Updated 8/29/25

FCC Batch Filing System Restored

On Friday, August 29, 2025, the FCC’s Electronic Batch Filing (EBF) system was restored. This system is used by all Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) organizations to file exam sessions, individual license applications, and club license applications.

ARRL VEC staff are working diligently to clear the backlog of approximately 300 sessions and applications before the system’s daily scheduled shutdown at 8:00 PM. We expect that all applications received at our office over the past week will be submitted to the FCC and processed within 24 hours.

Some issues remain with both the EBF and the Universal Licensing System (ULS):

• Payment emails: Some applicants have not received the automated FCC email requesting payment. Please note that you do not need to wait for this email. Once your application appears in the FCC system, you can log into your FCC CORES account  directly to submit payment. More information on the CORES payment system is available here. 

• License emails: Some applicants have not received the automated FCC email containing the link to download their new, upgraded, renewed, or modified license. Instructions for obtaining your official authorization are available here. 

ARRL VEC will continue to monitor FCC systems and provide updates as needed.

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Original story:

As of Monday morning, August 25, 2025, the FCC’s Electronic Batch Filing (EBF) system—used by all VEC organizations to file exam sessions, individual applications, and club license applications—is not processing submissions. 

This outage means that applications for new and upgraded licenses, as well as individual and club filings, are not currently being processed or issued. 

 ARRL VEC alerted FCC staff, who are working to resolve the problem. While the system briefly processed a small number of Monday’s submissions on Wednesday, it has since gone down again. Thousands of applications remain pending on the FCC side. 

ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, reported that the FCC has not provided an estimate on when the system will be restored.  

Please check back for updates on the FCC outage as more information becomes available.