T1A: Basis and purpose of amateur service and definitions

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) makes and enforces the rules and regulations of the amateur service in the US.

The definition of an amateur station is simply a station in the Amateur Radio service used for radiocommunications.

A control operator of an amateur station is any licensed amateur operator who is responsible for the station's transmissions.

Two of the five purposes for the amateur service are "to increase the number of trained radio operators and electronics experts", and "improve international goodwill".

Before you can operate an amateur station in the US, the FCC must grant you an amateur operator/primary station license. After you pass the elements required for your first Amateur Radio license may you transmit as soon as the FCC grants you a license. Before you are allowed to operate an amateur station the FCC database must show that you have been granted an amateur license.

There are four US amateur operator licenses that a new amateur can earn:

Technician
Technician with Morse code
General
Amateur Extra

The normal term for which a new amateur station license is granted is 10 years. For license renewal you can send the FCC a completed Form 605 or file with the Universal Licensing System on the World Wide Web no more than 90 days before the expiration date of your license. The "grace period" during which the FCC will renew an expired 10-year license is 2 years.

One way you can notify the FCC if your mailing address changes is "fill out an FCC Form 605 using your new address, attach a copy of your license, and mail it to the FCC office in Gettysburg, PA.