This Guide will cover the general process of applying for an Amateur Radio License (Technician Class) with the Federal Communications Commission..

A general outline of this guide includes:

• Creating an FCC Registration Number (FRN),
• Where & how to study,
• Where to take your Technician exam,
• Getting your first radio!

If you need help at any point in the process, don’t hesitate to send a message in the W2SZ Discord or individually WebEx any one of the W2SZ officers for assistance:

• Russell Tsao (KE2BZF), Charles Gian (KE2APT), Jacob Andrus (KE2EBE), Tyler Gilbert (KQ4VEV), Jack Gurr (KM6YHO)

Decided to get your Amateur Radio License? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In order to get the first level of license (Technician), you’re just a few simple steps away!

This process has been streamlined for current RPI students. In the best case scenario, you won’t have to pay a cent in the entire process of creating your FRN to receiving your callsign.

There are 3 license classes, with increasing exam difficulty & increasing privileges going up the ranks: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra.

Note (PLEASE READ):

The address you use to create your FRN & sign up for an exam session, which would then be associated with your callsign, is publicly available in the FCC databases. Anyone with your callsign or FRN can readily see this address.

We recommend using your home address, but:

• If you are not comfortable with having your address public, you could instead use the address of a P.O Box at a nearby mail center. While this address will still be public, it will not be your home address, and just the general area where you live in.
  • If you go with the P.O Box route, ensure you check it frequently. The FCC can, and will, send you documents occasionally.
• Despite what address you use, if you lose access to obtaining mail from the address you put down, update it to an address where you can receive mail from.
  • Same thing goes for your e-mail and your phone number.

Continuing in this guide assumes you understand the above note, and have taken appropriate steps and can continue with an address. Yes, you have to provide an address. Do not use a false address.

1) Create an FRN!

An FRN (FCC Registration Number) is required in order to take the exam & process your application for a license.

Follow this tutorial: https://hamradioprep.com/how-to-register-for-your-frn/

• Once you create your FRN, it should be available almost instantly to you!
  • You need your FRN to register for the exam!!! Make sure to bookmark the FCC CORES link of your FRN.
• If there are some curious circumstances, such as the government being shut down, feel free to reach out for updated info!
  • For instance, during the last government shutdown, it was impossible to create an FRN until after the government reopened.
    • TLDR: Any questions or uncertainties; contact us in the W2SZ Discord!

Once you have an FRN, it’s time to:

2) Study for the Technician Exam!!