Some Random Amateur Radio License Renewal Questions

[JASII]

I renewed both my wife's and my amateur radio licenses online last night. It was $14.20 per license. Anyway, my questions are:


-How long until it shows up online that we are renewed?

-How long until we get a paper license in the mail?

-Is the renewal good for 10 years from the date of renewal or 10 years from the old expiration date?

 

[reedeb]

You PAID for your Amateur Radio license?

 

[celsasser]

here you go...

First of all, you won't get renewed unless 90 days or less from the expiration. So if you are outside the 90 days, the application will be held until 90 days and then submitted.

Submittal occurs immediately, and my last renewal showed up in the database on the 89th day before expiration; I submitted about 100 days out. So start checking the database then. (Recent database problems at the FCC and subsequently QRZ.com don't supposedly affect renewals, and only affect new licensees.) Once it shows up in the database you should get the paper in about 7 days or so; mine showed up in 4 days, but we are in the mid-west, I'd suspect it could be a bit shorter or longer depending on weekend/holidays and distance. You are at the mercy of snail mail; and of course that assumes there was no problem with any questions you answered or info you supplied.

The renewal is effective from the day that it occurs, but the new expiration is based on 10 years from the old expiration date. So if it is Feb 29, 2012, and the license expires on May 28, 2012; the new license won't expire until May 28, 2022.

Hope that got all your questions.

 

[K9WG]

You PAID for your Amateur Radio license?

He probably went through one of the services that will do it for you. I know when mine came up for renewal I got a mailing saying for $$ they would submit the application.

 

[JASII]

You PAID for your Amateur Radio license?

Yes, they dinged me $14.20 each for vanity renewal. Was it supposed to be free?

 

[nd5y]

You can do it yourself for free on the FCC ULS web site.

 

[JASII]

You can do it yourself for free on the FCC ULS web site.

I did do it myself on the FCC ULS web site, but it was $14.20 per license for vanity call sign renewal.

 

[Heyboy]

You can do it yourself for free on the FCC ULS web site.

The FCC charges 14.20 (currently) per Vanity Call Sign. That is what I paid in January.

 

[ToneBurst]

Since when did FCC license renewal become a freebie? I paid money to take the test which was to cover the license fee if I passed, and I did. Every TEN years, a license is renewed and you have to pay the current renewal rate, even at the ULS site.

 

[nd5y]

He didn't mention anything about vanity callsigns or that he did it on the FCC web site at first.
Some of us assumed he was a sucker that used one of the "services" that charge people for renewing licenses.

 

[reedeb]

Thanks for clarifing it up with the vanity bit.

 

[69Z28]

The Vanity Call Sign program funds the FCC program which administers the program.
The more people who participates in the program, the less the license fee is....
The fee varies from one year to the next, according to the amount the FCC says it needs to break even.
I do not have the exact stats - but it has fluctuated by several dollars in the past.
Generally it hovers somewhere around about $15.00
So - $14.20 is a real bargain.

 

[n8zcc]

Since when did FCC license renewal become a freebie? I paid money to take the test which was to cover the license fee if I passed, and I did. Every TEN years, a license is renewed and you have to pay the current renewal rate, even at the ULS site.

There is no fee associated with your amateur license unless it is a vanity call sign. You most likely paid a $15 fee for the VEC test session.

If you paid more than that and you do not have a vanity then something is wrong.

ARRL VEC Exam Fees

FCC: Wireless Services: Amateur Radio Service: Amateur Home

 

[JASII]

.....Anyway, my questions are:


-How long until it shows up online that we are renewed?

-How long until we get a paper license in the mail?

-Is the renewal good for 10 years from the date of renewal or 10 years from the old expiration date?

I guess I already know a couple of things I was wondering about. I just checked online and I am good until 04/28/2022 and my wife is good until 06/15/2022, so it is, indeed 10 years from the old expiration date. Frankly, knowing that I don't have a huge concern about the paper license. When it shows it shows. I don't think the new renewal data was there on Monday, but I don't recall checking yesterday, so it could have actually been there then.

Now, if I can get my 16 year old son interested we will be all set!

 

[Heyboy]

I think the standard time is 17 days until it is posted on the ULS. This is presuming they do not have to wait for the funds to clear the bank. PS a good website to go to is www.vanityhq.com.