Any person who qualifies by examination can hold a US amateur license, except a representative of a foreign government (47 CFR 97.5). Part 97 sets no minimum age, and there is no Morse code test: the only exams are the written Elements 2, 3 and 4 (47 CFR 97.501, 97.503), and the FCC dropped the Morse requirement for General and Amateur Extra in 2007 (72 FR 3081). The FCC says most new operators start at Technician and may then advance to General or Amateur Extra. Each higher class requires one more exam element.
Technician
35 questions, 26 to pass
All privileges on 50 MHz and up (local FM, repeaters, satellites) plus limited HF.
409-question pool, valid through 2030
General
35 questions, 26 to pass
Most of the HF bands for nationwide and worldwide contacts.
423-question pool, valid through 2027
Amateur Extra
50 questions, 37 to pass
Every amateur privilege, including the Extra-only HF segments.
599-question pool, valid through 2028
Sources: 47 CFR 97.301, Authorized frequency bands (eCFR); 47 CFR 97.503, Element standards (eCFR); Amateur question pools (NCVEC)
1. Study the question pool
Every question on your exam comes from a public pool published by the NCVEC Question Pool Committee, which says the pools are normally valid for four years. Each pool opens with a syllabus that gives every subelement as many exam questions as it has topic groups (Technician subelement T1, for example, has 6 groups and 6 exam questions), so each exam takes one question from each group (2026-2030 Technician pool). The rules in 47 CFR 97.503 set the size of each exam:
| Exam | License | Questions | Needed to pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Element 2 | Technician | 35 | 26 |
| Element 3 | General | 35 | 26 |
| Element 4 | Amateur Extra | 50 | 37 |
Learning the material, not memorizing answer letters, pays off once you are on the air. The practice exams on this site use the same pools and the same one-question-per-group structure, and they shuffle answer order by default so you recognize answers by meaning.
2. Get an FCC Registration Number
The FCC identifies applicants by an FCC Registration Number (FRN), which anyone applying for a license must obtain through the FCC’s Commission Registration System (CORES). Registration requires your name, address, a valid email address and, for an individual, your Social Security Number (47 CFR 1.8002). The ARRL VEC says you must have your FRN before exam day, and you submit it with your license application (ARRL VEC).
3. Find an exam session
Exams are given by teams of at least three accredited Volunteer Examiners (VEs) at sessions coordinated by a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) (47 CFR 97.509). The ARRL’s exam session search lists in-person sessions, including those run by other VECs, and links to VE teams that offer online sessions. Each VEC sets its own session fee (ARRL VEC). In October 2026 the ARRL VEC fee was $15, the GLAARG VEC fee was $10, and the Laurel VEC gave exams for free. The resources page lists session finders.
4. Take the exam
Bring a photo ID (or two other forms of identification if you have no photo ID), your FRN and the session fee (ARRL VEC). At an ARRL VEC session, one fee pays for one attempt at each exam element (ARRL VEC), so you can try the next element if you pass. Other VECs may differ, so ask the team first. When you pass an element, the team issues a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) and sends your application to its VEC (47 CFR 97.509), which forwards it electronically to the FCC (47 CFR 97.519).
5. Pay the FCC application fee
New licenses, renewals and vanity call signs carry a $35 FCC application fee (47 CFR 1.1102). After the VEC files your application, the FCC emails you a link with payment instructions, and you pay through CORES. The ARRL explains that the application is dismissed if the fee is not paid within 10 days, so watch your email. According to the same ARRL page, upgrades to a higher class are not charged.
6. Wait for your call sign
You may transmit only after your license grant appears in the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) (47 CFR 97.5), not before. Once the FCC has processed the application, it emails you a link to your official license (ARRL).
Keeping your license
Licenses are normally granted for a 10-year term (47 CFR 97.25). You can file a renewal no sooner than 90 days before the expiration date and no later than that date (47 CFR 1.949). If the license expires, there is a two-year grace period to renew, but you may not transmit until it is renewed (47 CFR 97.21).