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How to get your first ham license

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How to get your first ham license
License earnedTechnician, the US entry-level license
TimeA few weeks of study for most people
Skill levelBeginner; no Morse code test and no age limit
You will needAn FCC Registration Number (FRN), an email address, photo ID and the fees
Costs (2026)
FCC application fee$35, paid online to the FCC
Exam session feeSet by each VEC; $15 at ARRL VEC sessions, $10 at GLAARG sessions
Questions35 multiple-choice; 26 correct to pass
Question pool2026–2030 Technician pool, in use 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2030
The exam

How to get your first ham license takes a newcomer in the United States from first study to first call sign. Every US amateur license is issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but the exams are given by volunteer examiners (VEs), licensed hams who work under organizations called Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs).[1] Most people start with the Technician license, which opens every amateur band above 30 MHz and a few HF segments.[2] For an overview of all three license classes, see Getting licensed. Readers in other countries should skip to the last section.

Before you start

  • Decide where you want to begin. The Technician exam is the usual first step; the General exam, which opens most of the HF bands, can be taken only once you have passed Technician.[2]
  • Make sure you have a regular email address. The FCC sends its notices, including the link to pay your fee and your official license, by email.[3][4]
  • There is no need to own a radio before the exam.

Step by step

  1. Get the current question pool. Every possible exam question, with its correct answer, is published in advance in a question pool written by the Question Pool Committee of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC). The 2026–2030 Technician pool, with 409 questions, took effect on 1 July 2026 and is in use through 30 June 2030.[5][6] It is free to download from the NCVEC website. Make sure any book, app or practice site you use matches this pool.
  2. Study. The exam covers FCC rules, operating practice, electronics, antennas, propagation and safety, including RF exposure. Use a license manual, a club class or a free online practice-exam site, and take practice exams until you pass them comfortably and consistently. Understanding the reasons behind the answers will help once you are on the air.
  3. Get an FRN. An FCC Registration Number is a ten-digit number that identifies you in every FCC record.[4][7] Create an account in the FCC's Commission Registration System (CORES), using your email address as the username, then register for an FRN.[7] Individuals register with their Social Security number.[4] Do this before exam day, because VEs need the FRN for your application.
  4. Find an exam session. Sessions are held in person at clubs, libraries and hamfests, and online over video. The ARRL's exam session search and the HamStudy.org session list show sessions near you. Many teams ask you to register in advance. Each VEC sets its own session fee: in 2026 the ARRL VEC charges $15 ($5 for candidates under 18) and GLAARG charges $10.[3][8][9] Through its Youth Licensing Grant Program, the ARRL also reimburses the $35 FCC fee for new candidates under 18 who test at ARRL VEC sessions.[3] The session fee is separate from the FCC fee.
  5. Prepare for exam day. For an ARRL VEC session, bring one photo ID (or two other forms of identification), your FRN, the session fee in the form the team accepts, two number 2 pencils and a pen, and a calculator with its memory cleared if you want one. Phones can't be used as calculators.[3] Online sessions have their own rules about cameras and the room you test in, so read them in advance.
  6. Take the exam. You fill in an application form, NCVEC Form 605, which includes questions about your basic qualification and a certification that you have read and will follow the FCC's RF exposure rules.[3][10] The Technician exam has 35 questions, and you need 26 correct (74 percent) to pass.[11] The VEs grade the exam on the spot. If you pass, you receive a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE), and many teams will let you try the General exam straight away.[8]
  7. Pay the FCC fee. After the session, the VEC files your application with the FCC, and the FCC emails you a link to pay the $35 application fee.[12][13] Pay it online through CORES by credit card or bank debit, directly to the FCC, not to the VEs.[12][14] You have 10 calendar days from the date your application receives a file number.[12] If you miss the deadline, the application is dismissed, but the VEC can refile it without a new exam while your CSCE is still valid.[12]
  8. Watch for your license grant. Once the fee is paid and the license is granted, it appears in the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS), and the FCC emails you a link to your official license. The FCC has issued licenses only electronically since the end of 2020; you can download the official copy at any time from the ULS License Manager by logging in with your FRN.[4]
  9. Get on the air. Your operating privileges begin as soon as the grant appears in the ULS database.[1] A new license comes with a sequentially issued call sign based on where you live. Under the FCC's rules, Technician and General licensees in the contiguous states are assigned from a group of calls with one letter, a digit and three letters, and from the next group, two letters, a digit and three letters, once that list is used up.[15] You can apply later for a vanity call sign of your choice, which costs another $35.[13] Join a club, find a mentor (an Elmer), and make your first contacts on a local repeater.
  10. Keep your record current. A US license lasts ten years.[2] Update your mailing and email addresses in ULS whenever they change, and see License renewal when the expiry date approaches. Upgrading to General or Amateur Extra later costs no FCC fee.[12]
Register for your FRN and write it down as soon as you decide to take the exam. It takes only a few minutes online, and the VEs need it before they can process your application.

Common problems

  • The payment email never arrives → Check your spam folder. You can also look up your pending application by FRN in ULS and pay through CORES without waiting for the email.[12]
  • You missed the 10-day payment window → Contact the VEC that ran your session. It can refile the application while your CSCE is valid, which restarts the 10-day window.[12]
  • You didn't pass → Many teams let you take a different version of the exam at the same session, sometimes for another fee.[8][9] Otherwise, study the topics you found hardest and try again at another session.
  • Your study material doesn't match the exam → Check which pool your book or app covers. The previous Technician pool could not be used after 30 June 2026.[6]

Outside the United States

Every country licenses its own amateurs, with its own exams, license levels and call signs; see Amateur radio licensing around the world for the international framework. In Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) issues an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate, with the Basic qualification as the usual starting point;[16] see Amateur radio licensing in Canada. In the United Kingdom, Ofcom issues Foundation, Intermediate and Full licenses, with exams run by the Radio Society of Great Britain;[17] see Amateur radio licensing in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, the national amateur radio society is usually the best place to ask about classes and exams.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Amateur Radio Service, FCC.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Getting Licensed, ARRL.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 What to Bring to an Exam Session, ARRL.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Obtain License Copy, ARRL.
  5. ↑ NCVEC Question Pool Committee Issues Revision to 2026-2030 Technician Pool, ARRL News, February 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 New Technician Question Pool Takes Effect July 1, ARRL News, June 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 FCC CORES Registration Instructions, ARRL.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 ARRL VEC exam session listing, HamStudy.org, August 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 GLAARG exam session listing, HamStudy.org, November 2026.
  10. ↑ RF Safety Certification, ARRL.
  11. ↑ 47 CFR 97.503, eCFR.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 FCC Application Fee, ARRL.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Personal Service and Amateur Application Fees, FCC.
  14. ↑ CORES Payment System, FCC.
  15. ↑ Amateur Call Sign Systems, FCC.
  16. ↑ RIC-3: Information on the Amateur Radio Service, ISED, March 2022.
  17. ↑ Foundation Licence, RSGB.
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