Contents
- What amateur radio license counts statistics measure
- Amateur radio license counts by U.S. state and territory
- U.S. amateur radio license counts by license class
- Total active individual FCC amateur radio licenses
- Reading these amateur radio license counts statistics
- Sources
What amateur radio license counts statistics measure
Amateur radio license counts statistics describe the number of active licenses recorded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In its FCC License Counts table, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) reports active FCC licenses held by individuals. The figures include FCC actions through Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
That definition matters: these are license records, not a survey of people who currently operate radios, participate in clubs, or use particular modes. The table organizes its totals by assigned state or territory and by license class. Its national figure covers all locations in the table, including a separate “Other*” category.
Amateur radio license counts by U.S. state and territory
The reported counts vary substantially across the listed jurisdictions. California had 88,426 active individual FCC licenses, Texas had 52,593, and Florida had 41,390. At the lower end among the jurisdictions shown here, Guam had 237 and the U.S. Virgin Islands had 244. These are raw counts, not rates adjusted for population.
| State or territory | Active individual licenses |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 11,788 |
| Alaska | 3,121 |
| Arizona | 20,713 |
| Arkansas | 7,724 |
| California | 88,426 |
| Colorado | 19,164 |
| Connecticut | 6,779 |
| Delaware | 1,846 |
| District of Columbia | 562 |
| Florida | 41,390 |
| Georgia | 18,615 |
| Guam | 237 |
| Hawaii | 3,276 |
| Idaho | 10,979 |
| Illinois | 18,401 |
| Indiana | 14,979 |
| Iowa | 6,243 |
| Kansas | 6,904 |
| Kentucky | 9,590 |
| Louisiana | 5,726 |
| Maine | 4,349 |
| Maryland | 10,452 |
| Massachusetts | 12,967 |
| Michigan | 20,211 |
| Minnesota | 11,020 |
| Mississippi | 4,664 |
| Missouri | 14,666 |
| Montana | 4,412 |
| Nebraska | 3,695 |
| Nevada | 7,924 |
| New Hampshire | 5,683 |
| New Jersey | 12,496 |
| New Mexico | 5,875 |
| New York | 25,472 |
| North Carolina | 23,168 |
| North Dakota | 1,404 |
| Ohio | 26,081 |
| Oklahoma | 9,506 |
| Oregon | 19,559 |
| Pennsylvania | 23,248 |
| Puerto Rico | 5,266 |
| Rhode Island | 1,821 |
| South Carolina | 10,492 |
| South Dakota | 2,112 |
| Tennessee | 19,997 |
| Texas | 52,593 |
| Utah | 17,936 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 244 |
Source for the state and territory figures in the table: ARRL FCC License Counts, through November 10, 2026.
The differences in these totals should be read as differences in the number of licenses assigned to each jurisdiction. Without population denominators or other context, the table does not establish which places have higher license rates, more active operators, or greater participation in amateur radio.
U.S. amateur radio license counts by license class
ARRL’s national total row also breaks out active individual FCC licenses by class. Technician is the largest reported category, with 357,171 licenses. General follows at 183,936, then Extra at 156,988. The table lists 25,374 Advanced licenses and 4,030 Novice licenses.
| License class | Active individual licenses |
|---|---|
| Novice | 4,030 |
| Technician | 357,171 |
| General | 183,936 |
| Advanced | 25,374 |
| Extra | 156,988 |
Source: ARRL FCC License Counts, national TOTAL row, through November 10, 2026.
The class counts describe the records in each category at the reporting date. They do not show how many licensees upgraded during a particular period, how long licensees held a class, or how frequently they operate. The figures are a snapshot, not a time series.
Total active individual FCC amateur radio licenses
ARRL reported 727,499 active individual FCC amateur radio licenses in its TOTAL row through November 10, 2026. This count covers all locations represented in the table, including the separate “Other*” category. It is the reported total of active individual licenses, not a count of unique people who are currently on the air.
The class figures above are categories within the same national table. They should be understood alongside its definition and reporting date: active FCC licenses held by individuals, with actions through November 10, 2026. The state and territory figures likewise refer to licenses assigned to those locations, rather than to a population-adjusted measure.
Reading these amateur radio license counts statistics
For a quick snapshot, the ARRL table supports three direct comparisons: license counts by assigned jurisdiction, counts by license class, and the national total. It does not, by itself, provide historical changes, population rates, survey estimates, or explanations for why one jurisdiction or class has a larger count than another.
A future comparison would need figures from another date with the same definitions and coverage. To compare jurisdictions by prevalence rather than raw volume, a population denominator would also be needed. The November 10, 2026 table supplies a detailed count at one reporting point, with its scope explicitly limited to active individual FCC licenses.