[PPRAANet] New FCC Fee Will Not Apply To License Upgrades

[Dennis N0ABC]

(Copied from ARRL VE Newsletter to keep things simple(r))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Important Message Update from ARRL VEC
March 31, 2022

New FCC Application Fee Will Not Apply To Amateur Radio License Upgrades

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff has clarified in 
response to an ARRL request that the new $35 application fee will not 
apply to most license modifications, including those to upgrade a 
licensee’s operator class and changes to club station trustees. The FCC 
staff explained that the new fees will apply only to applications for a 
new license, renewal, rule waiver, or a new vanity call sign. As 
previously announced, the new fees take effect on April 19, 2022.

“We are pleased that the FCC will not charge licensees the FCC 
application fee for license upgrade applications,” said ARRL Volunteer 
Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager, Maria Somma, AB1FM. “While 
applicants for a new license will need to pay the $35 FCC application 
fee, there will be no FCC charge for future upgrades and administrative 
updates such as a change of mailing or email address. Most current 
licensees therefore will not be charged the new FCC application fee 
until they renew their license or apply for a new vanity call sign.”

ARRL previously reported that the new $35 application fee for Amateur 
Radio licenses will become effective on April 19, 2022.

Further information and instructions about the FCC application fee will 
follow as it’s being released.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


And, I read elsewhere that systematic call sign changes will also not 
require an application fee - these are typically done at the same time 
as an upgrade to Extra, where the applicant can go to a 2x2 call sign, 
such as ABØCD.

-- 
73

Dennis Major, N0ABC
Laurel ARC VEC, Regional Coordinator #10 / Ø
(CO, IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD)
Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association VE Team