Track 1: Laurel VEC P&P — Lesson 3 of 8

Registration, Identity Verification & Element Credit

The required steps before any applicant picks up a pencil or logs into ExamTools.

Learning objectives

Collect all required applicant information accurately
Apply the correct identity verification procedure for adults and youth
Evaluate element credit claims using the five permitted forms of proof
Know which license classes receive which element credits, current and expired
Recognize when an applicant qualifies for an administrative upgrade based on element credit alone

Part A — Required information

What every applicant must provide

Required information is defined in §1.913(f), §97.17(b)(1), and §97.21(a)(2), and collected on LARC-VEC Form 605 Section 1: P&P App. 8 §5.1

✓Full legal name (no single names, no numbers or symbols in name — see below) App. 8 §5.1.2.2
✓Mailing address §97.23
✓Email address §97.23
✓FCC Registration Number (FRN) — required before any application will be accepted App. 8 §5.1.2.3
✓Call sign (if applicable)
✓Answer to the Felony (Basic Qualification) Question P&P §7.2.4.1
✓Whether any FCC application is pending

⚠

Single names and special characters cannot be processed

SessionManager complies with FCC’s ULS Electronic Batch Filing requirements. Applications cannot be accepted for persons using a single name (e.g., Madonna, Beyonce) or a name containing numbers, punctuation, or symbols. Refer these applicants to the FCC Help Desk: 877-480-3201 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm ET).

Part B — Identity verification

Verifying who the applicant is

The FCC prohibits obtaining an amateur license by fraudulent means §97.17(c). VEs must verify identity using the following methods: P&P App. 8 §5.2

Adults

Require one government-issued photo ID: passport, military ID, state driver’s license, or state identification card. Compare the photo to the applicant’s face. P&P App. 8 §5.2.2.1

Youth

A non-government issued photo ID (e.g., student ID), or a non-photo ID (e.g., school ID, library card, report card) is acceptable. Note: the Team Leader may devise procedures to confirm the identity of youth who do not possess any form of identification, or contact your Regional Coordinator for guidance. P&P App. 8 §5.2.2.1.2

💡

Re-identification between rooms

If registration and testing are in different rooms, a VE must confirm the applicant’s identity when they move from one room to the other — unless a VE directly observed the move and the ID was already checked. P&P App. 8 §5.2.3 All IDs must be returned to the applicant at the end of registration. P&P App. 8 §5.2.4

Knowledge Check

A 14-year-old applicant has no driver’s license or passport. They present a school-issued library card with their name on it (no photo). Is this acceptable identification?

Yes — for youth applicants, a non-photo ID such as a library card, school ID, or report card is acceptable
No — every applicant, regardless of age, must present a government-issued photo ID
No — a parent or guardian must present their own photo ID instead
Only if the applicant is testing for Technician; General and Extra applicants must present photo ID regardless of age

Part C — Element credit

Element credit: which licenses qualify

Element credits are awarded under §97.505 P&P App. 8 §5.3. Credits based on FCC-granted licenses do not expire. Credits from a CSCE expire 365 days from the issue date. P&P App. 1 (Element Credit definition)

License class / situation	Current/in grace period	Expired beyond grace period
Amateur Extra (FCC-granted)	N/A	Elements 3 and/or 4
Advanced, General, or Technician granted before 21 March 1987	Elements 2 and 3	Element 3 only
Technician Plus or Technician granted on or after 21 March 1987	Element 2 only	No credit

Real-World Scenario — Administrative Upgrade

An applicant arrives to test for General. During registration, a VE notices the applicant’s current, unexpired Technician license was originally granted on 14 January 1985 — before the 21 March 1987 cutoff. What should the VE Team do?

Test your understanding of this scenario in the Knowledge Check below.

Five acceptable forms of proof P&P App. 8 §5.3.2

1

CSCE from any VEC App. 8 §5.3.2.1

Must be original + copy; not older than 365 days; unaltered; signed by three VEs; must specify the elements passed. Retain the copy; return the original. VEs must accept unexpired CSCEs from other VECs. App. 8 §5.3.2.1.6
2

Expired FCC-granted license App. 8 §5.3.2.2

Original or ULS “Reference Copy.” Retain a copy; return the original. Note: licenses issued by third parties (US Navy, Army, Air Force, former territories) are not acceptable. App. 8 §5.3.2.2.2 Note
3

Letter from the FCC App. 8 §5.3.2.3

Must state the class of license previously granted and when. Original + copy; retain copy; return original. Very rare.
4

Callbook page App. 8 §5.3.2.4

Cover must show publication date; page must show applicant’s name, call sign, and license class. Highlight the applicant’s entry. Retain copy of cover and relevant page.
5

QRZ database page App. 8 §5.3.2.5

Retain a copy of the page listing the applicant’s information. Available at qrz.com.

Knowledge Check

An applicant presents a CSCE issued by the ARRL VEC 300 days ago showing they passed Element 3. Should VEs accept this as element credit?

No — only CSCEs issued directly by the Laurel VEC itself are acceptable for element credit
Yes — VEs must accept unexpired, unaltered CSCEs from any VEC
No — CSCEs expire after 90 days regardless of which VEC issued them
Only if the Regional Coordinator pre-approves the specific CSCE in advance

Knowledge Check

An applicant holds an expired Technician class license that was issued in 1990 (after March 21, 1987). What element credit, if any, are they entitled to?

No element credit — Technician licenses issued after March 21, 1987 that have expired do not qualify
Element 2 credit only, since Technician already covers the written entry-level material
Element 3 credit only, carried over from the original Technician grant date
Elements 2 and 3 credit, since Technician is treated as equivalent to General once expired

Knowledge Check

An applicant provides a license issued to them by the US Army as proof of element credit. Is this acceptable?

Yes — any government-issued amateur license qualifies for element credit
Yes, as long as the license was originally authorized under FCC oversight
Only if the applicant also provides a QRZ printout confirming the license details
No — third-party licenses (military, former territories) are never acceptable for element credit

Knowledge Check

An applicant arrives to test for General. During registration, a VE notices the applicant’s current, unexpired Technician license was originally granted on 14 January 1985 — before the 21 March 1987 cutoff. What should the VE Team do?

Administer the Element 3 written exam as usual, treating the pre-1987 grant date as irrelevant since the license is current and unexpired rather than lapsed
Because their Technician license was originally granted before 21 March 1987, it already carries the equivalent of Element 3 credit. Combined with their existing Technician class (Element 2), this applicant already holds credit for every element required for General — no exam is necessary. If they provide proof the original license predates 21 March 1987, process this as an administrative upgrade
Tell the applicant to let the Technician license lapse and expire first, on the theory that the pre-1987 credit provision only ever applies once a license has expired rather than while it remains current
Require the applicant to test for both Element 2 and Element 3 from scratch, since holding a current license does not itself constitute documented proof of the original grant date or any credit

Knowledge Check

An applicant presents an expired Amateur Extra class license as proof of element credit. What credit should be applied?

Element 4 only
Elements 3 and/or 4
Elements 2, 3, and 4
No credit — expired Extra licenses are not acceptable proof

Knowledge Check

An applicant presents an expired General class license. What element credit applies?

Element 3 only
Elements 2 and 3
No credit — General licenses do not carry credit once expired
Element 2 only

Knowledge Check

An applicant arrives without an FRN and wants to take the exam today. What is the correct action?

Accept the application anyway and assign it a temporary placeholder number
Allow the applicant to test but hold the paperwork until an FRN is obtained afterward
Refuse the application — an FRN is required before any application will be accepted
Contact the Regional Coordinator to request a waiver of the FRN requirement

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Registration, Identity Verification & Element Credit

Learning objectives

What every applicant must provide

Verifying who the applicant is

Adults

Youth

Element credit: which licenses qualify

Five acceptable forms of proof P&P App. 8 §5.3.2

CSCE from any VEC App. 8 §5.3.2.1

Expired FCC-granted license App. 8 §5.3.2.2

Letter from the FCC App. 8 §5.3.2.3

Callbook page App. 8 §5.3.2.4

QRZ database page App. 8 §5.3.2.5