Revised: April 10, 2022
FCC Application Fees
- The Laurel VEC and its Volunteer Examiners are not responsible for establishing,
adjusting, or collecting application fees. - Because you passed one or more exams that may result in a new amateur radio license or
because you are renewing your amateur radio license, you are required by Congress to pay an
application fee. The present application fee, established by the FCC, is $35 USD. - If you choose to upgrade your license or to change your call sign systematically in the future,
you are not required to pay an application fee, nor are you required to pay a fee to change your
name, mailing address, or contact information, whether you do that via an exam session or online
through the ULS. - Once your application has been submitted to the FCC, it will be assigned a File Number and
flagged for offline processing. It will remain ln pending status for 10 calendar days until the fee
is paid.
4.1. If you do not pay your application fee during that 10-day period, your application will be
dismissed and the FCC will send you a letter via e-mail informing you that your application
has been dismissed without prejudice. Without prejudice simply means you can resubmit your
application.
4.2. A dismissed application can be resubmitted anytime within 365 days from the exam
session date indicated on your Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE).
4.3. A dismissed application can be resubmitted by any VE team regardless of which VEC
coordinated the original exam session. - Start the payment process by accessing CORES with either your FCC Username or FRN and
your password. Select your method of payment and follow the on-screen instructions
5.1. WARNING: If a second party (Parent, grandparent, sibling, significant
other, friend, etc.) is paying the application fee for the applicant, that person is also
required to have an FRN, and payment must be made manually.
Revised: April 10, 2022 - There are two methods for paying your application fee:
6.1. Submit payment electronically. Payment can be made by credit/debit card or by bank
withdrawal.
6.1.1. To pay your application fee electronically, go to this website:
https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/html/coresintermediate.html
6.1.2. Only Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit or debit cards are
accepted.
6.2. Submit payment manually. Payment can be made by wire transfer, by check or money
order, or by any of the four credit/debit cards listed above.
6.2.1. Applicants who submit their payment manually may do so without logging into
CORES. They will need to complete and include an FCC Form 159:
6.2.1.1. Download and complete FCC Form 159 or complete the form online and print
it. Read all of the Form 159 instructions before filling out any of the blocks. The
instructions start on page 3.
https://transition.fcc.gov/Forms/Form159/159.pdf
6.2.1.3. You have 10 calendar days for the Commission to receive a correct Form 159
and payment. The application File Number must be included on the FCC Form 159 so
that the payment is associated correctly in the system.
6.2.1.4. Mail the completed FCC Form 159 with your payment to:
The Federal Communications Commission
P.O. Box 979097
St. Louis, MO 63197-9000
6.2.1.5. WARNING: If your payment is received after the 10-day period for making
your payment, your application fee will be forfeited. - Once your payment has been confirmed by the US Treasury Department, they will notify the
FCC. The FCC will grant your application 1-3 days later (Weekends and holidays may slow the
process), assuming there are no other issues with your application (e.g., Name mismatch, FCC
Alert list or you answered the felony question “yes”). If there are issues, your application will remain
pending until they are resolved or your application is dismissed even though you paid the application
fee. If your application is dismissed after you have paid the application fee, you will not get a refund. - If you have questions about your application fee or if you need assistance, please call 888-
225-5322 and select menu item number 2. It is not possible for the VE team to provide any
assistance in making your payment or to answer any questions about the status of any
payment that you have already made.