Amateur Radio Licensing

Owned by ziemer
Last updated: Sept 18, 2024
4 min read

Amateurs licensed before July 2022 may need to associate their FRN to a CORES account.

Licensing is a multi-step process, but shouldn’t be excessively difficult. Please reach out to us with any questions!

Registering a FRN

As of July 2022, the FCC requires the use of the CORES registration system for FRN management.

Only first-time registrants are required to create an FRN. For license upgrades, your existing FRN should be used.

Keep your CORES account information safe and make sure to enter accurate information to minimize complications. CORES is the system that you will use should you wish to renew your license 10 years after receiving it.

  1. Access CORES and register a username and password.

  2. Return to the CORES homepage and log in.

  3. Select “Register New FRN”.

    Image of CORES interface displaying FRN options

  4. Select “an individual”.
    We traditionally recommended using Rose-Hulman as your mailing address when the mailbox system was in place, but this doesn’t exist anymore so it might not be worth it. If you do decide to use Rose-Hulman’s address, keep in mind that you must update your mailing address after leaving Rose. Whatever address you choose, keep in mind that your license, name, and license mailing address becomes public information that can be searched in the ULS.

    Image displaying input for FRN registration

  5. Complete the FRN registration form. This requires a SSN.

  6. After pressing submit, your FRN should be returned instantly and should be associated to your CORES account.

Associating an FRN to CORES

If you were licensed before July 2022 and used the FRN registration system instead of CORES, you will need to associate your FRN to CORES.

On User Home, select “Associate with this FRN”.

Input your FRN with a short explanation and press continue. If you do not remember your FRN, you can find it by looking up your license in the ULS.

Press continue and complete one of the 3 security options. The FRN will be automatically associated with your CORES account.

Studying for the exam

We recommend hamstudy.org to prepare for all 3 amateur license exams.

Register an account on hamstudy so you can save your progress and bring it with you on your phone or other devices. Hamstudy is completely free and has a solid flashcard system that should make prep easy.

  • Study mode is a great way to see all types of questions and get real time feedback for the questions you are answering.

  • Practice test is good for when you have done lots of “study mode” practice and want to see how you stack up on an actual test.

  • A good benchmark to practically ensure a passing great is 100% seen and ~80% aptitude in the “study mode” section, though this is by no means required and many have passed with much less studying than this.

Registering for an exam with W9UUU

RTRC generally provides transportation to all of these licensing events!

  1. Go to this page on the W9UUU website

  2. Scroll down to “Pre-Register for …”

  3. Fill out the form and click Confirm Registration.

Paying FCC licensing fees through RTRC

After your license appears in the ULS, reach out to the club to organize paying the FCC fees on your behalf.