KENTUCKY PORTABLE CLUB • GET LICENSED
From zero to on the air: which license to start with, how to study for free, where to take the test in Kentucky, and what happens after you pass.
Every license is good for 10 years. No Morse code test. You can take more than one element at the same session.
Local VHF/UHF (2 m, 70 cm) — repeaters, simplex, APRS, fox hunts — plus some HF: CW on 80/40/15 m and voice on part of 10 m.
Most of the HF bands for voice, CW and digital — where most POTA and SOTA activity happens.
All amateur privileges, including the extra slices at the bottom of the bands where DX hangs out.
See exactly what each license can use: Band Plan by License →
Most people pass the Technician in a few weeks of short sessions. Practice tests use the real question pool, so when you're scoring in the 80s you're ready.
Your FCC Registration Number — free, takes five minutes, and you need it before the exam. Register in the FCC's CORES system.
Volunteer Examiner teams hold exams all over Kentucky, and some test online by video. Many charge about $15; some are free.
After you pass, the FCC emails you a link to pay the $35 application fee. Pay within 10 days or the application is dismissed. Upgrades don't have a fee.
Your call sign usually shows up in the FCC database within a few days of paying. Once it's there, you're legal to transmit.
Join the club, find a park, and make your first contacts. We'll help you with a radio, an antenna and your first activation.
No — the code test went away in 2007. Plenty of people learn it anyway because it's fun and great for portable work. Try our CW Practice page.
There's no age limit. Kids pass the Technician all the time.
Yes. If you pass one element, most teams let you try the next one at the same session.
A call you pick (if it's available) instead of the next one in line. It's applied for through the FCC and has the same $35 fee. Clubs can hold a club call too.
Yes — anyone can listen, use a WebSDR, or hunt a fox. You need a license to transmit.
Ten years. You can renew online (with the $35 fee) — and there's a two-year grace period if you forget.
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