FAQ

Congratulations! Welcome to amateur radio!

W4VEC prides itself on being one of the fastest VECs when filing with the FCC, but how quickly you receive your call sign also depends on you!

After you pass the exam, look for an email from the FCC requesting a $35 payment, usually 1-2 business days after you pass the exam. Your call sign will not be issued without this payment. Once you pay the $35, your call sign will usually be issued 1-2 business days after that. If you pay before 6pm (Mon-Fri), your call sign should be issued the next day, even if that day is Saturday. Paying after 6pm will likely mean it will be delayed by a day. Paying after 6pm on Friday means that your call sign may arrive as late as Tuesday.

If you pass your exam on the weekend, the FCC filing isn't processed until Monday. In this case you will likely receive an email from FCC requesting payment Monday afternoon or Tuesday. If you pay the day you receive before 6pm, your call sign will likely be issued the next day.

Congratulations!

Immediately once you have a CSCE (Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination), but you must identify differently on the air until your upgrade is live in the FCC database. If you just upgraded to General exam, you will add /AG to your call sign. If you just upgraded to Amateur Extra, you will add /AE to your call sign. (Usually said as "yourcallsign, temporary AG", or "yourcallsign, temporary AE"). If you are one of the rare operators upgrading to a Technician license from a Novice, you would add the suffix /KT at the end of your call sign. ("yourcallsign, temporary KT").

Once the license upgrade is reflected in the FCC database, you may use your call sign as you normally would. W4VEC prides itself on filing fast and efficiently. If you pass the exam during the week, the database is usually updated within 1 business day (often in only a few hours). If you pass the exam over the weekend, the update will usually happen the first business day after you pass the exam.

Yes. At registration you can sign up to take multiple exams.

Alternatively, if you pass the exam you signed up to take, you may take the next exam. As an example, if you pass the Technician exam, you may then take the General exam if you wish. Should you pass it as well, you can take the Amateur Extra. We encourage this even if you've not studied, as it gives you an idea of what the next exam is like.

Yes, provided there is time to do so. However there will be an additional $12 charge to do so.

No.

The $35 FCC fee applies to new license applications, license renewals, and vanity call sign requests. There is no fee to upgrade your license class. If you're upgrading to a General or Amateur Extra license, you're allowed to request a new sequential call sign free of charge. Amateur Extra upgrades are given the unique option of requesting a sequential 2x2 call sign. Requesting a specific vanity call sign does require the fee.

Please see our 1x1 call sign section.

Yes! The FCC requires you to have a valid email address on file with them, even after you're licensed. If the FCC can't reach you by email, they may suspend or revoke your license. You must update the email address in the FCC CORES system and the FCC Universal Licensing System ULS.

It depends.

If the date of expiration was less than two years ago, you can renew your license online with no exam required. You will be able to keep your call sign. You will log into the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) to renew and pay the $35 fee.

If the date of expiration was more than two years ago you will not be able to renew your expired license, nor will you be able to keep your call sign (though you may be able to apply for it as a vanity call sign once licensed again, if it hasn't be reassigned). You will need to submit valid proof of your previous license, pass the Technician exam, and pay the $35 licensing fee to be licensed again. If you previously held an Advanced or General license, and you pass the Technician exam, you will be licensed as a General with a new call sign. If you previously held an Amateur Extra license, and you pass the Technician exam, you will be licensed as an Amateur Extra with a new call sign. You must bring proof of your old license to the exam session. Examples of proof are a valid copy of the old license, a reference copy of the old license from the ULS site, a license verification letter from the FCC, and other methods. Please talk to the Session Manager about what you plan to use as proof of your expired license to make sure it meets the necessary requirements.

Feel free to contact email us at w4vec@w4vec.org with any other questions you may have!

Frequently Asked Questions