation Calculator:

https://westegg.com/inflation/

It is left to the reader to figure the per-year cost of the above fees.

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

1976 was 45 years ago. It IS the distant past.

 

They won't "take it back". It will simply expire.

You clearly don't value amateur radio much.

US Amateur Radio licenses have not "been free for 116 years".

US amateur licenses were first required in late 1912 - 109 years ago.

They were free until early 1964, when fees were imposed. Those fees ended January 1, 1977.

Adjusted for inflation and license term, those fees were much higher than $35.

If your license isn't worth even a penny a day to you.......

 

June 2020 I completely the technician license. 15.00 for
taking it.
December I became unemployed and had saved the money for the General and the Extra test.
December 2020 completed the General license. Didn’t know if I would be paying the FCC fee,but I had saved it aside just in case.
April 2021 I completed the Extra license.
I was glad that the process was at the time 15.00$ ,
but I would have gladly paid the FCC fee.
On a side note I also have the GMRS license which is a higher fee. But I am glad I have that license also.
73
KO4ESA
WRJR757

 

Exactly on point!

 

Well, the good news in that regard is that the GMRS license fee is going down to $35.00.


Regards,
-Bruce

 

Yes. Makes it easier for me to decide on renewing in the future.

 

Those are VE fees. They don't go to FCC.

VE fees are used to pay the expenses of administering exams - facility rental, postage, printing forms, etc. FCC sets a maximum but VEs can charge less if they want to. VEs themselves are unpaid volunteers.

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

Yes. Thank you. I just became a VE.