Question
How soon after passing the examination for your first amateur radio license may you transmit on the amateur radio bands?
Answer Options
- A) Immediately on receiving your Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE)
- B) As soon as your operator/station license grant appears on the ARRL website
- C) As soon as your operator/station license grant appears in the FCC’s license database
- D) As soon as you receive your license in the mail from the FCC
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
After passing your exam, the Volunteer Examiners (VEs) file the paperwork with the FCC. The license grant becomes official and legal only when it is entered into the FCC’s electronic system. You are legally permitted to transmit only as soon as your operator/station license grant appears in the FCC’s license database (the ULS).
Before this official grant appears, the Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) only proves you passed the test. The license appearing in the database is the key legal trigger that authorizes you to get on the air.
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