[CW] A Call to Arms

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Until 1964 all amateur radio licenses were free under Federal Radio
Commission and Federal Communications Commission. I have no info on
Department of Commerce from 1920 until 1927 when Federal Radio Commission
took over licensing.  Federal Communications Commission took over in 1933.

>From 1964 until 1977, FCC charged various fees.  14 years of fees.

>From 1977 onward no fees.

N2EY. Jim posted this elsewhere:
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

73

DR
N1EA
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