GMRS Guide
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Ham radio license levels: Technician, General and Amateur Extra explained

Three written exams, no Morse code, one $35 FCC fee and a 10-year license. Here's what each level lets you do and which one to start with.

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There are three ham radio license levels you can earn today: Technician, General and Amateur Extra. Each adds one written exam and more frequencies. Technician (35 questions, 26 to pass) gives you every amateur band above 50 MHz, which is what handhelds and local repeaters use. General adds most of the long-distance HF bands. Extra adds the rest. There's no Morse code test, the FCC fee is $35, and a license lasts 10 years.

Where these facts come from

Every number below comes from the amateur radio rules, 47 CFR Part 97, read in the eCFR on October 3, 2026: license classes (97.9), exam elements (97.501), question counts (97.503), frequency privileges (97.301), power (97.313) and term (97.25). The fee is in 47 CFR 1.1102. How we research.

The three levels side by side

TechnicianGeneralAmateur Extra
Exams requiredElement 2Elements 2 + 3Elements 2 + 3 + 4
Questions (pass mark)35 (26)+35 (26)+50 (37)
VHF/UHF (50 MHz and up)All amateur bandsAllAll
HF (long distance)Slices of 80, 40, 15 and 10 mMost of every HF bandAll amateur HF
Max power1.5 kW PEP; 200 W PEP on its HF slices1.5 kW PEP (200 W on 30 m)1.5 kW PEP (200 W on 30 m)
Typical first radioDual-band handheld or mobileHF transceiverSame as General
License term / FCC fee10 years / $35 for a new license
Ham license levels as a staircase Three steps. Technician: element 2, 35 questions, all bands above 50 megahertz plus small HF slices. General: add element 3, 35 questions, most HF. Extra: add element 4, 50 questions, all amateur bands. TECHNICIANGENERALAMATEUR EXTRA Element 2 · 35 q · pass 26 + Element 3 · 35 q · pass 26Most HF bandsWorldwide voice + Element 4 · 50 q · pass 37All amateur privilegesExtra-only HF segments All VHF/UHF + HF slices Each step keeps everything below it. Source: 47 CFR 97.501, 97.503
You can take more than one element at the same exam session, so some people go from nothing to General in a single sitting.

Technician: the entry license

The Technician license is where nearly everyone starts. Under 97.301(a), a Technician has full privileges on every amateur band from 6 meters (50 MHz) up, including the 2 m (144-148 MHz) and 70 cm (420-450 MHz) bands that handheld and mobile radios and most local repeaters use. On HF, a Technician gets small slices of 80, 40 and 15 meters and 28.0-28.5 MHz on 10 meters, with a 200 W PEP limit there (97.313(c)). Voice is authorized from 28.3 to 28.5 MHz.

In practice: Technician is all you need for local talk, repeaters, emergency nets, satellites and digital voice. If you came from GMRS, it's the natural next step. See ham radio for beginners for what to do once you pass.

A person using a handheld amateur radio near a trailhead
A Technician license and a dual-band handheld cover local repeaters, hiking and emergency nets.

General: the HF upgrade

General adds Element 3 and opens most of the HF bands, which bounce off the ionosphere for regional and worldwide contacts. Under 97.301(d), Generals get privileges on 160, 80/75, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters, with some band edges reserved for Extras. This is the license for people who want to talk across the country from a home station.

A wire antenna strung from a tree to a house at dusk
HF antennas can be as simple as a wire in the backyard. General class is where they become useful.

Amateur Extra: everything

Extra requires the 50-question Element 4 and grants every amateur privilege, including the bottom segments of 80, 40, 20 and 15 meters that Generals can't use. It's also the class required to serve as a volunteer examiner for Amateur Extra exams (97.509). Most people take it for the challenge or to give back by running exams.

How to get licensed

Adults taking a volunteer-run exam at folding tables
Exams are run by teams of at least three accredited volunteer examiners.
  1. Study the question pool. Every question comes from a public pool, so a good study guide plus practice tests works. The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual is a common choice for Technician.
  2. Get an FRN. Register for an FCC Registration Number in CORES. If you already have one from a GMRS license, use it.
  3. Find an exam session. Exams are given by a team of at least three volunteer examiners at a session coordinated by a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (97.509). Local radio clubs host most sessions; ask a nearby club for the schedule.
  4. Pass and pay. After you pass, pay the FCC's $35 application fee. Your call sign appears in the FCC's ULS once the license is granted.
  5. Get on the air. Identify with your call sign at the end of each contact and at least every 10 minutes (97.119).

What to buy at each level

LevelGood first purchaseOur guide
StudyingA study guide like the ARRL License ManualHam radio for beginners
TechnicianA dual-band handheld such as the Yaesu FT-65R or BTECH BF-F8HPBest handheld ham radio for beginners
Technician, in a vehicleA 2 m/70 cm mobileBest mobile ham radio
General and upAn HF transceiver and wire antennaComing soon

A ham license does not make a ham radio legal on GMRS. FCC rules refuse GMRS certification to radios that can transmit on amateur bands (95.1761), so keep your family's GMRS radios and your ham radios separate. Our GMRS vs FRS vs CB vs ham guide explains the differences.

The bottom line

Start with Technician: 35 questions, no Morse code, and it unlocks every VHF/UHF band your first radio will use. Move to General when you want HF and worldwide contacts, and Extra when you want everything. Each license runs 10 years and costs $35 in FCC fees.

Rules checked against 47 CFR Part 97 and 47 CFR 1.1102 (eCFR, current through October 1, 2026) on October 3, 2026. Sources: 47 CFR Part 97 · 47 CFR 1.1102. How we research · Affiliate disclosure

Questions people ask

What are the three ham radio license levels?
Technician, General and Amateur Extra. They're the only classes the FCC issues to new applicants today; older Novice and Advanced licenses still exist but can't be newly earned. Each level requires passing one more written exam element: Element 2 for Technician, Elements 2 and 3 for General, and Elements 2, 3 and 4 for Extra.
How many questions are on the Technician exam?
35 multiple-choice questions, and you need 26 correct to pass, per 47 CFR 97.503. The General exam has the same format (35 questions, 26 to pass). The Amateur Extra exam has 50 questions and requires 37 correct.
Do you need to know Morse code for a ham license?
No. The FCC's exam requirements in 47 CFR 97.501 list only written elements. You can learn Morse code (CW) for fun, and every license class may use it, but no test requires it.
How much does a ham radio license cost?
The FCC charges a $35 application fee for a new license (47 CFR 1.1102), and the license lasts 10 years. The volunteer exam team may also charge a small session fee to cover costs; check with the team before you go.
Can I skip Technician and go straight to General?
Not really. General requires passing both Element 2 (the Technician exam) and Element 3, but you can take both at the same exam session. Many people pass Technician first, get on the air with a handheld, and come back for General when they want HF.
Is there an age limit for a ham license?
There's no minimum age in the FCC amateur rules. Anyone who passes the exam can hold a license, except a representative of a foreign government.