To get your ham radio Technician license, register for an FCC Registration Number (FRN), study the publicly published question pool, pass a 35-question multiple-choice exam given by a Volunteer Examiner team, and pay the FCC a $35 application fee. There is no minimum age, no citizenship requirement, and no Morse code test. Most people go from zero to on-the-air in a few weeks of study.
Register for an FRN First
Before you sign up for an exam, create an FCC Registration Number through the Commission Registration System (CORES) at the FCC’s website.1Federal Communications Commission. Register for a New FRN The FRN is a free ten-digit identifier the FCC uses for everything connected to your license. Your exam results cannot be filed without one, so do this before exam day rather than fumbling with it in the parking lot.
You will need a mailing address the FCC can reach you at. Citizenship is not required. The FCC describes the amateur service as open to “qualified persons of any age” with a personal, non-commercial interest in radio.2Federal Communications Commission. Amateur Radio Service
Study the Question Pool
The Technician exam is formally called Element 2. It’s 35 multiple-choice questions drawn at random from a public pool of several hundred, and you need 26 correct to pass, roughly 74 percent.3eCFR. 47 CFR 97.503 – Element Standards Topics include basic electronics, radio wave behavior, antenna fundamentals, FCC rules, and safety. Nothing on the test requires hands-on demonstration.
The pool is maintained by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators and refreshed every four years. The current Technician pool took effect July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2030. Because every possible question and answer is published, free practice sites, phone apps, and club study groups all draw from the same source. Most people who work through a few hundred practice questions pass on their first try.
Find and Sit a Volunteer Examiner Session
Exams are administered by teams of Volunteer Examiners (VEs), licensed hams authorized to proctor for the FCC. Sessions run at community centers, libraries, churches, and ham club meetings, and remote sessions over video call are widely available. The ARRL and other Volunteer Examiner Coordinators list sessions on their websites.
Expect to pay a small sitting fee to the VE team. The ARRL VEC charges $15 in 2026, with a reduced $5 rate for candidates under 18.4ARRL. ARRL VEC Exam Fees Other coordinators set their own fees, and some charge nothing. This is separate from the $35 you’ll owe the FCC later.
Bring a government-issued photo ID and your FRN. On site you’ll fill out NCVEC Quick-Form 605, which doubles as your license application.5American Radio Relay League. NCVEC Quick-Form 605 Application Amateur Operator/Primary Station License Some teams want pre-registration, others accept walk-ins, so check the session listing. VEs grade your test on the spot, so you’ll know before you leave whether you passed. Passing candidates get a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE), which stands in as proof until the FCC issues your license.
Pay the FCC and Get Your Call Sign
The VE team uploads your results to the FCC electronically. Within a day or two, the FCC emails you with instructions to pay a $35 application fee through CORES.6Federal Communications Commission. Personal Service and Amateur Application Fees Watch this window carefully. You have ten calendar days from the date the FCC assigns your application a file number to pay. Miss it and the application is dismissed, which means retaking the exam.7ARRL. FCC Application Fee
Once you pay, your call sign typically posts within a few business days. You can look yourself up in the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) by name or FRN. The moment your call sign appears there, you are legally authorized to transmit.
What the License Lets You Do
Technicians get full privileges on all amateur VHF and UHF bands, which covers most everyday ham activity. The 2-meter band (144–148 MHz) and the 70-centimeter band (420–450 MHz) are where handheld radios, local repeaters, and most amateur satellites operate.8eCFR. 47 CFR 97.301 – Authorized Frequency Bands You also get the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz) and several microwave bands.
On the HF bands, where signals can travel thousands of miles, Technicians get limited slices. You can use Morse code (CW) on portions of 80 meters (3.525–3.600 MHz), 40 meters (7.025–7.125 MHz), and 15 meters (21.025–21.200 MHz). The 10-meter band is the most generous: CW and data from 28.000 to 28.300 MHz, plus voice (SSB) from 28.300 to 28.500 MHz.8eCFR. 47 CFR 97.301 – Authorized Frequency Bands
The maximum legal power for any amateur station is 1,500 watts peak envelope power, and you’re required to use the minimum power needed to make the contact.9eCFR. 47 CFR Part 97 – Amateur Radio Service In practice, most Technicians run 5-watt handhelds or 50-watt mobile rigs.
Take a Higher Exam the Same Day if You’re Ready
Technician is designed as the entry point, not a ceiling. If you passed Element 2 and feel prepared, you can attempt Element 3 (General) or Element 4 (Extra) at the same session for no additional FCC fee. Some VE teams charge a single sitting fee that covers all elements attempted that day.
- General Class requires passing Element 3, another 35-question exam. It opens up large portions of every HF band, where most worldwide voice contacts happen.
- Extra Class requires passing Element 4, a 50-question exam covering advanced topics. Extra grants every frequency available to amateurs, including sub-bands reserved for Extra operators.3eCFR. 47 CFR 97.503 – Element Standards
Your CSCE is valid for 365 days, so if you pass Element 2 and want to study before attempting the next level, you have a year to keep credit for what you already passed.10eCFR. 47 CFR 97.505 – Element Credit
Keeping the License
An amateur license is valid for ten years from the date of issuance.11eCFR. 47 CFR 97.25 – License Term Renewal costs another $35 through the ULS and does not require retaking any exam. If you miss the expiration date, there is a two-year grace period to file for renewal, but you cannot transmit during that gap.12eCFR. 47 CFR 97.21 – Application for License Grant After two years, the license is gone and you start over.
Keep your mailing address current. An undeliverable address can lead to revocation.13Federal Communications Commission. Common Amateur Filing Task: Changing Address One quirk that catches new licensees: updating your address in CORES does not update it in ULS. Both systems use your FRN, but they store the address separately. When you move, update ULS first.