Get Your Ham Radio License Document After You Got Your Ham Radio License

You passed your ham radio license exam, so how do you actually get the license document? In the olden days, the FCC printed that document and mailed it to the new (or upgraded) license holder. Today, we need to download the license PDF ourselves and then print it, sign it and keep it available.

The following shows how you can get access to this document and download it.

The key to the license is the FCC License Manager. This is where you find your license, but also where you would apply for a vanity call sign, or make modifications to your license like update your address.

The License Manager can be found here: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

Log in with your FRN and the password that you’ve set when you created your account. This may have been a while ago, so if you don’t remember your password, just select to reset your password, after a few more clicks, you can reset it. If you do not remember your FRN, you can do a license search for your callsign and retrieve your FRN that way: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAmateur.jsp – just type your call into the callsign field and click on the “Search” button. When you then select your callsign, the “License Information” section will reference your FRN.

Once logged in, you should see the “My Licenses” page, if you have any other FCC licenses (e.g. a GMRS license for the General Mobile Radio System), they will also show up on this page:

At the to of the page, you will also see a green area that says “Download your official electronic authorizations here.”. When you click on the link, you can select which of your licenses you want to download.

You do that by selecting the license in (1), then click on the “Add” button (2), select the license again in (3) and click on the “Download” button (4). This will download the selected license – unless you have a popup blocker installed. If that is the case, you may have to disable it for this process.

Keep in mind that there are two different versions of the license document: The “Official Copy” document which only you have access to is your official license, and the “Reference Copy” that can be downloaded by anybody who searches for your call sign. The page will clearly show in large letters what type of document you are looking at. You should sign the official copy twice: Once in the upper portion of the page, and then again in the wallet sized portion at the bottom of the page. You can cut the wallet sized license out, laminate it and keep in in your wallet, or with your portable station. This way, you can always show proof of your amateur radio license.