Greetings! The FCC has published a proposal to charge a $50.00 fee for a new amateur license, a license renewal, a license upgrade, or issuing a vanity call sign. This is a big change from the past when no fees were charged for amateur radio licensing.

Please read this attached e-mail from ARRL Southeastern Division Director Mickey V Baker, N4MB. It explains a few things and offers suggestions for filing comments. [NOTE: I lightly edited the e-mail for formatting and readability in a PDF format. No content was changed.]

You can contact the FCC and file a comment at the following web address:

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/filings?proceedings_name=20-270

Comments must be filed by November 16th, 2020.

If enough of us hams contact the FCC and politely, logically, and honestly voice our concerns, we can potentially turn away the possibility of having to pay for the privilege of volunteering our time, equipment, and services for the public good.

Richard Matthews  KB4CAY
Secretary, DARC