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At every Pacificon℠ we offer License Testing for those who want to get their first amateur radio license, or those who want to upgrade to a higher class license. Examination sessions are available on Saturday and Sunday. We will assist you with completion of the necessary paperwork prior to taking your exam.

Requirements

A fee of $15 dollars is charged for the examination, $5 if under 18. You may pay with cash or check. The FCC will bill you for $35, which must be paid before the FCC will issue a call sign to you as a Technician. Upgrades to General and Amateur Extra will not require an extra fee to the FCC. Applicants under 18 pay $5 for the exam and can get a $35 refund of the FCC fees from the ARRL.

You do not need to obtain a Pacificon℠ registration badge if you are only coming to the Marriott Hotel for the license examination.

Please bring a government-issued ID like a driver's license.   Otherwise, bring a current utility bill or a postmarked envelope to establish your current residency as shown on the exam registration paperwork, and one of the following:

* a birth certificate  (must have the appropriate seal)

 *a library card or

* a student body card

You must obtain a Federal Registration Number (FRN) from the FCC.gov website before coming. See our Obtain an FRN web page for instructions.

Additional Examinations

If you pass an examination test, you are permitted to take the next higher license examination test at the same test session, or on the next day while you are at Pacificon℠, at no additional cost.

Upgrade Examinations

If you are already licensed and are taking an upgrade examination; please bring a copy of your current license that we can keep.

Retaking the Exam

If you almost passed the exam on your first try, and would like to try again, you may retake the exam for an additional $15 fee. 

Morse Code Not Required!

Morse Code is no longer required for any level of amateur radio license. All Morse Code testing requirements for the Amateur Radio Service in the USA were eliminated on February 23, 2007. Some portions of the ham bands remain reserved for Morse Code use, and the mode remains popular, but Morse testing is no longer a requirement to be licensed.

In the US, new licenses are available for three levels, or "license classes". These are: Technician Class, General Class and Amateur Extra Class. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants these licenses. With only three License Classes and no Morse Code requirement, getting started in ham radio or upgrading your license class has never been easier! 

Amateur radio operators are required to pass a written exam displaying knowledge and understanding of key concepts. This practice is in contrast to other personal radio services such as CB Radio, Multi-Use Radio Service, or FRS that are unlicensed and more heavily restricted. In return, amateur operators are granted operating privileges in larger segments of the radio frequency spectrum and are allowed to use both higher power levels and a wide variety of communication techniques. Once you pass your first exam and become a licensed amateur operator you are given a unique call sign. The holder of a call sign uses this on the air to legally identify the operator or station during any and all radio communications.  If you'd prefer to have a different call sign, you may apply to the FCC for a "Vanity" call sign. 

FIRST ARRL VEC session Sep 2, 1984 at Pacificon(sm)!

We administered the very first ARRL VEC session in 1984 (see page 9 of the VE Manual) and we're still helping people like you get their ticket. If you pass your General or Extra you can join us on the other side of the table as a VE, a very memorable experience. 40 years later teams are transitioning away from paper exams to use exam.tools and a web browser on your phone, tablet or laptop.