How to Renew Your Ham Radio License in the United States

When I was 14 years old, I saw an advertisement about amateur radio in a "Boy's Life" magazine given to me by my Boy Scout troop, and I was immediately interested. After spending some time to save up my money to get a study book, I spent a few months studying and took an examination to get my very own amateur radio (also known as "ham radio" license). I was very proud of myself when I passed the test to get my license, and I remember being so excited when I finally received my ham radio license in the mail. I spent a few years actively pursuing ham radio as a hobby, but as I got into my high school and college years, my interest in amateur radio faded somewhat.

A while ago, I was packing up all of my things in preparation of a move to a new home, and I came across my ham radio license. Amateur radio licenses are issued for 10 years, so my license was actually just about to expire. Even though I was no longer actively engaged in ham radio, I decided I should look into what it would take to renew my ham radio license. After doing some research, to my surprise, I found out that the process was extremely quick and simple.

Ham radio licenses can be renewed anytime from 90 days before they expire to a full two-years after they expire (it is important to note that it is illegal to operate a ham radio with an expired amateur radio license...you must wait for it to be renewed before you can legally operate a radio using the ham radio frequencies). If it is within the time period for you to renew your ham radio license, all you need to do is visit the website of the FCC's Universal Licensing System (listed in the resources section of this article). If this is your first time working with your amateur radio license online, you will need to go through a one-time registration process. Once you have properly completed the registration, you are ready to renew your license.

All you need to do is click the "Login" button under the "Online Filing" tab, and login to the website using the registration information you just created. You will be asked a few simple questions, and will also need to update your mailing address if it has changed since you first got your ham radio license. After filling out all the information, you will be given one more chance to confirm that everything is correct, and then you will be able to submit your information to the FCC. Within a few weeks, you should receive a new paper copy of your amateur radio license in the mail with your new license expiration date. As you can see, renewing your ham radio license is extremely simple and completely free. So if you took the time to get your license, even if you aren't involved in the hobby anymore, you should definitely take a few minutes to renew your ham radio license when it expires.