Amateur Radio Operator Classes

Empirical license class breakdown across Technician, General, Amateur Extra, and grandfathered licenses in the FCC Universal Licensing System.

Total Active Hams 823,427
Technician Class 49.4%
General Class 24.6%
Amateur Extra 20.2%

License Class Distribution

Class Code Operator License Class Active Licensees Share of Total
T Technician 407,126 49.4%
G General 202,155 24.6%
E Amateur Extra 166,386 20.2%
A Advanced (Grandfathered) 30,393 3.7%
UNKNOWN Other (UNKNOWN) 12,034 1.5%
N Novice (Grandfathered) 5,333 0.7%
P Technician Plus (Grandfathered) 0 0.0%
Total Active in ULS 823,427 100.0%

Licensing Service Breakdown (HA vs HV)

The FCC administers amateur radio under two distinct service codes: HA (regular sequential call signs) and HV (vanity call signs requested under Part 97.19).

Service Code Description Active Licenses Share
HA Regular Amateur 652,647 79.3%
HV Vanity Amateur 170,780 20.7%