Amateur Radio License Renewal

Renewals:
The FCC accepts renewals only when the license is within 90 days of expiration. Updates such as changes of address and corrections may be processed at any time.

If Your License Has Expired
Once your license expires, you have a two year grace period during which you may file for reinstatement. You may not operate (transmit) whatsoever once your license has expired.

After the 2 year grace period has passed, the FCC will cancel your license and make it available for reissue. If your license gets canceled, your callsign is lost and you must start over from scratch by re-taking all the tests necessary to hold the class of license you wish to have. After you have obtained a new license and callsign, you may apply for your old callsign as a vanity call.

Updates:

You can update your license information at any time. Updates include corrections and changes of address. Note that filing an update does not renew or extend your license if your license does not expire within the next 90 days. from the FCC.

Processing Time:

The W5YI-VEC will process your update or renewal application as soon as practicable. Note that the VEC offices are closed on weekends and holidays.

You can check to see if your license has been renewed by looking in the QRZ Callsign Database, or the FCC's ULS database. Once you have entered an update, the changes will appear on the QRZ website only after the FCC has completed their update, usually within 3 to 5 business days. If you have any questions about your pending application, please call the W5YI-VEC