We’re writing this short guide in response to a question from one of our members. Here in the UK, amateurs are required to validate their licence every five years, so that Ofcom knows you’re still active and the details on file are correct and current. If you hold a licence, see our guide to validating your UK amateur radio licence.
So what happens if you’ve let your licence lapse, or have taken a break from the hobby and are looking to return to amateur radio?
Reinstating your UK amateur radio licence
If your licence is no longer valid or has expired, you can’t use Ofcom’s online validation process to re-activate your licence and callsign. Instead, you have to complete an application form and post it to Ofcom to get your licence back.
There’s no longer a fee for an amateur radio licence in the UK (It used to be £15 a year) – However note that to reapply for a licence that has lapsed, there’s a one-off admin fee of £20 when applying with a paper form.
When you send off the application form to Ofcom, you will also need to enclose proof that you’re entitled to hold a licence and that you previously held the callsign in your own name. Proof can take the form of any of the following:
- A copy of your old licence or validation document
- A copy of your City & Guilds Institute certificate
- If your callsign has appeared in one of the RSGB call books, then a copy/scan of your entry is also acceptable as proof – The RSGB hold a catalogue of old yearbooks – try contacting the RSGB to see if they can help with a copy
Link to Licence Application form: Ofcom Licensing Page (Link to actual PDF form: Ofcom Amateur Radio Application Form OFW346)
About the application form
At the time of writing (May 2014), the form you need to complete is an 11-page PDF multi-purpose form that’s used to get a new licence, apply for a club callsign, update a licence, or surrender a licence – therefore not all sections apply.
The form states that you should allow 14 days for processing once it’s been sent in.
Payment: A fee of £20 applies. This can be paid by enclosing a cheque with the form, or by adding card payment details in Section 12 of the form. Visa, Mastercard, Switch/UK Maestro and Visa Debit/Delta card payments are accepted. BACS transfer, postal orders, Visa Electron / Solo cards, and cash payments are not acceptable.
If you have any queries, or require additional help with reactivating your licence and callsign, you can contact Ofcom’s amateur radio licensing team on 020-7981 3131
How to get a UK licence
If you have no way of proving that you held a UK licence, you may have to start again. The entry licence is Foundation, which you can obtain after undertaking a few short practicals and a basic 26-question multiple choice test – just easier than the old RAE days. It gives you 10 watts on most bands, including HF, with no requirement to learn Morse. See: Amateur Radio Foundation
What’s changed in amateur radio?
You might be interested in checking out our guide: Returning to amateur radio
Other Information
If you hold a valid amateur radio licence in another country, you may be able to operate here in the UK, or to apply for a reciprocal licence – See Ofcom: I hold an overseas licence
Great idea putting this on line, something has to be done about our dwindling numbers. It is possible to get replacement C&G certificates, but it takes 5 weeks and costs £44. Maybe the RSGB could offer a callbook reference service, not everyone lapsed has kept callbooks.
Not appicable to me however – kept current for over 50 years.
73 malcolm gi8afs
(ex Essex)
Yes thanks, useful info.
Clearly laid out ( unlike the offcom site)
Just filled the form in, and double checked with Ofcom about the fee.
( yes its still £20 03/07/2015)
At first they didn’t even know this form could be used for reinstating your amateur radio license !
This page lays out the facts clearly, the ofcom site lets you sink into verbiage pages of it …
so thanks once again
My lapsed callsign was G4HPB, any idea where I could enquire to obtain a copy of the RSGB call book around 1977 to 1980.
Regards
Richard Wilden
Richard – did you manage to find a RSGB call book ?
I was licensed as G8MHL at that time, and wish to get my license reinstated after many years. Like yourself I don’t have a call book with my details listed..
Regards
David Shaw
For info, G8MHL doesn’t appear in the 1991 book (oldest one I have)
Did you resolve the renewal Pete I am G8 XMP I want to renew my license..
Hi – I have just seen your post (see my reply to Richard above). You are listed in the 1985 callbook also but as “Particulars withheld at licensee’s request” so I don’t know whether they would accept that, but I can send you a scan of it if you like.
Kind Regards
Clive
Hi Richard – just seen your post – I have a 1985 callbook with your callsign listed if that is any use.
I can scan and send you an image of the page if that helps. I (thought) that I had been continuously licensed for 47 years (G8EFU) but have just fallen foul of the crazy Ofcom “renew every 5 years” system. If you forget to re-validate then they simply cancel your licence without any communication whatsoever – crazy.
Regards
Clive
Hi Clive,
Would you be kind enough and look up my call please.. Its G6ZVR.
Thank you.
Darren
I found your site and this very well written process after digging about on the Ofcom site for a while and ending up non the wiser regarding how to reinstate my license.
Word of caution to anybody else that has to use the form though. They ask for:
Full name
Full address with post code.
Date of birth
Full card details including the card verification number.
Ok so I work in IT security so perhaps have a heightened awareness of such things but just think the last time you rang your bank what the security questions they asked were…
Ofcom need to get with the program and figure out a better way to carry out this process.
No details of who looks at these forms. No details of if they are kept filed securely or destroyed. No guarantee what will happen to your details.
If you ask the Bank/CC company to cover a fraud they will ask a standard question about if you shared your details with anybody and if you have then they are within their rights not to cover any fraud resulting.
I sent a cheque.
wonder if anyone can help – my amateur licence has lapsed for many years and have just been on the ofcom website and filled in the new user “Ofcom register” using a valid email address – but can’t find anywhere to enter a password on the form – result is I can’t access the site to obtain the documentation I need to revalidate – am I missing something? maybe an age thing (78) any help much appreciated – drew
Andrew – I have just been through this today (5th September 2017) and at first I ran into the same issue. I went to register on the Ofcom site (not the best laid out site ever!) and it sent me an email with a link it in to set a password. I did this on my mobile phone and when I got the email there was the link but I couldn’t click on it. I copied and pasted it into a web browser on my phone but this didn’t work it went straight to a login screen for people who were already registered. In the end I had to open the email on a computer and the link then became ‘clickable’ and I was able to set a password. It seems being registered is the only way to get to the licence application form. Like yourself I have been off air for many moons, nearly 25 years, so I’m trying to get my old call sign back. Hope this helps and best wishes.
Very useful information.
I am attempting to reinstate my licence after a gap of over 20 years.
The problem is that i cannot find any of my original paperwork. I don’t know anyone with historic call books either, though my call is listed on QRZ/Hamcall etc. Consequently, i’m at a bit of an impasse.
Anyone any ideas?
Richard
RSGB were very helpful in finding my old callsign, GW8PJE, which expired in 1983, when I left the UK.
Just email details to ar.dept@rsgb.org.uk.
Returned copy of relevant callbook entry following day, with offer of 3 month free trial subscription to RSGB.
PET
Hi Pete
I have been living overseas for past 20 years trying to re activate my old G8 callsign but am finding the OfW346 form difficult to understand as to which parts I need to fill out if living permanently overseas.
Does anyone have an example or advice on this please? RSGB were great with giving me an old call book page showing my callsign from 1985. But the OfW346 has me stumped.
Can anyone help please?
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
If in doubt, just drop Ofcom an email or give them a call – from my experience, they’re very approachable.
Pete
Has anyone actually managed to get their licence renewed?Im in the process of reapplying
Karl-G0SKW
My licence lapsed sometime in the late 80s and I had no original physical copy When I wanted to come back into amateur radio last year, RSGB were extremely helpful in sending me a copy of the callbook entry.
Armed with that, the RAE cert (which I’d fortunately hung on to), and 20 quid, I was able to get a licence with my original callsign from Ofcom. By the way, Ofcom’s site is a little complex. You need to register yourself as a user first. Once you’ve sent them the forms, evidence of callsign/exam pass and payment, you’ll get a response in a week or two. They then link your licence to your website user.
I was looking at the process for an old radio amateur mate, I also found Ofcom’s site a bit of a maze!
I have forwarded him this page link.
G8RIR.
Oh and his callsign G8RAE!
Re: Reinstating your UK Amateur Radio Licence
Hi there, I have a problem concening Licence Reinstating. If anyone out there can help I would be greatful.
I was licenced in the late 1980’s, but not since. My problem is that I now live abroad, and in order to ‘convert’ my old UK licence l need to have a ‘current UK’ licence. In order to get a UK licence (which I know that can be done in UK) I need a UK address, which I don’t have.
So, how do I get a current UK licence – without a current UK address?
I still have a pdf of my orgional C&G certificate as well as the 1989 licence
Thank you
Sorry just to add to that:
The country I’m in (Vietnam) will NOT accept C&G certificates or outdated 1989 UK licences.
What is required is a 2019 UK Licence so that I can ‘convert to 3W licence
Thank you
The two options occurring to me are: 1. Apply for a UK licence using your old C&G as proof (and use a friend’s address in the UK), or 2. Contact Ofcom to see if they can help
Looking to have a look at Amatuer radio again after many years qrt. I think I still have my certificates somewhere and an old RSGB renewal notice. I used to be G0JPT but think I was one of the withhelds in the old callsign books. Hopefully theres still some action on the bands around me.
Hi. My name is Pete
I passed the RAE in 1994/95 held a licence for about 4 years before it lapsed
Anybody got a book of call signs from that period. Call sign was. M1ACE
Thanks. If you have. Please email a picture to me
Pete
Hi, Robert Roche, G1VXD – lapsed in about 1990/91, due to life and getting married / having kids etc! Now retired and looking to reinstate licence if possible. I found your website far clearer than the OFCOM site in relation to reinstatement. Fortunately I still have my 1986 RAE cert and DTI Validation Doc so hope renewal will be straightforward. On the most recent application forms OFCOM do not appear to be asking about payment info, apparently they now invoice you subsequent to application?
I’ve been looking at stuff about RTL-SDR on youtube and have ordered a dongle / receiver to enable me to put my toe into the water again. I had a class B licence and the morse test was offputting as I always tended to prefer HF, and the 2M band in London – particularly the Crystal Palace repeater was notorious, so I wasn’t very active on 144MHZ. I may get into kit building for low power HF if possible but have an awful lot to rediscover first as well as comprehensively updating myself before going anywhere near a transmitter! Just out of curiosity am wondering if my callsign G1VXD appears in any of your earlier books. Kind Regards to all (73’s).
Hi I have just got my licence reinstated , how do I get my callsign removed from the revoked list
Thanks in advance
Barry
De M3PKR
Hi Barry. Well done in getting your licence back. Ofcom published a list of call signs that it revoked in August 2017. I might be wrong, but I don’t think they update that list, as it’s there as a record of what happened in 2017, but best check with Ofcom. Pete
I’ve just applied to get my licence reinstated after 34 years … At the RSGB (Steve M1ACB and Carol M6MUP) were extremely helpful and pointed me to this link:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/47233/OfW346-Amateur-Radio-Application.pdf
for the form needed to be sent to Ofcom to reapply for the licence.
They also did a search and found my call-sign in the 1985 RSGB Callbook, which they then scanned and sent to me. So the form’s in the post now!
I can only mirror G6OVL’s comments. I have just re applied for my licence after some years away. Thanks to this site and the kind help from the RSGB staff, in particular Steve M1ACB and Carol M6MUP, it seems to have made that experience a lot less confusing. Thanks guys!
Many thanks for this page. I have recently retired. I held a G6 licence back in the 80s but it lapsed due to job/children etc. I had thought about getting back into the hobby and came across this page when browsing. I was so out of touch with everything that I had no idea that my old class b licence would now let me onto the hf bands with a full licence. I had tried to pass the morse test in the 1980s but couldn’t get up to the required wpm level. With info on this site I was able to download the Ofcom form and a couple of hours in the attic resulted in me finding my old licence, validation document and Rae exam certificate. Copies of all This has all gone of to ofcom and I now await my full licence. Hopefully G6LFR will be back soon! Many thanks for this page which made it happen!
Hi, has anyone got a copy of the callbook for 1981 or 1982, looking to re-instate my old callsign which was G8ZRF
I am trying to find someone who can find a listing for G7LVA in the ’93’ 94 ’95 ish call books. would appreciate a scan so I can re-instate my license.
Many thanks
Steve
My Name Is Keith and I had a licence that expired in 1982 and would like to renew my hobby.
I only have the license document reference G6BTD but no exam documents.
How can I get established again?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Many thanks,
Keith.
Hi,
I’m struggling to find my old call sign, G6WRQ. Can you help please or point me in any direction please.
CQ CQ G6PUO Mobile
See I’ve still got it! However the link to the form, above, seems not to give you the form.
I would like to reinstate with my callsign, are these instructions still current?
I will now ferret out my C+G cert and old license.
THanks,
– Adam
Found the paper form here:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/47233/OfW346-Amateur-Radio-Application.pdf
in case anyone else needs it.
Hi all trying to get back my license G0 UPP back on air and previously G6 OEN and passed Morse around 23 years back cant find my old [email protected] papers but would really like to find a scan of my G0 UPP if any on can help i would be very grateful.
Trying to get my old license back G4KNU but need a scan from the RSGB call book around 1980, Can anybody help with this final document needed to get active again? Thanks Archie
My stepdad has an old G1 call sign lapsed ages ago,
what level of licence would he get as he only had the lower level at the time (diddn’t want to sit the Morse test)
Your step dad can apply for a full license if he can prove he held the callsign or still has a c&g pass slip.
Check old callbooks for proof of call if he wasn’t details withheld.
Regards Graeme G0TNU
Hi,
Like many before me I’m trying to re-instate my old license but struggling to find suitable paperwork, could I ask you kind gent to have a look for my old callsign (G1USU) which I think was issued in 1986,
So I would hope it in this range RSGB 1986 – 1990
Hi All,
.
I would like to request a specific callsign from some of the older series. Does anyone know if there is a list of available callsigns anywhere?
Thanks
Pete
Hi I was G0TBQ but lapsed i might be in the 1990 onwards call book if any one has any info I would like to get my license back
I have been licensed since 1992 firstly as G7NES then since 1993 as G0TNU
Recently I found my first license & thought to myself that as my original call is much faster & nicer to send in morse code, I would surrender G0TNU & re-apply for G7NES which is now also a full license.
After emailing ofcom twice they eventually decided to reply saying I can only apply for a new call if I surrender my license & remain off air for 2 years to render my call obsolete.
It looks like the only way around this is to become a novice for a couple of years.
Apparently I’m not allowed to take a foundation course.
From what i understand from emails from ofcom, Even if i surrender my licence i will still be classed as its holder until 2 years have elapsed.
They say the would not knowingly issue me with another license of any class.
The 2 year rule is apparantly policy & not legislation
Looks like I’m stuck with a G0 call because of red tape
Hi all, I passed my course in 95, stopped in around 2002 due to work travel. I contacted Ofcom in December 2020 via the online chat on the ofcom web site and simply asked the guy how I get my lapsed licence back. He asked my call sign and station address and sent it via email immediately with no cost at all. Since then I contacted them again a week ago requesting a HAREC document as I live in Portugal now, received it the next day via email and applied to Anacom for a Portuguese licence class 1. I paid €15 and received a license and call sign within 24 hours.
Paul G7VDD / CT7AZO
Hi Paul, boa tarde, nice to know there is another UK Ham in Portugal. I know your area quite well. I’m down south. I’m the lady that posted up about how to get a licence in Portugal. CT7ARX / G6URY. Glad you sorted out your Portuguese licence.