FCC: Wireless Services: Ground Stations: Services: Common Filing Tasks: Renew a License

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ULS Universal Licensing System

Common Filing Tasks

Renewing a License

The renewal application can be submitted no earlier than 90 days prior to the expiration date of the license. To complete a manual renewal of your license the FCC Form 601 (Main Form and/or associated schedules) is required. If you do not have an FCC Registration Number (FRN), FCC form 160 will also be required for a manual filing. Applications that require fees will need form 159. The purpose of the filing will either be Renewal Only "RO" or Renewal/Modification "RM". These forms can be obtained at FCC Forms.

Renewal Only will be selected to renew an existing license that has not expired and where no changes in the license are being requested. Completing a Renewal Only you would only need to complete the 601 main form and form 159 if your application requires a fee.

Renewal/Modification would be used to renew an existing authorization, Special Temporary Authorization (STA), or developmental authorization and request a change in the conditions of that authorization, (including requesting a waiver). Completing a Renewal/Modification you would use 601 main form and schedules D & H for modifying technical data. (NOTE: Some radio services modifying technical information require frequency coordination through a Land Mobile Frequency Coordinator.)

Electronic filers would utilize the Universal Licensing System (ULS). Click on Register, if you do not have an FCC Registration Number (FRN). Continue through the steps until you receive a FRN then proceed to ULS online filing.

If already registered, under the heading Online Filing click Log In.
Enter your FRN and password. If you do not have your password or have forgotten it, go to FRN Password Reset (t) and enter your FRN and answer the Personal Security Question (PSQ) allowing you to reset your password. If you have not set the PSQ go to Set a Personal Security Question or contact FCC Support.
If you have multiple licenses, you will need to select the call sign by clicking on its link. If you have one license, you will see a button to begin the renewal process.
On the Select Licenses screen, select the license(s) you need to renew in the My Licenses box, and click on the Add button to add them to the Licenses to Renew box.
If you need to make any updates to the license information, select which sections of the license you need to update.
Answer the questions as prompted on the following screens; click the Continue button to navigate the screens until you come to the Certification screen, where you will “sign” the application.
Click the Continue to Submit button to submit your application to the Commission. The application will be assigned a file number as a confirmation of submission.
If a fee is due, you can make the fee payment online or print out the 159 and submit it with payment (check, money order, credit card) to:
Federal Communications Commission
Wireless Bureau Applications
P. O. Box 979097
St. Louis, MO, 63197-9000

This fee must be received within 10 calendar days of the filing.