Home of the Carson Valley Radio Club
(W7DEM) & (W7SR)
and the Churchill Amateur Radio Society
(KC7ARS)
Get Your Amateur
Radio License!
Carson City Volunteer Examiners
& W5YI Licensing Services
Looking to take your first exam or upgrade your license?
The Carson Valley Radio Club is proud to support Frank D'Auria (W1AD), local VE's, and
W5YI Licensing Services Inc.
They can help you through the exam and licensing process!
Please see the schedule below, and sign up at
HamStudy.org.
When
9:00AM
Saturday, May 10th, 2025
Saturday, July 12th, 2025
Saturday, September 13th, 2025
Saturday, November 8th, 2025
Where
Carson Tahoe Hospital
Bristlecone Conference Room
1600 Medical Parkway
Carson City, NV 89703
The Bristlecone conference room is right inside the main entrance, just past the reception desk.
Very easy to find. It's also directly across the hall from the Sage Cafe' (the hospital cafeteria).
View Map
Contact
Please sign up at HamStudy.org.
If you have any questions, please contact Frank D'Auria at: w1adfrank@charter.net.
Please let Frank know you heard about the exam on the CVRC Web site.
If you would like to stay for it, after the exam session there will be a question and answer session. The experienced VE's will assist you with whatever questions you might have about getting started with ham radio or any another part of ham radio. If you've purchased a new radio and need help programing it. Bring it! They will gladly assist you in learning how to program it. If someone is ready to take the test, and needs to take the exam while its fresh in their mind. Contact Frank, he might be able to arrange a special session.
What You Need
A photo ID, $14.00 Cash, Personal Check, or Venmo and a copy of your current license if you upgrading
(A Reference copy from the FCC web site is acceptable, it doesn't have to be the Official copy)
They also always suggest you bring an extra $14.00. Its a big question pool and for most of us there's always a chance of getting all the questions you don't know. For a second fee we will give you another test. We've had many people do this and pass with flying colors.
Your Federal Registration Number (FRN) is required before you begin an exam session.
Additional information
FCC $35 Amateur Application Fee
The $35 application fee will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. The fee will be per application.
Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, will be exempt from fees.
VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not have to collect the $35 fee at exam sessions.
New and upgrade applicants will pay the $14 exam session fee to the W5YI VEC as usual and pay the $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES - Login). VEC and VE team licensing procedures will not change.
When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate. The candidate will have 10 calendar days, from the date of the application file number being issued, to pay. After the fee is paid, and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license. The link will be good for 30 days.
How do I get licensed?
Becoming a licensed amateur radio operator in the United States involves passing one or more exams administered by volunteer examiners. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established three levels of amateur radio licenses, each building upon the knowledge and privileges of the previous level.
License Classes
Technician Class: This is the entry-level license and the focus of this book. It provides operating privileges on all VHF and UHF amateur bands and some limited privileges on HF bands.
General Class: The next step up, requiring passage of both the Technician and General exams. It grants significantly more HF privileges.
Amateur Extra Class: The highest class of license, requiring passage of all three exams. It provides full privileges on all amateur radio bands.
To progress to a higher class, you must pass the exam for that class as well as all lower classes. For example, to obtain a General Class license, you must pass both the Technician and General exams.
License issue, expiration, and renewal
Once you pass your exam and your license application is submitted you will receive an email from the FCC instructing you to pay a $35 fee on their online portal. Once you have completed that step your license will usually appear in the database the next morning.
If the FCC attempts to reach you by email and is unable to do so even after you are licensed they may choose to revoke or suspend your license, so make sure to use a valid email address and update your license records with the FCC if it changes!
Some applications are flagged for manual (human) review for various reasons; in those cases there may be a delay before you are instructed to pay the fee. The VE (Volunteer Examiner) team you test with should be able to help you navigate any challenges!
Once issued, your license is valid for ten (10) years from the date of issue, unless revoked for some reason. Your license becomes valid as soon as it appears in the ULS (Universal Licensing System), an online license database maintained by the FCC.
You can renew your license as early as ninety (90) days before it expires by signing in through the FCC license manager website (the same website you use to pay your fee). If you have any issues you can contact the FCC support using contact information from their website.
If you allow your license to expire you may no longer operate, however you have a two (2) year grace period in which you can renew your license. If you do not renew your license before the end of that grace period you will lose your license and call sign and will have to take the exam again to become licensed again.
If you were once licensed and had a General or Amateur Extra class license you can regain your previous privileges after just passing the Technician class license exam – talk with your VE team for more information!
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