License Testing

The Turlock Amateur Radio Club Volunteer Examiner Team is a group of amateur radio enthusiasts that meets to administer examination elements to members of the public who wish to obtain or upgrade their HAM license.

The Turlock Amateur Radio Club Volunteer Examiner Team, is currently accredited through ARRL, and Laurel-VEC, and will be primarily be offering testing through the Laurel-VEC. There are no fees for our exam sessions offered through the Laurel-VEC, However effective April 19, 2022 the FCC is instituting a license application fee of $35 dollars. This fee is paid directly too the FCC. The Turlock Amateur Radio Club, and the Laurel-VEC do not charge a fee to take your license exam.

The Laurel Amateur Radio Club Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (Laurel VEC or LARC-VEC) accredited the team. Laurel VEC is one of 14 VECs that have entered into an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve as a VEC. The Laurel VEC was established in 1984 and takes great pride in never charging a fee for its services.

Effective April 19, 2023



The new Amateur Radio license application fees will take effect on April 19, 2022. The Federal Communications Commission’s authority to impose and collect fees is mandated by Congress.

The $35 application fee, when it becomes effective on April 19, will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. The fee will be per application.

Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, will be exempt from fees.

VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not have to collect the $35 fee at exam sessions. Once the FCC application fee takes effect, new and upgrade applicants will pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual, and pay the $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system (CORES – Login).

When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have 10 calendar days from the date of the email to pay. After the fee is paid and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license. The link will be good for 30 days.

Additionally, the FCC stated that applications processed and dismissed will not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign.