National Radio Examiners, a division of Radio Examiners Inc., administers all commercial radio operator license examinations.

Effective in 1984. the Federal Communications Commission discontinued the First Class and Second Class Radiotelephone Operator Licenses and replaced them with a special lifetime General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL).

This license is required by international law for certain radio services - especially the Aviation (Part 87) and the Maritime Services (Part 80.)

The FCC also established a new Marine Radio Operator Permit (MP) that is required to operate two-way radio aboard certain vessels, aviation radiotelephone stations and maritime coast stations.

Commercial radio operator testing is now directed by private groups known as Commercial Operator Licensing Examination Managers (COLEMs.) Eight COLEMs, the commercial counterpart of the Amateur Service's VEC, have been certified and have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the government in much the same manner as VECs (Volunteer Examiner Coordinators.) The Commercial Radio Operator examination program is patterned after the very successful VEC System in the Amateur Service.

The first group to be chosen as a Commercial Operator License Examination Manager was the National Radio Examiners. NRE is one of the largest examiners for Commercial Radio Operator licenses and providing examinations across the US Examination Locations. Our examination fee is $50 for the first 2 Elements taken plus $25 for each additional Element. Fees are based on a per applicant, per license, per exam session.

NRE has approximately 300 examination sites located across the United States. A list of the National Radio Examiners testing locations can be found by selecting your state or you can call (toll free) to 1-800-669-9594 to reach our NRE Office during normal business hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time), Monday through Friday.

Contact the examiner closest to you for more detailed information regarding setting up an appointment, testing dates and times.