Mid-State Amateur Radio Club offers free Volunteer Exam (VE) license testing following our monthly club meetings except in September and December.

Meetings are held on the third Saturday morning of each month except September when we have our annual picnic. See this website's homepage for meeting location. You may contact the VE Team Coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to confirm meeting location if there is any doubt. 

Testing sessions begin promptly at the end of our business meeting -  usually between 9:00 and 9:30 am. Testing normally ends by 10:30. You may not be allowed to test you if you arrive later than 10:00 am. You are welcome to join us for our 8:00 meeting to make sure you are here at the start of testing.

You must pre-register by using this online registration form: http://midstatehams.org/ve-testing/register-for-an-exam.html

Also, advance notification of any special accommodations you need would be appreciated.  If you have any questions, contact the VE Team Coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Remember to bring with you, if you are already licensed, your existing (unexpired) FCC Radio License, or any element credit paperwork (CSCE).

What to Bring:

1. A legal photo ID (driver’s license, passport)
2. If no photo ID is available, two forms of identification:
   a. non-photo ID/driver's license (some states still have them)
   b. birth certificate (must have the appropriate seal)
   c. social security card
   d. library card
   e. utility bill, bank statement or other business correspondence that
specifically names the person; or a postmarked envelope addressed
to the person at his or her current mailing address as it appears on
the Form 605.

3. Students/minors may bring any of the above items and/or a school ID, minor's work permit, report card, or a legal guardian may present a photo ID.

4. Your FCC issued Federal Registration Number (FRN) is required by the FCCto be submitted with your license application form.

For instructions on how to get your FRN, visit the FCC's FAQ page and the FCC's registration instructions page.

5. If applicable, bring your current Amateur Radio license or a reference copy printed out from the FCC website, the license information printed from ARRL website or QRZ website, or the original(s) and photocopy(s) of any Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) you may hold from previous exam sessions. If your license has already been issued by FCC, the CSCE showing license credit is not needed. 
Instructions on how to obtain an official FCC license copy are on
the Obtain License Copy web page.

6. A calculator with the memory erased and formulas cleared is allowed.  You may not bring any written notes or calculations into the exam session.  Slide rules and logarithmic tables are acceptable, as long as they're free of notes and formulas. Cell phone must be silenced or turned off during the exam session and the phones' calculator function may not be used.  In addition, iPhones, iPads, Androids, smartphones, Blackberry devices and all similar electronic devices with a calculator capability, may NOT be used. 

  What’s Next? How Soon Can I get on the air!!??

congratulations!! You have you have just passed the test for a brand new Amateur Radio License. To show that you have taken and passed your exam you will be given a Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) showing the exam date, the class of license and operating privileges you qualified for.

Caution:  The CSCE is NOT a license to operate a radio station.  If you are a new operator and have not previously held a license, or are a someone who has applied for a new license via the relicensing program, you must wait until your new call sign, name, and address appear in the FCC's ULS database before beginning on the air operations. 

Your application for license will be entered into the FCC database in just a few days. When your license is issued, your new information will appear in the FCC database.  As soon as your name and new call sign appears in the database, you may begin to use your new license and call sign assigned by the FCC. If the license has not been issued, don't worry, it’s a government thing and it’s a process. It may take a few days, especially if a weekend or holiday is involved. Be patient, and check back every day. Soon you will be rewarded with your new call sign. 

 How to find out if your new license is ready?

Check the FCC database to see if your license has been issued at this web site.

Then follow the instructions below

Do a search, using the "License Search" box at the top of the page. Change the license search to "By Name" from the drop down list.   Enter your name like this: “Smith, John E” and press the "Search" button. Any names matching the search criteria will appear. If more than one name appears, find one that is closest to your name including the middle initial, and shows as "active" under the "status" column. If there is more than one listing, click on the ‘call sign’ and look at each of them until you find the one with your address and that’s likely your new call sign. As of February 17, 2015 the FCC no longer mails a ‘hard copy’ of your license to your home. When you find your license on the FCC database, click on your call sign, and in the new window that opens, you will find a link across the top called “Reference Copy”. Click the link and it creates a printable PDF file of your license, download and save this file. Print the PDF file, this is your license! Now put it that nice frame you have and hang it on your wall.

As soon as your new license showing your name, address, and call sign appear in the FCC's database, as evidenced by the search you just completed from the preceding paragraphs, you may begin operating. Just grab your microphone, keyboard, or telegraph key and go for it! Check out the Ham Radio Operating and Ethics, an excellent resource of information for the newly licensed amateur radio operator about how to make your first contact.

 Upgrading your license??   Temporary operating authority:

If you have just upgraded your license by passing additional elements, and will result in your having additional operating privileges, you may begin using them immediately! You do not have to wait until we have sent the upgrade data to the FCC. 

You will notice on your CSCE (Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination) form that one of the options under "Operating Privilege" has been circled. You should use the special identification procedure until your license has been modified, and the FCC database shows your new privileges. Once the changes have been included in the FCC's database, you no longer need to use the special identification. Just use your call sign as you have been doing so far - before the upgrade.  Use the steps above to print your new license and frame it.

The exception to this rule is you have asked for and received a new call sign. In that case, use your old call sign with the temporary identifier until your new call sign is listed in the FCC database, then switch to using your new call sign, and discontinue using your old call sign.