The FCC regulatory fee to obtain a NEW Amateur Radio vanity call sign or to RENEW an Amateur Radio vanity call sign is $15.00 after September 3, 2012.

Effective with applications received by the FCC on or after September 4, 2012
the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) says the fee will be
$15.00 for the 10-year license term.

Amateurs requesting a New vanity call sign may file via the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS). Amateurs Renewing a vanity call sign may file via the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) or through the ARRL VEC.

The VEC "Instructions for License Renewals or Changes" web pages contain complete information on license-filing procedures, including step-by-step instructions on how to renew or update a license using the ULS.

Refunds; Applicants who submit an FCC Form 605 application but are not successful in obtaining a Vanity call sign with that application may seek a refund of the application fee, by writing to FCC, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg PA 17325-7245. Applicants must write to FCC to obtain the refund since the FCC does not automatically refund the fee when an application is dismissed. Be sure to include the Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) which was listed on the Form 605 application when seeking a refund. 

Amateur Radio licensees may file renewal applications no sooner than 90 days of their license expiration date. While the regulatory fee payment is required from licensees wishing to keep their current vanity call signs after renewal, vanity holders can opt to get a sequential call sign and avoid paying any FCC fee when they renew.

Amateur Radio licensees holding vanity call signs granted prior to 1996 do not have to pay a regulatory fee when renewing. This is because Congress did not begin requiring the FCC to annually recover its regulatory costs until 1993. The initial round of vanity grants under the current system occurred in 1996. Licensees who want to retain vanity call signs issued under the current (post-1995) system must pay the regulatory fee when renewing.

The ARRL VEC will process license renewals for vanity call sign holders for a modest fee (see "Processing Fee Schedule" below). The service is available to ARRL members and nonmembers, although League members pay less. Routine, non-vanity renewals continue to be free for ARRL members. Trustees of club stations with vanity call signs may renew either via the ULS or through a Club Station Call Sign Administrator, such as ARRL VEC.

League members should visit the ARRL Member Instructions for License Renewals or Changes page. The Instructions for License Renewals or Changes page covers general renewal procedures for nonmembers. There's additional information on the ARRL VEC's FCC License Renewals and ARRL License Expiration Notices page.