The FCC is only issuing Technician, General and Amateur Extra Class licenses. People who have Novice or Advanced licenses, however, can renew their licenses, so we still have amateur radio operators with these licenses. All the Technician Plus (used to mean a Technician who had also passed a code test), have been converted to Technician class licenses.

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An entry-level Technician Class licensee can select a vanity call sign, but there are more restrictions on what call signs a Technician can choose, compared to what an Extra Class can choose.

You can submit an application for a vanity call sign just as soon as your license appears in the FCC database.

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No communications relating to conducting business are permitted in the amateur service. Also, while contests are a fun part of the amateur radio hobby, they certainly have no monopoly on what can be done with Amateur Radio. Many hams spend time just chatting with other ham radio operators both locally and long distance through HF or linked repeater systems, which is also fun.

It should also be noted that broadcast -- the transmission of information for wide or public use -- is not permitted on the Amateur Radio service.

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The FCC requires an email address to be on file as the primary contact method for every amateur station and operator license issued. The FCC will no longer mail physical correspondence.

§ 97.23 Mailing and email addresses.

Each license grant must show the grantee's correct name, mailing address, and email address. The email address must be an address where the grantee can receive electronic correspondence. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct email address.

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Technician class amateur operators must have three letters in the suffix, so having just X, or XX is not allowed.

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In addition to being able to use your Ham Radio license in any location where the FCC has authority, you can ALSO use your privileges on any vessel registered in the United States that happens to be sitting in international waters (provided you have the permission of the captain).

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The FCC requires an email address to be on file as the primary contact method for every amateur station and operator license issued. The FCC will no longer mail physical correspondence.

§ 97.23 Mailing and email addresses.

Each license grant must show the grantee's correct name, mailing address, and email address. The email address must be an address where the grantee can receive electronic correspondence. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct email address.

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FCC Part 97.25(a) states:

An amateur service license is granted for a 10-year term.

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Part 97.21.iii(b) states:

A person whose amateur station license grant has expired, may apply for renewal of the license grant for another term during a 2 year filing grace period. The application must be received at the address specified above prior to the end of the grace period. Unless and until the license is renewed, no privileges in this part are conferred.

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An amateur radio operator license is good as soon as it appears in the FCC database.

"Immediately" won't work, because the VE team has to send in the exam results, that has to be sent to the FCC, and they have to get it into the database.

30 days after the test date isn't right because the call sign might show up sooner or later than 30 days.

Your call sign will be in the database before the mail from the FCC will reach you.

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"Grace period" means grace period to renew your license without having to retake all the tests, not grace period to transmit!

Once your license is expired, you are no longer permitted to operate a transmitter on the Amateur Radio service. No worries, though, because renewing your license with the FCC through the Universal Licensing System usually only takes a few minutes!

Once the ULS database shows that your license has been renewed, you can go back to operating. To avoid interruption to your amateur radio license privileges, renew your license up to 90 days before it expires.

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