What license do I need?
There are three US amateur radio license classes: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Each one adds privileges on top of the one before it, and each has its own exam. Here's what actually differs between them.
TechnicianElement 2
35 questions, 26 to passPrerequisite None. Anyone can walk in and take it.
Privileges All amateur privileges above 30 MHz (the VHF/UHF bands most new hams actually use for local repeaters), plus limited HF: CW on parts of 80m/40m/15m/10m, and phone on 10m (28.300-28.500 MHz) only. Max 200 W on HF, up to 1500 W above 30 MHz.
Study Technician →GeneralElement 3
35 questions, 26 to passPrerequisite Pass Element 2 (Technician) and Element 3 in the same or an earlier session.
Privileges Most of the HF bands open up here, this is the license most hams who want to talk across the country or the world actually get. Some voice sub-bands are still reserved for Extra, but the bulk of HF phone, CW, and digital privileges are unlocked at General.
Study General →Amateur ExtraElement 4
50 questions, 37 to passPrerequisite Pass Elements 2, 3, and 4 (General plus the Extra-class element).
Privileges Every amateur frequency and mode allocation in the US, including the narrow voice sub-bands reserved exclusively for Extra-class operators on 80m, 40m, 20m, and 15m.
Study Amateur Extra →Common questions
Do I have to hold Technician before I can get General or Extra?
No. What's actually required is passing the exam elements, not holding the license in between. If you study enough to pass the Technician (Element 2), General (Element 3), and Extra (Element 4) exams in a single sitting, most VE teams will let you take all three back to back and you walk out an Extra. Most people don't do this on day one, but nothing in the FCC rules requires the license itself as a prerequisite, only the exam element.
What's the fastest path if I just want to talk to other hams locally?
Technician. It has no prerequisite, a 35-question exam most people prepare for in a few weeks, and it covers essentially all the VHF/UHF privileges (repeaters, local simplex, satellites, most FM operation) that new hams use day to day.
Why would I want General or Extra if Technician already covers local repeaters?
HF. Technician's HF privileges are narrow (10m phone only, plus some CW segments). If you want to talk across the country or overseas on shortwave without relying on VHF/UHF line-of-sight, you need General at minimum. Extra adds a handful of exclusive voice sub-bands that matter mostly to contesters and DXers chasing rare, crowded frequencies.
Does the exam get harder at each level?
Yes, both in question count and depth. Technician and General are both 35-question, 26-to-pass exams, but General assumes more technical and regulatory depth than Technician. Extra is 50 questions with 37 to pass, and its question pool covers meaningfully more advanced electronics and rules content than the other two combined.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Seehow to get licensedfor the actual exam-day process, or start with theTechnician practice test, the only class most new hams need first.