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How to Find an Expired Ham Radio License

Thanks to the Internet, tracking down an expired ham radio license is extremely easy now as compared to, say, 20 years ago. You can find just about everything online these days, including information on an expired amateur (ham) radio license. The Federal Communications Commission has made its license archives available online for anyone to search. You just need to know the name of the person who held the ham radio license or his old call sign.

Things You'll Need

Computer with Internet access

Instructions

- 1
  Go to the FCC Universal Licensing Archive System website (see Resources section).
- 2
  Type the name of the person whose expired ham radio license you would like to find under the "Licensee" section.
- 3
  Select ̶0;HA ̵1; Amateur̶1; under the ̶0;Radio Service Codes̶1; option. If you remember the most recently used call sign, you can enter it under this section, too.
- 4
  Check ̶0;Expired̶1; next to "Status" in the section marked "License Detail.̶1;
- 5
  Enter a date range under "Date Information" to help you narrow the results. (This step is optional.)
- 6
  Click ̶0;Search.̶1;
- 7
  Find the exact license you're looking for--based on name and call sign--among the search results. To see more information about the license, click on the "Call Sign" link. The information in this archive will list the former amateur radio licensee̵7;s name and last address on record; the last used, as well as previously used, call signs; when the amateur radio license was granted, when it expired or was canceled; and the operation class, among other details.

Ham Radio