FCC Report & Order - GMRS License Fee Lowered to $35

[MacJack]

IMHO, it is reported in the federal register calling for comment by the public on or about Dec 28.  So from my days reading the pink sheets as it is called, 30-60-90 day so makes it Jan, Feb or March.  Then as you said will take them 30 days to make the changes on the web site.  Welcome to the "I paid $70 Club".

Jack

 
IIRC, as a federal regulatory agency, it will be 30 days after they officially announce the change that it will go into effect. They said that in their response as well. Unless I missed it, I don't believe they have officially announced the change yet so my renewal would pass by and I have too much set up with our call sign to let that happen.

[berkinet]

Ok, let's try to keep this in scale. If one were to renew for $70 the day before the new price went into effect. The total extent of the "damage" would be $3.50 per year over the 10 year life of the license.  That is $ 0.0095 per day, $0.067 per week, or a whopping $0.29 a month.

[Hans]

Ok, let's try to keep this in scale. If one were to renew for $70 the day before the new price went into effect. The total extent of the "damage" would be $3.50 per year over the 10 year life of the license.  That is $ 0.0095 per day, $0.067 per week, or a whopping $0.29 a month.

You seriously underestimate just how cheap I am, friend.

[MacJack]

Good math... and perspective.

Jack

Ok, let's try to keep this in scale. If one were to renew for $70 the day before the new price went into effect. The total extent of the "damage" would be $3.50 per year over the 10 year life of the license.  That is $ 0.0095 per day, $0.067 per week, or a whopping $0.29 a month.

[axorlov]

$70-club? Phufffff. Whiners, no sympathy. There are people here who are members of $90-for-5-years-club. Some people are more than once members.

[OldRadioGuy]

For anybody wondering.... the fee was still $70 as of last week (Feb 7)

I just went ahead and paid it.  As others have said $7/year is still pretty cheap.

Use your stimulus check to pay it.

 

Vince

[Extreme]

On the upside though, at least you got a decent call sign! WRKL328,,,

 

I got stuck with a real tongue-twister; WQWU626, which nearly everyone misses the U and thinks my call is WQW 626!

 

DoubleQWOO - Yikes!

[SDK]

 

Learning the hard way:

1. Wanted radios that work better than FRS cheapies you find at Lowes/Home Depot. Bought 5 watt Midlands GXT1030. (fail)
2. Knew I needed FCC license but didn't know to wait for 1/2 reduction in fees (fail)
3. Happen to see a repeater in south Charlotte and thought "cool" I can use that with these radios (fail)

 

I highly recommend the BauFeng BF-F8HP for handhelds. They are 8-watt transceivers with a wide range of VHF and UHF frequencies including two Ham bands (2m & 70cm), FRS/GMRS, MURS, and many local emergency services frequencies so you can use them as scanners. They are currently $62.89 each. I recommend getting the longer NA-771 antenna at $16.99 and a spare battery or two. Check them out at baofengtech.com. For a mobile rig the UV-25X2 or UV-50X2 are affordable options with the same capabilities and much higher power. Get the programming cable and use the free application CHIRP to program them. Been there, done that with the Midlands - never again. WQYC747

[mainehazmt]

Well as of today it was 70$.  I started the process the 15th of feb. but guess what when it got time to pay nothing happened.  Apparently the FCC doesn’t like Microsoft edge.  Well I tried on a different computer using google something... They took my $$. And license says pending.  We will see.... guess I better shut off my repeater....

[mainehazmt]

Well it is official they accepted my late payment (application was in on time). I get to keep my call sign and I can turn the repeater back on.  70$. Maybe I better hurry and take my AE exam  before they raise that one up!

[mainehazmt]

$70-club? Phufffff. Whiners, no sympathy. There are people here who are members of $90-for-5-years-club. Some people are more than once members.

Oh I was part of the 90$ club too.  Seems like every change goes into effect shortly after I renew.  next time to renew Ill be 72... so  this may be my last one  Ill go rogue then...

[WPTU591]

Federal Register :: Schedule of Application Fees of the Commission's Rules    3/19/2021

 

"Sections 1.1102, 1.1103, 1.1104, 1.1105, 1.1106, 1.1107, and 1.1109 will not take effect until the requisite notice has been provided to Congress, the FCC's information technology systems and internal procedures have been updated, and the Commission publishes notice(s) in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of such rules"

 

...

[axorlov]

Sooooo-o-o, according to the Table 2 to Paragraph C the new license is $35. And schedule is effective April 19. Do I read it right?

[axorlov]

And Ham license is also now $35. Historical move. Ham license, aside of the testing costs, was always free in US, right?

[gortex2]

And Ham license is also now $35. Historical move. Ham license, aside of the testing costs, was always free in US, right?

 

Correct. Many of the hams are all up in arms. I think its fine to charge a small fee.

[jc1240]

And Ham license is also now $35. Historical move. Ham license, aside of the testing costs, was always free in US, right?

There was a time prior when the FCC charged a fee.  It was costing more to collect the fee than the fee itself, so they dropped it.

 

FCC Eliminates Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Regulatory Fee (arrl.org)

 

Testing fees are strictly collected and used by the VECs.  LaurelVEC for example does not charge anything.

[Extreme]

Sooooo-o-o, according to the Table 2 to Paragraph C the new license is $35. And schedule is effective April 19. Do I read it right?

 

Page 85-86 show the fee schedule but I'm not finding a date it goes into effect. (or Table 2 Paragraph C).  Not doubting anyone's word, and I'm not due til '27,  but I'll have to show it to folks when I'm encouraging they get licensed.

Fed docs are the best, eh?

 

EDIT:  Found it in the Fed Register.  Release date March 19, effective April 19, 2021.  Page 1

 

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/19/2021-03042/schedule-of-application-fees-of-the-commissions-rules

[n4gix]

This was sent to all ARRL Divisions for clarification:

 

 

Application Fees for Amateur Radio - will NOT start on April 19, 2021

To all Central Division ARRL Members:

Contrary to what you may have heard or read, the collection of
application fees for the amateur radio service and certain other
services will NOT begin on April 19, 2021.

Although April 19, 2021 is the date the rules in the FCC Report and
Order adopted last December generally take effect – i.e., one month
after the R&O was published in the March 19, 2021 Federal Register –
certain parts of those rules, including collection of the application
fees for the amateur radio service, will NOT begin on that date.

The effective date for new amateur radio fees has not yet been
established. The FCC explicitly states in the published Notice that the
fees will not take effect until:
* the requisite notice has been provided to Congress; AND
* the FCC’s information technology systems and internal
procedures have been updated; AND
* the Commission publishes [FUTURE] notice(s) in the Federal
Register announcing the effective date of such rules.

The League’s counsel for FCC matters estimates that the effective
start date for collecting the fees will be some time this summer, but
regardless of the exact timing we will have advance notice.

[Extreme]

Begs the question:  will GMRS reduced fees take affect on April 19?  Someone on here will hopefully take a shot at it on the 19th and report here.

[n4gix]

I see no reason why the FCC would have separate "start dates" for Ham vs. GMRS. 

[AdmiralCochrane]

I see no reason why the FCC would have separate "start dates" for Ham vs. GMRS. 

 

There is a reason.  GMRS has a fee payment arraignment system in place and requires no testing, only payment; all that they have to do is reduce the fee, everything else is in place.  Ham requires testing and confirmation and at this time requires no fee.  Its a whole new ball of wax. 

[Extreme]

Buddy on there today tells me it "says $35" until credit card time, then it's $70.  He's anguishing.

[kc9pke]

On 5/20/2021 at 8:42 PM, Extreme said:

Buddy on there today tells me it "says $35" until credit card time, then it's $70.  He's anguishing.

Just tried keying in a "New" application in just to see what number it'd spit it out. It's still showing $70 as of 10 minutes ago

[widnerkj]

Just helped a friend process his FCC through for his license. As of an hour ago, it’s still $70.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AdmiralCochrane]

Just in from conference call with the VEC's  

Quote

W1AW bulletin, FCC fees unlikely to go up until next year:

ARLB021 FCC Application Fees Unlikely to Go into Effect Until 2022

The schedule of FCC amateur radio application fees likely will not

go into effect before 2022. FCC staff confirmed during a recent

virtual meeting with Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) that the

agency is still working on the necessary changes to the Universal

Licensing System (ULS) software and other processes and procedures

that must be in place before it starts collecting fees from amateur

applicants. Earlier this year, the FCC said it would not start

collecting fees from amateur applicants before this Summer. The new

estimate is that the fees won't go into effect until early next

year.

Once it's effective, the $35 application fee will apply to new,

modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and

vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application.

Administrative update applications, such as those to change a

licensee's name, mailing, or email address, will be exempt from

fees. ARRL VEC manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said Volunteer Examiner

(VE) teams will not face the burden of collecting the $35 fee.

"Once the FCC application fee takes effect, new and upgrade

applicants will pay the exam session fee to the VE team as usual,

but they'll pay the $35 application fee directly to the FCC using

the FCC Pay Fees system," she explained. When the FCC receives the

examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with

payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have

10 days from the date of the email to pay.

The FCC Pay Fees system can be accessed at,

https://apps2.fcc.gov/Batch_Filer/login.cfm .

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. Licensees

also will be able to view, download, and print official license

copies by logging into their FCC ULS account. The FCC no longer

provides printed licenses.

Licensees can log into the ULS with their 10-digit FRN (FCC

Registration Number) and password at any time to view and manage

their license and application, print their license, and update

anything in their FCC license record, including adding an email

address.

FEE SCHEDULE:

INDIVIDUALS -

$35 FEE: New, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign

change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will

be per application.

NO FEE: Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or

email address, or license cancellation.

AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS -

$35 FEE: New, renewal, trustee change, and vanity call sign

applications. All fees will be per application.

NO FEE: Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or

email address, or license cancellation.

NNNN

If you are holding your breath for the $35 GMRS fee, you better have big lungs