Change of Address

Have you moved since you got your amateur radio license?  This is a common concern for renters or apartment-dwelling hams and revocation or suspension of your license is the ultimate consequence of failing to notify the FCC.

If you have relocated your QTH from one place to another, or if you have otherwise changed your mailing address, you are obliged to update your postal address with the FCC in the United States.  The FCC needs to know where to reach you by mail for either operator or station license questions or issues.

It’s also common courtesy to other hams who want to send QSL cards or just to know where you are located based on your call sign.

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US Code of Federal Regulations 47 C.F.R Section 97.21 requires you to file timely for an update of the license as necessary to show your correct mailing address, name, club name, license trustee or custodian name. Revocation of your station license or suspension of your operator license may result when correspondence from the FCC is returned as undeliverable because you failed to provide the correct mailing address.

In the US you can update your address online (filing electronically) at the FCC ULS site. On this site, click on the blue Licensing tab, which shows Common Filing Tasks when you scroll down a bit:

ULS Common Filing Tasks

There you will find instructions on how to submit a change of address form, which looks like below.  Apparently there is no longer (or not obviously) a way to submit the change via mail (filing manually).

ULS Address Change

One other related possibility here:  Maybe you don’t want the federal government and other people to know exactly where you live.  In this case you can change your address to a PO box so that the FCC and other folks won’t have a physical address for your location.  The government and savvy searchers will probably figure it out anyway, but this extra layer of insulation makes some people feel more secure.

Unlike the old days, moving outside your numeric region (call district) does not mean a new call sign.  You get to keep your existing call sign no matter where in the US you relocate.

4 thoughts on “Change of Address

  1. W8KTZ call was issued to me prior to 1955.
    I am 97 years old now and need to renew my license.
    Due to confusions from old age I did not renew before 2 years expired.
    I beg the FCC to renew my license because at my age ( a month short of 98 years) I might be granted an exception to the limitation of 2 years renewal period.
    My new address is the aged persons residence at 4588 Wesley Woods Blvd 213, New Albany, OH 45054, having been relocated from 8484 Landseer Dr., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068.
    Renewal would recognize that I likely will not renew after this, at the end of a ten-year period, age at that time being 108 years and thus, beyond a normal attainable condition.
    Thank you.
    Michael Stimac ( in 1948, originally KP4AA)

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    • Michael, looks like your license is valid through 2028. You must have been successful renewing it somehow. The address shows your Lansdeer Dr address. No more needs to be done. Nice to have electronic QSO with you, OM! 73, Jim

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      • I’m not Michael but seems like the only water I can contact you. I am Jerry Richter aka K1IWY. I need to do a change of address. Please assist.

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      • Hi Jerry, As far as I know, nobody else can do the change for you; you’ll have to follow the procedure posted above. Just updated to add a bit more helpful detail. Hope you can wade through the FCC ULS site; it seems straight-forward. Jim

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