[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] FW: ARLB010 New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become Effective April 19, 2022

[Don (KI4D)]

-----Original Message-----
From: ARRL Web site <memberlist at arrl.org> 
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2022 11:53 AM
To: don.ki4d at gmail.com
Subject: ARLB010 New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become
Effective April 19, 2022

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB010
ARLB010 New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become Effective April
19, 2022

ZCZC AG10
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 10  ARLB010
>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  March 25, 2022
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB010
ARLB010 New Amateur Radio License Applications Fee To Become Effective April
19, 2022

A Public Notice released by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) on March 23, 2022, in MD Docket No. 20-270, announced that new
application fees for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau applications will
become effective on April 19, 2022. The new fees, mandated by Congress,
apply to applications for Amateur Radio licenses including those associated
with filing Form 605, the Amateur Operator/Primary Station Licensee
Application.

The docket can be found online at,
https://www.fcc.gov/document/effective-date-wireless-application-fee-rates
.

Effective April 19, 2022, a $35 fee will apply to applications for a new
Amateur Radio license, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign
change), renewal, and vanity call signs.

Anticipating the implementation of the fee in 2022, the ARRL Board of
Directors, at its July 2021 meeting, approved the "ARRL Youth Licensing
Grant Program." Under the program, ARRL will cover a one-time $35
application fee for license candidates younger than 18 years old for tests
administered under the auspices of the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator
(ARRL VEC). Qualified candidates also would pay a reduced exam session fee
of $5 to the ARRL VEC. ARRL is finalizing details for administering the
program.

ARRL had filed comments in opposition to imposing a fee on Amateur Radio
license applications. The FCC initially proposed a higher, $50 fee. In a
Report and Order (R&O), released on December 29, 2020, the amount was
reduced -- the FCC agreeing with ARRL and other commenters that its proposed
$50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was "too high to account for
the minimal staff involvement in these applications."

ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM,
explained that all fees are per application. "There will be no fee for
administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. The
fees will be the responsibility of the applicant regardless of filing method
and must be paid within 10 calendar days of FCC's receipt of the
application. For applications filed by a VEC, the period does not begin
until the application is received by the Commission, a ULS file number
assigned, and an email sent by the FCC directly to the applicant."

VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not collect the $35 fee at
license exam sessions. New and upgrade candidates at an exam session will
continue to pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual, and
pay the new, $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN
Registration system (CORES - Login).

The CORES Login can be found at,
https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do .

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will
email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then
will have 10 calendar days from the date of the email to pay. After the fee
is paid and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a
second email from the FCC with a link to their official license or
explanation of other action. The link will be good for 30 days.

Somma also explained that applications that are processed and dismissed will
not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity call sign requests where
the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. "The FCC staff has
suggested that applicants for vanity call signs should first ensure the call
signs requested are available and eligible for their operator class and
area, and then request as many call signs as the form allows to maximize
their chances of receiving a call sign."

Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are
available from the ARRL VEC at www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee.
Details for the ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program will be similarly posted
there, when available.
NNNN
/EX