Thanks for stopping by to visit our website! If you have not yet joined the wonderful world of Amateur Radio by obtaining your license, there is no time like the present to get started.
Steps to getting your Amateur Radio license
We recommend that you obtain a current Technician license study guide such as the ARRL Ham Radio Technician License Manual 5th Edition or the Gordon West Technician Class FCC Element 2 Amateur Radio License Preparation 10th Edition 2022-2026 manual. Either of these books can be found on and ordered through Amazon and they help to explain some of the theory behind the questions. There are just over 400 questions in the 2022-2026 question pool from which only 35 questions will be selected to appear on your exam. You can also review the questions and the correct answers here. You will not know in advance which questions from the pool will appear on the exam that you will be taking, so you should be familiar with all the questions in the pool before going to take your exam. All of the questions will be multiple choice with 4 possible answers. You must get at least 26 of the 35 questions correct (75%) to pass the exam.
The current pool of questions for the Technician exam expires on June 30, 2026, so if you take the test after that date many of the questions may have changed, been deleted and replaced with new ones.
Before going to sit for the Technician license exam, YOU MUST OBTAIN A FCC REGISTRATION NUMBER (FRN), or you will not be permitted to take the exam. You may register with the FCC and apply for a FRN through the FCC Commission Registration System (CORES) here. After you receive your FRN from the FCC make a note of it and if possible print out the confirmation from the FCC website so that you can show it to the volunteer examiner (VE) when you go to take the exam. In addition to the FRN, you should bring a photo ID with your current address and $15 (just $5 for anyone under 18) cash or a check payable to American Radio Relay League (ARRL). We cannot accept credit or debit cards at our Owensboro license exams. Review these requirements and procedures here.
The license testing will be proctored by three or more volunteer examiners (VEs) at the test site who will grade and process your license application. After passing the exam (congratulations by the way!), you will receive an email from the FCC with instructions to go online to their website where you will enter your information from the previous registration along with your FRN, and you will be asked to pay the license fee of $35 to the FCC using a credit or debit card. You will be issued a call sign, and you should print a copy of your FCC Amateur Radio license. Your license when issued is for a term of ten years unless you upgrade to a higher class before that.
After you become licensed, a whole new world of opportunities await you in the wonderful world of Amateur Radio much too numerous to detail here. We invite you to join the Owensboro Amateur Radio Club where you will be able to develop your experience, expertise, and enjoyment of the hobby.