Applying for a GMRS license costs $35, takes about ten minutes, and happens entirely online across two FCC websites. First you register for a free FCC Registration Number (FRN) in the Commission Registration System (CORES). Then you file the license application in the Universal Licensing System (ULS) and pay the fee. There is no exam. One license covers your entire immediate family for ten years.1Federal Communications Commission. General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
Before You Start: Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and meet the general requirements in 47 CFR 95.305, which excludes representatives of foreign governments.2eCFR. 47 CFR 95.1705 – Individual Licenses Required; Eligibility; Who May Operate; Cooperative Use No technical test is required, unlike amateur (ham) radio.
One license covers the licensee plus all immediate family regardless of age. The FCC defines that group broadly: spouse, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.2eCFR. 47 CFR 95.1705 – Individual Licenses Required; Eligibility; Who May Operate; Cooperative Use Everyone operates under your single call sign, so only one person in the household files.
Step 1: Register for an FRN in CORES
An FRN is a free, 10-digit account number the FCC uses to identify you across its licensing systems.3eCFR. 47 CFR Part 1 Subpart W – FCC Registration Number Go to the Commission Registration System on the FCC website and create an account.
You will need to provide:
- Your full legal name
- A mailing address
- A valid email address
- Your Social Security Number, or a Taxpayer Identification Number if you have one instead
The SSN requirement is a federal mandate for anyone doing business with the Commission.3eCFR. 47 CFR Part 1 Subpart W – FCC Registration Number It is not displayed publicly; only your name, call sign, and mailing address appear in the FCC’s public license database.
Save your FRN and the password you created. You need both for the next step.
Step 2: File the Application in ULS
Log into the Universal Licensing System with your FRN and password. On the left side of the screen, click “Apply for a New License.” From the dropdown, select the General Mobile Radio Service (ZA) designation.4Federal Communications Commission. Applying for a New License in the Universal Licensing System (ULS)
The form pre-populates your name and contact details from your FRN registration. Check those for accuracy and continue to the certification section. You sign the application electronically by typing your name into the signature field. When you click submit, the system calculates the fee.
Paying the $35 Fee
The application fee for a new GMRS license is $35.5Federal Communications Commission. Personal Service and Amateur Application Fees ULS directs you to the FCC’s payment portal immediately after submission. Credit cards and ACH bank transfers are accepted. Pay promptly. The FCC can dismiss applications where the fee goes unpaid.
Fixing a Mistake After You Submit
If you catch an error in a pending application, file an amendment through ULS using FCC Form 601. You can amend as a matter of right as long as the application hasn’t been flagged for a hearing or competitive bidding.6eCFR. 47 CFR Part 1 Subpart F – Wireless Radio Services Applications and Proceedings If required information is missing or the fee is unpaid, the FCC may dismiss the application without prejudice. You can refile, but you start over.
What Happens After You Submit
The FCC typically processes GMRS applications within a few business days of receiving payment. Your authorization arrives by email; paper copies are no longer mailed. The email includes your assigned call sign, which looks something like WRXX123.
You are required to identify your station by transmitting that call sign at the end of each conversation and at least every 15 minutes during longer exchanges. You can say it in English or send it in Morse code. Adding a unit number after the call sign, such as “WRXX123 Unit 2,” is permitted and useful when several family members are on the air.7eCFR. 47 CFR Part 95 Subpart E – General Mobile Radio Service
As the licensee, you are personally responsible for every transmission made under your call sign, whether you keyed the microphone or your teenager did.7eCFR. 47 CFR Part 95 Subpart E – General Mobile Radio Service Worth explaining to family members before handing them a radio.
How Long the License Lasts and How to Renew
A GMRS license is valid for ten years. You can renew through ULS starting 90 days before the expiration date.1Federal Communications Commission. General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) Set a calendar reminder. The FCC does not send renewal notices.
Miss the window and you cannot renew at all. FCC guidance states that after expiration, you must apply for a new license from scratch.1Federal Communications Commission. General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) That means paying the $35 again and receiving a new call sign. You also lose all operating authority the moment the license expires; transmitting after that is a federal violation.
Why Not Skip the License
Operating a radio service without the required license violates the Communications Act. The FCC can impose civil forfeitures for willful or repeated violations.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 47 USC 503 – Forfeitures In one enforcement action, the FCC fined a company $30,000 for operating on GMRS frequencies without authorization for nine years. The Commission also has authority to seize equipment and refer serious or ongoing cases for criminal prosecution. At $35 for ten years of coverage across your whole family, the license is one of the cheapest authorizations the FCC issues.