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Author Topic: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees  (Read 253 times)

N2EY

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A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« on: August 31, 2020, 08:24:32 AM »

Here's a short history of US Amateur Radio License fees (not VE test fees). The following is based on QST articles from the time periods listed.

In all cases, the ARRL strongly opposed the fees. Sometimes the opposition was effective, sometimes it wasn't.

In 1933, the FRC (predecessor of the FCC) proposed a fee of $5 ($100.17 in 2019 dollars) for amateur operator licenses. In those days operator license terms were 3 years. This proposal was strongly opposed and was not enacted.

In 1954, the FCC proposed a fee of $3 ($28.93 in 2019 dollars) for amateur licenses. In those days, and until the early 1980s, license terms were 5 years. This proposal was strongly opposed and was not enacted.

In the early 1960s the FCC again proposed fees for amateur licenses, and this time the proposal was enacted despite the opposition. The original effective date of January 1, 1964 was delayed a few months by a legal challenge, but by mid-March, 1964 the following fees were enacted:

New or renewed license: $4 ($33.45 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $2 ($16.72)
Special callsign: $20 ($167.25)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Effective August 1, 1970, the FCC raised the above fees for amateur licenses to the following:

New or renewed license: $9 ($60.09 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $4 ($26.71)
Special callsign: $25 ($166.92)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Effective March 1, 1975, the FCC lowered the above fees for amateur licenses to the following:

New or renewed license: $4 ($19.27 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $3 ($14.46)
Duplicate license: $2 ($9.64)
Special callsign: $25 ($120.46)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Finally, effective January 1, 1977, FCC dropped all fees for amateur licenses. From then until now, all US amateur licenses have been free.

VE testing fees are set by the VECs, and go to pay the costs of conducting the test sessions - space rental, duplication, postage, etc. The current going rate seems to be $15, but VECs can set the fees higher, lower, or waive them entirely.

Modern vanity-call fees have varied over time - someone else can write their history.

In the above schedule of fees, a "new or renewed license" included the fee for taking the tests, pass or fail, for a new license or a license upgrade. A "modified" license meant a change of address or name, but not a license upgrade.

Special callsigns in those days followed different rules than today, but there were specific cases where an amateur could get a callsign that wasn't sequentially issued. The special-callsign fee was a one-time charge.

All 2019-equivalent prices are from the Westegg Inflation Calculator:

https://westegg.com/inflation/

It is left to the reader to figure the per-year cost of the above fees.

73 de Jim, N2EY
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W9IQ

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Re: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2020, 08:30:15 AM »

Thanks, Jim for that history lesson - well done. It must have been the 1977 dropping of fees that I recalled as it came as a bit of a surprise to the amateur radio community.

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

K4EQ

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Re: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2020, 09:09:49 AM »

Great history lesson, Jim. When the latest vanity call sign system went into effect in 1996, I believe I paid $50 for my current call sign.

Dale, K4EQ
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KV4BL

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Re: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2020, 09:54:43 AM »

Interesting compilation of info, Jim.  I am guessing the proposed fee increases by the FCC may have inspired your research.

I have been wondering when they might solicit our comments on this matter.  If the FCC needs funds, I wish they would provide an option for those of us who are interested to pay an inflated price for a real, physical, paper license like they used to give us not so many years ago before they became too cheap to provide them.  I (and I imagine quite a few other hams out there) would be willing to pay $30 to $50 for a paper license printed on original FCC paper stock.  Imagine the profit margin they could enjoy and not have to inflict so much financial pain on struggling hams.

73,
Ray KV4BL
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WA3SKN

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Re: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2020, 10:48:22 AM »

You forgot the REASON the fees were dropped!  The FCC wanted the fees to finance their admin costs.  But it was determined in court that the fees had to go to the general fund and not to the FCC... Congress determines who gets the funding.  So the fees were dropped because it wasn;t worth the effort.
Now will the NEW fees support the FCC, or will they go into Congress's pockets???  Another court case will decide.

-Mike.
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N2EY

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Re: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2020, 12:31:37 PM »

You forgot the REASON the fees were dropped!  The FCC wanted the fees to finance their admin costs.  But it was determined in court that the fees had to go to the general fund and not to the FCC... Congress determines who gets the funding.  So the fees were dropped because it wasn;t worth the effort.
Now will the NEW fees support the FCC, or will they go into Congress's pockets???  Another court case will decide.

-Mike.

It is my understanding that the NPRM is the result of a recent Congressional bill requiring that FCC (and other agencies?) capture the costs of administering various services, with the goal of making them "self supporting".

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K3NRX

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Re: A Short History Of US Amateur Radio License Fees
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2020, 06:50:54 AM »

You forgot the REASON the fees were dropped!  The FCC wanted the fees to finance their admin costs.  But it was determined in court that the fees had to go to the general fund and not to the FCC... Congress determines who gets the funding.  So the fees were dropped because it wasn;t worth the effort.
Now will the NEW fees support the FCC, or will they go into Congress's pockets???  Another court case will decide.

-Mike.

We can only hope....As for the history that N2EY posted, I would be curious to know the source of these events.  Is there a link somewhere?....Fascinating stuff!...

V
K3NRX

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