Government Shutdowns And Licenses
=================================

Unfortunately, at times, a budgetary impasse within Congress, or if
the President does not sign a budget into law (either via a Continuing Resolution (CR)), or a full budget prior to the government fiscal year
that starts October 1, portions of the U.S. government "shut down".
Work considered essential to the protection of life and property
continues, but "non-essential" departments are shuttered, and their
workers are sent home. Those who still work (such as with the TSA at
airports, and the U.S. Coast Guard) do so without pay. Except for the government contractors, all will receive back pay when the government
shutdown ends, and the agencies reopen.

One of the agencies affected by the shutdown is the FCC. During this
time, they will NOT process any applications for new, renewal, or
upgraded amateur radio licenses, callsign changes, etc. The VE Teams
can send the results to their particular VEC, but the VEC can't key
the data to the FCC until the shutdown ends.

Now, if ones license enters the 90 day window prior to expiration,
they can file the renewal, and continue to operate, even if their
license expires during the shutdown. However, if they wait until the
shutdown ends to file the renewal, it'll have to get to the FCC within
two (2) days, or the license will be expired. Once a license expires,
the amateur radio operator is QRT (off the air). And, as noted above,
if the license lapses (expires more than 2 years), they have to start
all over, by passing the Technician Class exam, and getting a new ham
radio callsign.

License Terms
=============

Ham Radio licenses are good for ten (10) years, and they may be renewed ninety (90) days prior to expiration...NO SOONER. However, if you have a
change of address due to a move, you may MODIFY your license in that
regard AT ANY TIME. If the FCC is unable to deliver mail to you, your
ham radio license, and operating privileges can be suspended and/or
revoked until your address is corrected. Operation without a license
can result in a stiff monetary forfeiture (a fine) and imprisonment,
plus confiscation of your ham radio equipment...fines range from $7500
to $10,000, if not more. There is NO CHARGE for changing the address on
an amateur radio license...otherwise, any callsign or other changes will
cost you $35 per transacation.

However, if you did not renew, you may NOT operate on an EXPIRED ham
radio license...whether it's during a government shutdown, or not. But,
you have a two (2) year "grace period" if your ham radio license has
expired, to reinstate your license. This "holds" your license class
privileges and callsign, until your license is renewed. As noted above,
the FCC will NOT process the renewal of an expired license during a
government shutdown...only after it ends.

But, if you do not renew your license before it expires, and do nothing during the 2 year grace period, both your license and callsign will be FORFEITED. At that point, you have NO AUTHORITY to operate on the ham
radio bands, and it'll be as if you had NEVER taken a test!!

To get back on the air with the previous license class that you held,
you MUST take, AT MINIMUM, the Technician Class license, in order to get
back into amateur radio.

However, once an expired ham radio callsign passes the 2 year grace
period, anyone can apply for it under the Vanity Callsign system. So,
if you LOSE your current callsign, there is a chance that you may NOT
get it back!!

Also, if you upgrade your license to General or Amateur Extra, only the license class will change...the license expiration date will remain the
same. Only new licensees, or those receiving a Vanity Callsign, get a
fresh 10 year term...whether Technician, General, or Amateur Extra. I've
known hams who walked into a test session without a license, and walked
out with an Amateur Extra Class license...while not easy to do, it can be
done.

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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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Some VE Test sessions will LIMIT the number of retest attempts, because
of time constraints. With most test sessions, only one (1) retest of a
failed element is allowed. If you fail the exam for a particular license
class twice in one session, it's best that you study some more before
trying again. With COVID-19, some sessions may limit testing to one (1)
exam ONLY, to minimize potential exposure to those in attendance.

If you need to take a break between tests (to stretch your legs, use
the restroom, etc.) you may do so. However, as noted above, CHEATING, IN
ANY FORM, WON'T BE TOLERATED!! The Volunteer Examiner Team will CONSTANTLY
BE OBSERVING ALL EXAMINEES during ALL tests, to make sure that this is
the case!!

There is NO RUSH to complete the test...as you're more likely to make
errors if you do!! Take your time, and answer the questions that you know FIRST. Go back to the ones you're not sure of, and save the difficult ones
for last. If you do have to GUESS, do it INTELLIGENTLY. You have a 1 out
of 4 chance of getting the question right, without doing anything.

If you leave a question blank...or mark more than one answer per question
on the answer sheet, it is AUTOMATICALLY a WRONG ANSWER...and it could be
the difference between PASSING and FAILING the exam!! If you have to CHANGE your answer, make sure you notate it as such. However, unless you're quite sure, your first choice is usually the correct answer.

If you finish the test early, turn your test booklet, and answer sheet
into the VE Team...once you're satisfied that "you've done the best that
you can do". PLEASE REMAIN QUIET, until everyone else has finished their
exams as well. Disruptive behavior by examinees or observers will NOT be tolerated, and the disruptees will be dismissed from the test session. If
the VE Team gets "too loud", please ask them to "tone it down to a low
roar", as it were.

Per Part 97.519, of the FCC Rules:

(d) The FCC may:

(1) Administer any examination element itself;

(2) Readminister any examination element previously administered by
VEs, either itself or under the supervision of a VEC or VEs designated
by the FCC; or

(3) Cancel the operator/primary station license of any licensee who
fails to appear for readministration of an examination when directed
by the FCC, or who does not successfully complete any required element
that is readministered. In an instance of such cancellation, the person
will be granted an operator/primary station license consistent with
completed examination elements that have not been invalidated by not
appearing for, or by failing, the examination upon readministration.

Note that unlike a VE Test Session, if you fail the readministration
of an exam before the FCC, you will NOT be allowed to take another test
that same day.

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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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Per Part 97.519, of the FCC Rules:

(d) The FCC may:

(1) Administer any examination element itself;

(2) Readminister any examination element previously administered by
VEs, either itself or under the supervision of a VEC or VEs designated
by the FCC; or

(3) Cancel the operator/primary station license of any licensee who
fails to appear for readministration of an examination when directed
by the FCC, or who does not successfully complete any required element
that is readministered. In an instance of such cancellation, the person
will be granted an operator/primary station license consistent with
completed examination elements that have not been invalidated by not
appearing for, or by failing, the examination upon readministration.

Note that unlike a VE Test Session, if you fail the readministration
of an exam before the FCC, you will NOT be allowed to take another test
that same day.

After The License Exam
======================

When you're done with the exam, return the test booklet, and the answer
sheet to the VE Team. They will grade it IMMEDIATELY (or as soon as is possible), and tell you whether you have passed or failed the test...
although they can NOT tell you what to study the next time, if you failed;
nor they can they tell you which questions you missed. Once your test
booklet and answer sheet have been turned into the VE Team, you may NOT
have them back.

As noted above, THERE IS NO DISGRACE IN FAILING an exam. If the VE Team
has the time and resources, and you're willing to pay an additional test
fee, they will let you retest, but with a different set of questions. Not
every ham radio operator has passed their license exam on the first try...
and some have taken nearly a dozen tries or more to pass an exam element.

If you pass the exam, and you do not yet have a callsign or a license; depending on processing time, your new callsign and/or license class
should be available on the Internet at the QRZ Ham Radio website at
www.qrz.com in about 10 to 14 days...but sometimes, it may take a
bit longer...or it may be a bit sooner. However, during a Government
Shutdown, it will be delayed until the governement (and FCC) reopen...and
there likely will be a huge backlog of data to be processed...so, your
patience in this regard is appreciated.

Some VE Teams will scan in all the exam session documents, and put them
into a PDF file, and upload them to a private URL (hidden from the public),
to the VEC. If sent in on a weekend, it'll be processed the first business
day (usually a Monday, unless that day's a holiday). By the end of that
day, or by late the next day, the callsign/license will be in the FCC
database.

Once the callsign is there, you can begin operating. Look for the link entitled "FCC Reports"...and look for your name (last name first).
Archived entries are available, in case you can't access the Internet for
a period of time after you pass the test.

The FCC no longer mails out a "paper copy" of ones amateur radio license. Instead, about 1 to 2 weeks after the exam session, the licensee will be notified via email that their license is available via the FCC ULS...and
they are provided logon credentials (usually the FRN and a temporary
password, which should be changed after initial logon). As noted, as of
April 19, 2022...examinees have to pay a $35 fee for a new, renewed, or upgraded ham radio license, or a callsign change (sequential or vanity), whether for individual or a club.

Once logged on, they can print an "Official Copy" of their license,
plus a "Reference Copy" to take to a future license exam session, should
they decide to upgrade their license. The FCC no longer mails out paper
copies of the licenses.

Once the copy of your new license is in hand, you may DESTROY the old license, and the applicable CSCE for the new one, unless you'd like to
keep the CSCE as a novelty. Be sure to SIGN the new license before you
make a copy of it, and/or laminate it; as the license is NOT valid without
your signature.

If you have not seen your callsign or upgrade in the FCC ULS 2 weeks
after you took the test, you should call either the exam session liaison,
or the VEC. In the case of an ARRL/VEC test session, they can be reached
from 7am to 4pm U.S. Central Time, Monday through Friday (except holidays),
at (860) 594-0300 -- this is a long distance call. However, the FCC is NOT available during a Government Shutdown.

Be sure to keep your U.S. Mailing Address CURRENT...as your license may
be SUSPENDED/REVOKED by the FCC, if mail they send to you is returned as undeliverable.

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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)