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Submit FCC Form 605 along with the appropriate original Proof of Passing Certificate(s) (for the requisite written and/or telegraphy examination element(s)) to apply for a commercial operator license.
There is one EXCEPTION: You do NOT have to submit a Proof of Passing Certificate when applying for a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit (RR).
Most Commercial Operator License Examination Managers (COLEMs) file these documents for applicants who test with them. Ask your COLEM if it provides this service to its customers.
Use the FCC Form 605 and the FCC Form 159 (fee processing form) to renew your license or to replace a lost, stolen, or mutilated license. IMPORTANT NOTE: Most commercial radio operator licenses are now issued for the lifetime of the holder, and do not need to be renewed. See Terms of Licenses to ascertain if your license needs to be renewed.
PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED FOR RADIOTELEGRAPH LICENSES AND SIX MONTHS SERVICE ENDORSEMENTS
Applicants for Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificates and Six Months Service Endorsements must submit TWO identical, passport-type photographs taken within the last six months. Photographs must be:
Photographs are acceptable in black and white or color with a light, plain background. Newspaper, magazine, or photocopied photographs are not acceptable. Enclose photographs in a plain white envelope, labeled on the outside with the word "PHOTOS" and your name. Staple the envelope to the back of your application. Photographs are also required for any renewal or administrative update application.
Operating/Maintaining While Application is Pending
A person who has filed an application for a commercial operator license with the FCC, and who holds a Proof of Passing Certificate(s) indicating that he or she passed the requisite examination(s) within the previous 365 days, is authorized to exercise the rights and privileges of the applied-for operator license during the period before the FCC acts on the application, but only for a period of 90 days from the date the application was filed, provided that the applicant has not had a commercial radio operator license revoked or suspended in the past, and is not the subject of an ongoing suspension proceeding.